Dallas defeats Wilkes-Barre Area, takes WVC Division 1 Lead
Tagged under: District 2, Gameday Hub, News, pfn
Jared Samuel | October 21, 2023
The Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 was up for grabs coming into this one. Dallas entered the contest at a perfect 8-0, while Wilkes-Barre Area came in at 5-3. Both teams were undefeated in conference play however, and Dallas was looking for revenge after the Wolfpack pummeled the Mountaineers 35-6 last season.
Dallas got exactly the payback they wanted. The Mountaineers got 2 scores on the ground in the 1st quarter, and a steady rain played havoc with both teams as Dallas defeated Wilkes-Barre Area 14-7 up at Mountaineer Stadium.
Dallas took the opening kick and returned it to their 35, and with heavy rain falling the Mountaineer running game got right into full swing immediately. QB Brady Zapoticky started things off with the keeper for a short gain, and after a Dallas False Start penalty it was WR Zach Paczewski getting in on the action via the Wildcat formation. Paczewski had a quick gain of 16 yards to the Dallas 47 and then followed it up with another short gain near midfield. On 2nd and 8 from the Dallas 49, RB Dylan Geskey broke several tackles on a big 29-yard run down to the Wolfpack 22. A 6-yard gain by Zapoticky on the ground was followed by 2 nice runs from RB Mike Lewis that got the Mountaineers down to the Wolfpack 2 yard line. A Geskey 1-yard run got the Mounts closer and it was Zapoticky who scored on the 1-yard keeper to make it 7-0 Dallas with 7:50 to go in the 1st quarter.
The Wolfpack then got started at their own 38, but disaster struck on the first play when QB Jake Howe’s pass was intercepted by Dallas DB Lucas Tirpak on a leaping catch and the Mountaineers took over again at their own 38. As the rain picked up, Dallas could only manage 4 yards on their drive and punted it away. The Wolfpack took it at their own 31 but gained only 1 yard and 2 incomplete passes, and ended up punting it right back to the Mounts. Dallas then started at their own 41 and hit paydirt immediately. Again using the Wildcat, Paczewski got the ball via the reverse and made it count as he weaved his way out of the backfield and through the Wolfpack defense for a 59-yard touchdown run. With 4:57 left in the 1st quarter, Dallas increased their lead to 14-0.
The Wolfpack got a nice kick return from WR Ariel Lopez to their own 45. RB Howie Shiner started things off with a short 2-yard gain followed by a 4-yard gain. After a nice 7-yard run that gave the Wolfpack a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 42, Shiner hit it big with a 26-yard run down to the Mountaineer 16. After Shiner ran it for 2 yards, RB Davon Underwood took the handoff and was stopped in the backfield for a 5-yard loss. A Howe to Underwood screen pass was also stopped for a 4-yard loss by a host of Mountaineer defenders. On 4th and 17 from the 22, Howe’s pass to Underwood only gained 6 yards and the Wolfpack turned it over on downs.
Dallas took over on their own 16, but the Wolfpack defense stymied the Mounts as they stopped Geskey for no gain. The rain continued to come down heavily and a fumbled snap for a loss of 3 yards ended the 1st quarter. As the 2nd quarter began, Geskey was stopped for a loss of a yard and the Mounts punted it away. The Wolfpack took over at midfield and after a stop for no gain it was Shiner again who broke several tackles for an 8-yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 42, an offsides penalty gave the Wolfpack a 1st down at the 37. The Dallas defense then made a stand as DE Nick Farrell sacked Howe for a 10-yard loss which made it 3rd and 20 from the 47. Howe then tried the keeper around the right end and almost broke it but a nice individual effort by DL John Cummings kept it to a short gain and another punt for the Wolfpack.
Dallas, pinned back at their own 9, could not get anything going on their next drive. As the rain picked up again it was another fumbled snap that cost the Mounts 4 yards back to their own 5. A 4-yard run by Lewis and a 6-yard run by Zapoticky weren’t enough to move the sticks, and the Mounts punted it away again. With good field position at the Dallas 46, it was 4 straight runs by Shiner that moved the Wolfpack down to the 27. After Underwood was stopped for no gain, Howe tried to run it around the left end this time but it was LB AJ Fife for Dallas with a big hit after a short 2-yard gain. On 4th and 3 from the 25, another incomplete pass meant another turnover on downs as the rain continued to be a big factor.
As the clock wound down in the first half, the first play of the next Dallas drive was a Zapoticky to Paczewski connection for a nice 30-yard gain that moved the Mountaineers to the Wolfpack 45. On the next play, Paczewski had a huge run called back on a holding penalty by the Mounts that made it 1st and 20 at their own 45. Geskey then had a nice reception where he broke several tackles for a tough 10-yard gain. The clock continued to run as Paczewski was stopped for a 5-yard loss and then ran for 5 yards on successive. Facing 4th and 10 at the Wolfpack 45, Zapoticky scrambled and then threw the ball away for another turnover on downs. With only 9 seconds left on the clock, Howe kneeled to end the half.
The rain let up a bit as Wilkes-Barre Area received the second half kickoff. On the first play from scrimmage, a near interception by DB Nate Malarkey caused an incomplete pass. On the very next play however, Howe threw it again and it was Dallas DB Gavin Lewis who intercepted it at the Dallas 40. The Mounts took over there but couldn’t get anything going after a holding penalty pushed them back to their own 31. Dallas P Rowan Laubach then had a huge punt that rolled down to the Wolfpack 7.
Wilkes-Barre Area was determined to move the ball, and it was Shiner who had 2 straight runs for a net gain of 5 yards. On 3rd and 5 from their own 12, Howe threw it to WR Treyvon Gembitski for a 4-yard gain, but as the Wolfpack lined up quickly on the 4th-and-1 it was Dallas who jumped offsides and gave Wilkes-Barre Area a new set of downs. Shiner ran it for 10 yards, and then Howe hit WR Evan Laybourne-Boddie for a 10-yard reception. As they mixed the run and pass, Howe gained 4 on the keeper and then hit Laybourne-Boddie for 11 yards down to the Dallas 44. Howe then scrambled and threw it again to Laybourne-Boddie for a big 34-yard strike that made it 1st and goal at the Dallas 10. The rain started to pick up again, and after a 1-yard gain by Shiner and an incomplete pass it was Howe who scrambled under pressure and lost the wet ball as it rolled out of bounds at the 14. On the ensuing play, a 4th and goal from the 14, Howe’s pass was well defended and deflected in the end zone by 2 Dallas defenders and it was another turnover on downs for the Wolfpack.
Geskey started the next Mountaineer drive with a nice 12-yard run to the 26, but Dallas gained only 4 yards on the next 3 plays and punted it away yet again. The Wolfpack started at their own 36 and got a 6-yard run from Laybourne-Boddie that was followed by 3 straight runs by Shiner for 18 yards down to the Dallas 40. Underwood was stopped for a 1-yard loss and an incomplete pass made it 3rd and 11 from the 41. Howe then pitched it to Shiner who attempted the halfback option pass that was intercepted by DB Mike Lewis at the Dallas 25.
As the 4th quarter began, Dallas gained only 5 yards on their next 3 plays and punted it away. The Wolfpack didn’t fare any better under the relentless rain as they gained only 4 yards and turned it over on downs for the 4th time in the game. Dallas started at their own 48 and had another 3-and-out and yet another punt. With time starting to run out, the Wolfpack finally struck big on their next drive. After a false start made it 1st and 15 from their own 36, Howe threw it to Laybourne-Boddie who eluded several Dallas defenders and ran it down the Dallas sideline for a huge 60-yard gain to the Dallas 4. 2 plays later it was Shiner who finally got the Wolfpack on the board with his 1-yard TD run. With 5:49 left in the game, Dallas still had a 14-7 lead.
Dallas took over at their own 20 but gained only 3 yards and had to punt it away. The Wolfpack took over at their own 44, but a Dallas offsides penalty made it 1st and 5 from the 49. Shiner ran it for 7 to the Dallas 44, but was stopped but no gain on the next play. Howe gained 4 yard on the keeper and then Shiner hit for 8 yards and another 1st down to the Dallas 32. Inexplicably, the Wolfpack abandoned their ground attack and had 3 straight incomplete passes. On 4th down, a bunch of Mountaineer defenders chased Howe and it was Geskey who got him for a huge 15-yard loss and yet another turnover on downs. Dallas then turned to Geskey on the offensive side of the ball as he had 3 straight runs for 29 yards and 2 1st downs to seal the win.
Dallas improved to 9-0 and will close out their regular season on the road next week at the Lake Lehman Black Knights in the Old Shoe Game. Wilkes-Barre Area will try to close out their regular season on a positive note when they head home next Friday night to face the Wyoming Valley West Spartans.
Be sure to check out the phot gallery from the game, courtesy of Sherryl Samuel: https://pafootballnews.com/pfn/wilkes-barre-area-at-dallas-photo-gallery/
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