H.S. Football: Wyoming Area rolls past Pittston Area; Elko named game MVP

WEST PITTSTON — Wyoming Area’s Nick Elko outgrew the running back position, but still knew what to do with the football in his hands.

The 6-foot-4, 300-pound, two-way senior lineman returned an interception 61 yards for a touchdown as part of a dominating second half as Wyoming Area defeated rival Pittston Area 42-13 Friday night in a Wyoming Valley Conference interdivisional game.

Elko received the Carmelo Falcone Award, presented annually to the MVP of the game between cross-river rivals.

Wyoming Area (8-1) came into the game the top seed in the District 2 Class 3A standings, but needed help to maintain the spot. The Warriors didn’t get it as Scranton Prep handed Valley View its first loss to jump to the top seed. Pittston Area (3-7) did get a few breaks elsewhere and as of late Friday night was the seventh seed in the D2-4A playoffs.

Elko played running back in mini-football, but even then his size made a move to the line seem inevitable. That came his sophomore season after spending a year as the starting fullback. So when he read the tight end screen and tipped the ball to himself, it was like old times.

“I knew what to do,” Elko said. “I was a running back all the way though ninth grade, but then I grew into a lineman’s body and I made a switch.

“I tried to open up my stride and turn on the jets so I could get there faster and wouldn’t get caught because some of those Pittston kids are really fast. I’m 6-4, 300 pounds so I had to get moving.”

The touchdown gave Wyoming Area a 28-7 lead, an advantage that seemed comfortable considering Pittston Area (3-7) had only once previously scored 28 points in a game.

While, Elko’s pick-6 was a highlight in the wind-blown rain, Wyoming Area receiver Rocco Pizano provided the impetus that allowed the Warriors to finally get some distance from the Patriots.

Pizano caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Blaise Sokach-Minnick with 1:14 left until halftime to give Wyoming Area a 14-7 lead going into the break. He then scored on a 68-yard run, starting left and then cutting back right at an angle, on the fourth play of the second half to make it 21-7.

Until then, Wyoming Area was plagued with center-to-quarterback exchanges on the sloppy field. The Warriors fumbled five of them in the first half. While Pittston Area didn’t capitalize, the Patriots did when Alex Hoban blocked a punt, beat a few players to the ball skidding across the wet grass and ran for a 36-yard touchdown.

Hoban’s score helped tie the game 7-7 midway through the second quarter.

“Just focus in on those basic aspects of the game,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said of his halftime message to the team. “You have to be consistent with controlling the snap, take our time a little bit more, make sure we’re possessing it. Linemen and backs, steps and footing.

“Things you work on, but until you get into a game like that this season, it was something you have to get acclimated to. But I think our kids came out after halftime and got that separation.”

Pittston Area cut the deficit to 28-13 on a 15-yard pass from quarterback Drew DeLucca to receiver Kevin Lockett.

Wyoming Area answered with a 50-yard TD run by Leo Haros. Sokach-Minnick capped the scoring with a 9-yard TD run set up when Mike Clark blocked a punt.

Wyoming Area 42, Pittston Area 13

Pittston Area`0`7`6`0 — 13

Wyoming Area`7`7`14`14 — 42

First quarter

WA — Aaron Crossley 15 run (Jayden Rusyn kick), 5:24

Second quarter

PA — Alex Hoban 36 blocked punt return (Robbie Barbieri kick), 6:10

WA — Rocco Pizano 23 pass from Blaise Sokach-Minnick (J.Rusyn kick), 1:14

Third quarter

WA — Pizano 68 run (kick failed), 10:52

WA — Nick Elko 61 interception return (Sokach-Minnick run), 9:37

PA — Kevin Lockett 15 pass from Drew DeLucca (kick failed), 3:56

Fourth quarter

WA — Leo Haros 50 run (Liam Burke kick), 11:49

WA — Skoach-Minnick 9 run (Halle Kranson kick), 8:25

Team statistics`PA`WA

First downs`10`14

Rushes-yards`22-41`43-269

Passing yards`99`40

Total yards`140`309

Passing`9-20-1`2-6-0

Sacked-yards lost`1-3`0-0

Punts-avg.`4-33.3`3-25

Fumbles-lost`3-2`6-1

Penalties-yards`2-20`4-25

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — PA, Harry Pugliese 13-48, Drew Menendez 3-17, DeLucca 2-(minus-2), Adam Lazar 5-8, John Barchi-Crich 1-3, Zach Karrott 1-6, Xzayvier Blackshear 1-(minus-5), team 1-(minus-34). WA, Haros 12-73, Sokach-Minnick 5-13, Crossley 12-84, Nico Sciandra 3-12, Pizano 5-85, J.Rusyn 1-7, Keegan Rusyn 1-1, Mike Crane 2-5, Damien Lefkoski 1-2, team 1-(minus-13).

PASSING — PA, DeLucca 9-20-1-99. WA, Sokach Minnick 2-5-0-40, Pizano 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING — PA, Barbieri 1-8, Lockett 2-45, Pugliese 3-19, Menendez 2-23, Gino Triboski 1-4. WA, Harros 1-17, Pizano 1-23.

INTERCEPTIONS — WA, Elko 1-61.

MISSED FGs — none.