Wyoming Area allowed just three points while winning two road games against state-ranked opponents in a seven-day stretch.
The Warriors followed up a 34-0 rout of Scranton Prep Aug. 31 by pounding Northwest, 34-3, Friday night for the Wyoming Valley Conference Class 3A-A Division lead.
Both teams entered the game 2-0. Northwest went in ranked fifth in the state among Class A teams by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and eighth by PennLive.com.
Wyoming Area, ranked sixth in Class 3A by PennLive.com, improved to 3-0 by a margin of 124-16.
Wyoming Area 34
Northwest 3
Wyoming Area overcame a slow start and Northwest’s ball-control efforts in Friday’s win.
Northwest controlled the clock on the opening drive, which it carried all the way into the second quarter for Jack Wessler’s 33-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead 10:26 before halftime.
Those were the only points, however, that the Rangers were able to manage.
Corey Mruk ran 16 yards for a touchdown on his team’s second offensive play and added the second of his three touchdowns from the same distance for a 12-3 halftime lead.
Northwest recovered an on-side kick to start the second half, but Darren Rodney’s interception got the ball back for Wyoming Area.
Mruk broke a 56-yard run down the sideline just 1:18 into the second half for a 20-3 lead.
Dillon Williams intercepted a screen pass in the first minute of the fourth quarter and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown.
Wyoming Area broke away late on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Dominic DeLuca to Riley Rusyn.
Wyoming Area 34
Scranton Prep 0
UNION TWP. – Dominic DeLuca passed, ran, caught an opponent’s pass, delivered hits in the secondary and even excelled as a punter Aug. 31 while helping Wyoming Area hand Scranton Prep just its second regular-season loss in 31 games.
DeLuca finished 6-for-10 passing for 135 yards and one touchdown while carrying 10 times for a team-high 65 yards and another touchdown. He accounted for a score defensively with a 28-yard interception return while also leading the Warriors with seven tackles, forcing one fumble, recovering another, breaking up two passes and assisting a teammate’s tackle. His punts traveled 48 and 41 yards.
With help from the receiving skills of the Williams brothers and a defensive effort that held Scranton Prep to minus-5 yards rushing while forcing five turnovers, DeLuca led a convincing victory.
“We have a team of athletes,” DeLuca said.
That was apparent in the four catches for 89 yards by Brian Williams and in the brilliant effort by Jacob Williams to get his toes in bounds on a 37-yard catch to the 1 to set up the last score.
F.J. Braccini forced a fumble that Enzo Scotto-Diluzio recovered at the 17 to set up Leonardo Haros for a 3-yard run and the only touchdown of the first quarter.
DeLuca scored from the 6 with 10:20 left in the half, one play after his 18-yard scramble on third-and-eight. His interception return and two-point conversion pass to Braccini boosted the halftime lead to 20-0.
Brian Williams got behind the Scranton Prep defense for a 49-yard touchdown pass from DeLuca three plays after Braccini’s interception ended the first drive of the second half.
Mruk scored on the first play after Jacob Williams’ catch at the right corner, closing the scoring with 1:45 left in the third quarter.
