Click here to subscribe today or Login.
WILKES-BARRE — It was roughly a year and a half ago when news broke that the athletic programs of the three Wilkes-Barre Area high schools would be merging.
There were countless trials, tribulations, troubles and tributes in the span that followed.
For at least one night, on Friday, there was nothing but pride as the Wolfpack won their first football game in program history in their first-ever home game ever defeating Scranton 37-28 at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium.
“I’m at a loss for words for once in my life,” said emotional WBA coach Ciro Cinti. “It was a long road. A lot of hard work. All of our coaches. You thank the kids, but I can’t thank the coaches enough because they’re unselfish and they work hard every day the last eight months to come together and win when a lot of people were against us.”
The win was in doubt in the second half as the Wolfpack (1-1) gave up a 14-point, first-half lead and the Knights went ahead 22-21 with 1:40 to go in the third quarter after a 63-yard touchdown run by Tylil White, who ran for a game-high 137 yards on 20 carries.
That lead for Scranton didn’t dampen the spirits of the Wilkes-Barre Area players and the team went back in front on its next possession when Antwan Gray Dates nailed a 23-yard field goal and a 24-22 lead just a little over a minute into the fourth quarter.
The biggest play of the game occurred on the Wolfpack’s next drive when Malachi Williams hauled in a 45-yard touchdown strike from Talee Swinney to put them in front 30-22 with 5:59 remaining. Williams, who nabbed four catches for 135 yards, caught the ball and separated from the defense before getting to the end zone.
“He’s a one-man show that kid,” Cinti added. “He has so much natural ability, but he’s starting to zone himself into a really, really great athlete and a heck of a receiver. I’d say one of the best in the league.”
The Knights found the end zone on their next drive, but they had to go for a two-point try after the TD, and the run was failed as WBA held a 30-28 lead with 2:34 to go. The irony is that in last week’s loss to Crestwood, the Wolfpack fell short of a possible game-winning two-point conversion in overtime.
“Last week was tough to take. And for them to come out here and not give up, and be down late in the game and come back and win, your hat goes off to them,” Cinti said. “The kids never quit and the coaches never gave up on them.”
Noah Taylor put the game out of reach with a 45-yard TD run with 2:25 to go extending the lead to 37-28.
“The naysayers, they can say whatever they want,” Cinti added. “These kids all come together. There’s no Meyers, GAR, Coughlin. It’s Wolfpack, and that’s what these kids have bought into.”
The Wolfpack scored the first home touchdown in school history on their third play from scrimmage at the home field when Kam Taylor took a read option run 61 yards through the middle of the Scranton defense for the score and a 8-0 lead just 1:32 into the game.
After forcing a three-and-out, WBA was back at it again going 41 yards on seven plays on its next drive capped by a three-yard run by Rafael McCoy to go up 14-0 with 6:19 remaining in the first quarter.
Despite a pair of first-half turnovers on fumbles, the Wolfpack defense held Scranton in check until the Knights went 64 yards on nine plays to get on the board with 1:00 to go in the first half on a 20-yard scoring strike from White to Seamus Hailstone cutting the lead to 14-7.
The Knights tied it up at 14-14 after getting the ball to start the second half and going 65 yards on nine plays with a 12-yard run by White ending the drive.
The Wolfpack went back in front 21-14, taking advantage of a Scranton miscue when a snap on a punt sailed over the kicker’s head and was downed at the 5-yard line. Two plays later, Kam Taylor ran in the end zone from five yards out with 2:00 to go in the third quarter.
Wilkes-Barre Area 37, Scranton 28
Scranton`0`7`15`6`—`28
Wilkes-Barre Area`14’0`7`16`—`37
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
WBA – Taylor 61 run (Swinney run) 10:28
WBA – McCoy 3 run (run failed) 6:19
Second Quarter
SCR – Hailstone 20 pass from White (Ortiz kick) 1:00
Third Quarter
SCR – White 12 run (Ortiz kick) 8:28
WBA – K. Taylor 5 run (Dates kick) 2:00
SCR – White 63 run (Thompson run) 1:40
Fourth Quarter
WBA – Dates 23 field goal 10:20
WBA – Williams 45 pass from Swinney (kick blocked) 5:59
SCR – Jones 43 pass from White (run failed) 2:34
WBA – N. Taylor 45 run (Dates kick) 2:25
Team statistics`SCR`WBA
First downs`14`15
Rushes-yards`44-183`30-198
Passing yards`82`227
Total yards`265`425
Passing`4-17-0`12-18-0
Sacks by-yards lost`1-7`1-12
Punts-avg.`4-25.0`2-16.0
Fumbles-lost`3-2`0-0
Penalties-yards`2-15`8-72
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
PASSING – SCR, White 4-16-0-82, Cobley 0-1-0-0. WBA, K. Taylor 4-6-0-38. Swinney 8-12-0-189.
RUSHING— SCR, Thompson 18-61, White 20-137, Walker 3-16, Murphy 1-4, Cobley 0-0, TEAM 1-(minus-35). WBA,Brown 6-28, K. Taylor 5-68, N. Taylor 5-71, McCoy 3-(minus-4), Swinney 9-38, TEAM 1-(minus-5), Redding 1-2.
RECEIVING— SCR, Schmidt 1-6, Hailstone 1-20, Jones 2-56. WBA,Van Buren 1-5, Carey 1-6, McCoy 5-68, Williams 4-135, Armstrong 1-11.
INTERCEPTIONS – none
MISSED FG’S – none