District 2 Mid-Season Review

Tagged under: District 2, News, pfn

Jared Samuel | September 26, 2024

Current District 2 Standings

1A

Lackawanna Trail (4-1)
Old Forge (3-2)
Holy Cross (2-3)

2A

Riverside (5-0)
Susquehanna Community (4-1)
Lakeland (2-3)
Dunmore (1-4)
Holy Redeemer (0-5)

3A

Western Wayne (5-0)
Scranton Prep (4-1)
Wyoming Area (4-1)
Mid Valley (4-1)
Lake Lehman (3-2)
Carbondale Area (3-2)
Berwick (1-4)
Tunkhannock (1-4)
Montrose (0-4)
Hanover Area (0-5)

4A

Valley View (4-1)
Wallenpaupack (3-2)
North Pocono (3-2)
Dallas (2-3)
Honesdale (2-3)
Crestwood (2-3)
Greater Nanticoke Area (1-4)

5A

Abington Heights (3-2)
Pittston Area (2-3)
Delaware Valley (1-4)
Wyoming Valley West (0-5)
West Scranton (0-5)

6A

Scranton (4-1)
Hazleton Area (3-2)
Wilkes-Barre Area (2-3)

I cannot believe we are already at mid season! Both the Lackawanna Interscholastic Athletic Association (LIAA) and the Wyoming Valley Conference (WVC) have seen some change early this season–will it continue? Some teams have had a great first half, while others are trying to right the ship and make a second half run–who will be left standing when it is all said and done?

Let’s take a look at where things stand, by classification, in District 2:

1A — Contender

Lackawanna Trail 4-1. The Lions continue right where they left off last season, out to a strong start with their only loss coming against a strong Western Wayne squad from Class 3A. RB’s Demitrius Douglas and Isaac Ryon are quite a 1-2 punch, with field general QB Tyler Jervis a key component of the Lions charge. They’ll need to keep up the momentum as they’ll play Old Forge on the road and a much improved Susquehanna Community squad, plus my “Game to watch“: 10/24, home against Riverside. (Shameless plug: I’ll be at this game!)

1A — Surprise

Old Forge 3-2. It’s been an challenging early season for the Blue Devils with wins over West Scranton and Dunmore to start out 2-0, but some lopsided losses against Mid Valley and Western Wayne. QB T.J. DiMattia and RB Cael Krushnowski are keeping this team going though, so watch out in the weeks to come. Game to watch: 9/27, home against Lackawanna Trail. (Shameless plug: I’ll be at this game!)

1A — Spoiler

Holy Cross 2-3. The Crusaders have been narrowing the gap and avoiding the blowout losses that always seem to plague them, while getting it done against teams they should beat. The Wudarski’s, FB Leland and RB Aiden, have been key to this team’s growth this season. A close game this past weekend against a pretty good Columbia-Montour VT squad might be a sign of things to come as Holy Cross gets a chance to play spoiler against both Old Forge and Lackawanna Trail in the coming weeks. Game to watch: 10/12, at Old Forge

2A — Contender

Riverside 5-0 (PFN State Class 2A #4 ranked). It’s been a pretty good start for the Vikings, who have outscored their opponents 216-41. All 5 wins were against teams with losing records however and the second half of the season has Riverside facing only 1 team with a losing record, so we will see if the Vikings are for real. This team has some great talent with QB Chase Taddonio and TE Richie Kostoff leading the way on offense, and DL Tavian Branch is a game-changing talent with plenty of Division 1 offers to mull over–plus, he is a genuinely nice and polite young man! Game to watch: 10/24, at Lackawanna Trail (Shameless plug: I’ll be at this game!)

2A — Surprise

Susquehanna Community 4-1. Good things are happening in Saber-land as Susquehanna is making some noise. Sophomore QB Weston Yannone is a star in the making and leads the team in both rushing and passing, while RB William Marcy gets the tough yards when it counts–and both of these guys play great defense. If this team wants to take the next steps, they have the opportunity in the second half of the season with some big games on the docket. Game to watch: 9/27, at Riverside

2A — Spoiler

Lakeland 2-3. The Chiefs are trying to figure some things out, but there is some talent that has gotten experience under the lights the past 2 seasons so it may only be a matter of time. QB David Naniewicz, a Junior, has played pretty well along with Sophomore WR Chase Rosenkrans and Junior RB Caden Cuozzo. Lakeland has a lot of underclassmen filling big roles, so the future is bright–but will it be the near future? Game to watch: 10/11, at Western Wayne

3A — Contenders

Western Wayne 5-0 (PFN State Class 3A Honorable Mention). The Wildcats have been running wild for sure, with Senior RB Josh Vinton already scoring 12 TD’s on the season. WR Sean Owens has been great on both sides of the ball, and the O-Line and D-Line for Western Wayne have been getting the hard work done. Having already scored big wins against Wyoming Area and Lackawanna Trail, the second half schedule is favorable for the Wildcats to continue running wild. Game to watch: 10/18, home against Mid Valley (Shameless plug: I’ll be at this game!)

Scranton Prep 4-1 (PFN State Class 3A #6). Scranton Prep wanted to play more competition outside of the LIAA, and they got their wish starting with this season. Their only loss was to a nationally ranked Canisius (NY) squad and otherwise the Cavaliers have looked the part, going 3-0 so far in the District with 2 shutouts. Senior QB Louis Paris is the field general for the Cavaliers, and Junior RB Will McPartland has really stepped up this year along with Senior WR Treyvon Dickey. McPartland and Dickey have also shined on defense along with Senior LB Reese Tanner and Senior LB Jack Doughton, who has made some key big plays. The remaining schedule is tough, so the Cavaliers will need to stay healthy and avoid mistakes down the stretch. Game to watch: 10/18, at Jersey Shore

Wyoming Area 4-1. After dropping from 4A to 3A this season, the Warriors literally hit the ground running. Their only loss was a tight, hard-fought one up at Western Wayne. Senior RB Lidge Kellum has been spectacular and a real game-breaker while Senior QB Anthony DeLucca is developing a great rapport with his WR’s, especially Sophomore Luke Kopetchny. Wyoming Area is famous for playing with a chip on their shoulder and this season has been no exception, but they will need to be at the top of their game to challenge for a District title. Game to watch: Opening round of District 2 3A playoffs

3A — Surprise

Mid Valley 4-1. To be clear, there are a lot of people I’ve talked to who are surprised at how good the Spartans are playing this year–I was not one of them, as I truly thought they would make some noise this year. Their only loss was a tough one last Friday up at Lackawanna Trail. Junior QB Brett Yanoski has been solid, and Senior RB Jakob Lesher is the real deal as he is the leading rusher in District 2 at the halfway point. Mid Valley will need to step it up to the next level if they want to play the spoiler and possibly contend for a District title though. Games to watch: 10/11 at Scranton Prep, 10/18 at Western Wayne (Shameless plug: I’ll be at this game!)

4A — Contenders

Valley View 4-1 (PFN State Class 4A Honorable Mention). There are teams and then there are programs–make no mistake: The Valley View Cougars are a football program, one of the few “true programs” in District 2. Off to a 4-1 start, with their only loss being to a great Scranton Prep squad, the Cougars are starting to gain momentum after a few injuries plagued them early. Senior QB Zach Cwalinski leads the team in both rushing and passing and Senior RB Nick Kucharski and Senior FB Preston Reed have gotten some tough yards, with Kucharski also making some big plays on defense. The second half schedule is similar to the first half, so if the Cougars can stay healthy it may mean another District Championship. Games to watch: 10/11 home against Delaware Valley, 10/25 at Wallenpaupack

Dallas 2-3. The Mountaineers have dealt with a tough early season schedule and a number of injuries to a team who graduated significant numbers last year. That said, there are some signs of life in the last 2 games which were both Dallas wins. Senior QB Brady Zapoticky leads the team in passing and rushing, and Senior RB Dylan Geskey is gaining momentum as the season goes on. Senior WR/DB Nate Malarkey is one of the top CB’s in the state and a weapon on special teams, which is always a strength for Dallas. And the X-factor here is always going to be Head Coach Rich Mannello. A favorable second half schedule could mean a rematch for a District Championship with the Cougars, but health and consistent Line play will be the keys. Games to watch: 9/27 home against North Pocono, 10/18 home against Hazleton

4A — Surprise

Wallenpaupack 3-2. The Buckhorns are a feisty squad, and have gotten some nice wins in the first half of this season. They play some tough, hard-nosed ball up there at the Lake, and leading the way is Senior QB Drew Kiesendahl. His cousin, Sophomore RB Ed Kiesendahl has run it well along with Junior RB Logan Caruso. The O-Line has been great, and the defense has been good enough. Having already surpassed their win total from last year, the second half schedule is a bit more difficult. Wallenpaupack could make some noise in the playoffs if things fall right. Games to watch: 9/27 at Scranton Prep, 10/25 home against Valley View

4A — Spoiler

North Pocono 3-2. North Pocono got off to a quick 3-0 start before losses to Wallenpaupack and Abington Heights derailed their momentum. The Trojans feature a terrific young RB in Freshman Joe Briskie, a name you will be hearing for years to come. Senior RB Brady Lavery is solid as well, and Sophomore QB Chase Zimmerman is good and will only get better. Their second half schedule is daunting but North Pocono seems to always get some key wins late in the season, and they will need them this year if they hope to be anything more than a spoiler in the always tough District 2 Class 4A. Games to watch: 9/27 at Dallas, 10/4 home against Valley View

5A — Contenders

Abington Heights 3-2. So far this season, the Comets have played tough getting out to a 3-2 mark. Big wins at Dallas and at North Pocono, and a close loss at Valley View have only made Abington Heights that much more hungry. The second half schedule is a difficult one but Junior QB Nick Bradley is having another solid year, Senior RB Dominic Vergnetti is getting tough yards, and the Senior WR’s–Shawn Theodore and Shane Brower–are clutch targets. With the Defense starting to step up and find an identity, this is a team that just might get over the hump this year in 5A. Games to watch: 9/28 home against Delaware Valley (Shameless plug: I’ll be at this game!), 10/4 at Scranton Prep

Delaware Valley 1-4. Different year, same story for the Warriors who always challenge themselves early with big out of district games. The record shows 1-4, but there are signs that this team is growing and learning on the fly and there are certainly enough playmakers on both sides of the ball to make another run. Senior QB Logan Olsommer is getting better every week and is developing quite a connection with another player you will be hearing about for years to come: Freshman WR Trey Newton. Junior RB/DB Mike Iuzzulino is a tough runner and plays great defense, along with Senior LB Luke Brazanskas. Don’t let the record fool you–the Warriors are on the hunt. Games to watch: 9/28 at Abington Heights (Shameless plug: I’ll be at this game!), 10/5 at Lutheran (NY), 10/11 at Valley View

6A — Contenders

Scranton 4-1. The Knights, up from 5A to 6A this year, were fired up after getting out quickly to a 3-0 start, but a closer-than-desired win in the Bell Game over West Scranton may have exposed a few issues and last week’s shutout loss to Scranton Prep was tough to take. Junior QB Brody Coyle, back from last year’s injury, is playing well on both sides of the ball. Junior RB Reece Whitman leads the Knights in rushing, while Senior WR Memphis Shotto is having a fine season rushing and receiving. The Knight defense has been good at times, and will need to be at their best because the second half schedule is tough. Games to watch: 9/27 home against Valley View, 10/25 at Delaware Valley

Hazleton 3-2. Every year we wait to see if the Cougars can put it together and make some noise, and so far this season it has gone as expected based on the schedule. 3 wins against teams they should beat, 2 losses against tough teams and Hazleton has started out 3-2 and surpassed their win total from last year. Senior QB Austin Wilson leads his team in rushing and passing, with Junior WR Yohansel Moran his top target. Senior RB/LB Hunter Johnson and Junior RB/LB Ashton Karlick are playing tough on both sides of the ball. If the Cougars want to make a run, they will need to be stout in all phases in the second half of the season as the schedule gets more difficult from here. Games to watch: 9/27 home against Wilkes-Barre Area, 10/18 at Dallas

Wilkes-Barre Area 2-3. The early season schedule for the Wolfpack was designed to challenge this team, and a big opening night win against Whitehall had everyone buzzing. However, 3 straight narrow defeats to Stroudsburg, Valley View and Dallas only diminished the record of this team and not the fight that is in them. Junior QB Jake Howe is playing with confidence and is currently the leading passer in all of District 2. Junior RB Davon Underwood has been a great target for Howe as well as a tough runner. Junior WR Treyvon Gembitski has 6 receiving TD’s so far this year. The stage is set for the Wolfpack, as they control their destiny in the second half. Can they get it done? Games to watch: 9/27 at Hazleton, 10/25 at Williamsport

Jared’s Predictions, District 2 Champions:

1A — Lackawanna Trail

2A — Riverside

3A — Scranton Prep

4A — Valley View

5A — Delaware Valley

6A — Wilkes-Barre Area

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