Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer speaks to his team after a 28-0 loss to Scranton Prep in the 2021 District 2 Class 3A championship game. The teams meet in the title game once again at 7 p.m. Friday at Dunmore High School.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area running back Lidge Kellum topped 2,000 yards on the season in last week’s district semifinal win over Western Wayne.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area faced adversity for the first time in two months last Friday at Western Wayne.
There’s a good chance the Warriors might have to tackle some more this Friday against Scranton Prep.
Wyoming Area (11-1) and Prep (11-1) meet a 7 p.m. Friday at Dunmore High School for the District 2 Class 3A championship for the third time in six years.
The Warriors started their campaign with a top-heavy schedule. They opened with a then-healthy Crestwood team, scoring with 1:05 remaining for a 28-21 win.
Then came Dallas, where the score was tied for a fourth time midway through the third quarter. Wyoming Area prevailed 49-41, but surrendered a season-high 449 yards. Week 3 brought the Warriors’ only loss where a defensive TD allowed Western Wayne to pull away late for a 34-23 win.
After that, Wyoming Area cruised through its schedule for the most part.
Last Friday’s 36-35 victory over Western Wayne in the semifinals was Wyoming Area’s biggest test since its visit there on Sept. 6.
A 21-9 halftime lead evaporated and the Western Wayne had a chance to win in the second overtime on a two-point conversion. The Wildcats gave the ball to 2,000-yard rusher Josh Vinton, who was close to rushing for 300 yards. Wyoming Area defensive lineman Nathanel Obrzut hit Vinton low as he looked headed to the end zone. Defensive lineman Andrew Steinberger finished him off about a yard short.
“I was so proud of their response,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “Week 1 and Week 2 were 48-minute games against high-level teams early in the season as you’re first starting out. As they did in those games, they came together when adversity hit. Got closer together and found a way to finish.
“I’m very proud of that. Great to see that show up in a district semifinal, especially there where we were in Week 3 and hadn’t played our best game.”
Now comes Prep, which has won seven of the last nine D2-3A championships. Wyoming Area knocked off the Cavaliers 27-0 in 2019. Neither teams made the postseason in 2020 when the regular season was constantly interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and District 2 played just a championship game between the top two teams in the power rankings.
Prep quarterback Louis Paris, a 6-foot, 220-pounder, will be a big concern. The three-year starter has over 1,000 yards passing and 1,000 rushing this season. Wyoming Area has faced just one true dual-threat quarterback this season, Dallas’ Brady Zapoticky. That was in Week 2 and Zapoticky wasn’t an integral part of the running attack at the time.
Paris rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown in a 40-21 semifinal win against Mid Valley. He’s part of a three-prong running attack. Will McPartland had 130 yards and three TDs. He’s closing in on a 1,000-yard rushing season and will occassionally take direct snaps. Receiver Treyvon Dickey has a team-high 34 catches, but has also run for over 500 yards.
“They have three ball carriers that have rushed for over 2,500 yards in Paris, McPartland and Dickey,” Spencer said. “Just to have those backs in their very diverse offensive scheme which is a lot of Wing-T and Single Wing concepts and formations and motions.”
Wyoming Area has plenty of seniors on defense. Steinberger leads the team in sacks. He, Kevin Wiedl, Jacob Morgan and Matt Rutkoski are among the top-five in tackles. Damian Lefkoski has a team-high three interceptions.
The defense gets somewhat overshadowed because of running back Lidge Kellum, another senior. He had a huge day against Western Wayne, rushing for 192 yards and five TDs to go over 2,000 yards on the season.
