District 2 Playoff Preview

Tagged under: District 2, News, pfn, Playoffs

John Kotsko | November 2, 2023

Single-A Game

(1) Lackawanna Trail: The Lions enter the District 2 Single-A Championship game with an unblemished record in 2023. They have an impressive running attack to get this far. Senior running back Lukas Gumble leads the rushing attack, he has 1,106 yards on the ground and 18 touchdowns. Lackawanna Trail has proven they can throw the ball, quarterback Stephen Jervis has 605 passing yards and 10 touchdowns. He also has seven rushing touchdowns on the season. The Lions enter the District Final as defending champs and looking to make a run in the State Tournament.

(2) Old Forge: The Blue Devils are 5-5 coming into the District Final. Junior quarterback has thrown for 794 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. He has also added four rushing touchdowns. Junior running back Cael Krushnowski has 535 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Senior tight end Joe Granko has 15 catches for 240 yards and four touchdowns. He also has three rushing touchdowns. Old Forge are heavy underdogs coming into the District Final. These two teams faced off earlier this season with Lackawanna Trail winning in convincing fashion.

Click to see brackets

2A Games

Riverside (7-3) @ Mid Valley (7-3) – 7:00 pm
Susquehanna Community (5-5) @ Dunmore (8-2) – 7:00 pm

(1) Dunmore: The Bucks enter the District 2 2A Playoffs as the top seed with an 8-2 record. Senior running back Daniel Pigga has 1,009 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He also has 23 catches for 312 yards and four touchdowns. On defense, Pigga has three interceptions and has returned one for a touchdown. Senior quarterback Thomas Bowen is throwing for 745 yards and eight touchdowns. Dunmore is looking to get back to the District final after losing to Lakeland last season.

(2) Mid Valley: At 7-3, the Spartans are the number two seed in the Postseason. They beat out Riverside for the 2 seed as they have the same record. Junior running back Jakob Lesher has 1,415 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Jordan Chimielewski has 389 passing yards and three touchdowns. He also has 232 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Senior Victor Holt is the top receiver for Mid Valley. He has 19 catches for 256 yards and six touchdowns. On defense, he has five interceptions, returning one for a score.

(3) Riverside: The Vikings enter 7-3 as the third seed. They have used an impressive passing game to get this far. Junior quarterback Chase Taddonio is throwing for 1,564 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also has eight rushing touchdowns. Wideout Reese Gaughan has caught 53 passes for 835 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also has 516 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Junior defensive back Gerry Rose has two interceptions.

(4) Susquehanna: The Sabers enter as the fourth and final team in the 2A Playoffs at 5-5 on the year. Junior William Marcy has 427 passing yards and three touchdowns. He has also added 540 yards on the ground with seven touchdowns. Freshman Weston Yannone has 314 yards rushing and six touchdowns. On defense, Yannone has three interceptions. Junior Nathan Oropallo has four rushing touchdowns and on defense, he has returned two interceptions for touchdowns.

3A Games

Hanover Area (3-7) @ Scranton Prep (9-1) (Dunmore HS) – Saturday 1:00 pm
Lake-Lehman (2-8) @ Western Wayne (7-3) – 7:00 pm

(1) Scranton Prep: The Cavaliers are the top seed in the 3A Playoffs with a 9-1 mark. Cavaliers senior running back Quentin Palermo has 714 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. Junior quarterback Louis Paris has 941 yards passing and 13 touchdowns. Paris also has 413 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Defensive back Andrew Summa has three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. Scranton Prep looks to win another District crown but will have some competition for the crown.

(2) Western Wayne: The Wildcats are 7-3 which gave them the second seed. Junior Josh Vinton is rushing for 1,493 yards and 21 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Frankie Leyshon has 899 passing yards and six touchdowns. Junior wide receiver/defensive back Sean Owens has 28 catches for 423 yards and four touchdowns. On defense, Owens has three interceptions and returned one for a touchdown.

(3) Lake-Lehman: The Black Knights are the three seed with a 2-8 record. Junior quarterback Hayden Evans has thrown for 692 yards and eight touchdowns. Junior Ben Dowling has 238 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He also has 24 catches for 251 yards and four touchdowns. Junior running back Jim Mitkowski has 278 yards and four touchdowns.

(4) Hanover Area: The Hawkeyes got into the playoffs as the number four seed with a 3-7 mark. Freshman wide receiver Deacon Eisenbach has 22 catches for 277 yards and two touchdowns. He also has two interceptions on defense. Defensive back AJ Kistner has an interception on defense.

4A Games

Berwick (3-7) @ Valley View (8-2) – 7:00 pm
Wallenpaupack (2-8) @ Dallas (10-0) – 7:00 pm
Greater Nanticoke (6-4) @ Crestwood (6-4) – 7:00 pm
North Pocono (4-6) @ Wyoming Area (9-1) – 7:00 pm

(1) Dallas: The Mountaineers finished the 2023 regular season with an undefeated record and were rewarded the top seed in the District Playoffs. Junior Brady Zapoticky has 1,252 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. He also has nine rushing touchdowns. Senior running back Dylan Geskey is rushing for 960 yards and 15 touchdowns. Senior Wideout Zach Paczewski has 35 catches for 757 yards and 10 touchdowns on the year. Dallas is looking to continue their undefeated and hopefully reach their first District Final since 2020.

(2) Valley View: The Cougars went 8-2 and got the second seed in the postseason. Senior Camryn Higgins is rushing for 1,174 yards and nine touchdowns. Junior running back and defensive back Nick Kucharski has 402 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, Kucharski has three interceptions. Senior Chris Savkov has 24 catches for 392 yards and four touchdowns. Valley View had to replace several key pieces to the team that made the District Final last season and are hoping to return to the District Final for the third straight season.

(3) Wyoming Area: Entering the District Playoffs with a 9-1 mark and a WVC Division 2 Championship, the Warriors got the number three seed. Senior running back Aaron Crossley has 1,589 yards and 25 touchdowns. Junior Lidge Kellum has 358 yards and four touchdowns. He also has two receiving touchdowns. Junior running back Michael Crane has 341 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

(4) Crestwood: The defending District Champion Comets are the fourth seed with a 5-5 record. Senior running back James Barret has 722 yards and five touchdowns. Wideout Matt Sklarosky has 14 catches for 348 yards and seven touchdowns on the season. Junior Colin Lazo has 10 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown. Lazo also has two rushing touchdowns. On defense, he has four interceptions.

(5) Nanticoke: The Trojans come into the playoffs with a 6-4 record and the fifth seed in Districts. Trojans running back Zack Fox is rushing for 1,646 yards and 22 touchdowns. Senior Ryan Wiaterowski has six rushing touchdowns this season and he has returned an interception for a touchdown on defense. Junior running back Treston Allen has 234 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

(6) North Pocono: Entering in at the sixth seed, North Pocono enters with a 4-6 record. Senior quarterback Noah West is throwing for 1,038 yards and five touchdowns. He also has two rushing touchdowns. Freshman receiver Cole West has 26 catches for 529 yards and four touchdowns. Senior running back Kevin Wickizer has 552 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

(7) Berwick: The Bulldogs are 3-7 and enter the postseason as the seventh seed. Senior quarterback Ethan Lear is throwing for 826 yards and three touchdowns. He also has 452 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. Senior running back Tyler Winter is rushing for 792 yards and nine touchdowns. Junior wideout Billy Hanson has 24 catches for 182 yards and a touchdown.

(8) Wallenpaupack: The Buckhorns got the 8th and final playoff spot with a 2-8 mark. Junior Drew Kiesendahl is throwing for 819 yards and three touchdowns. Senior running back Dylan Podrazil has 785 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns. Senior receiver Jake Holbert has 32 catches for 525 yards and three touchdowns.

5A Games

Pittston Area (5-5) @ Delaware Valley (7-3) – 7:00 pm
Scranton (5-5) @ Abington Heights (6-4) – Saturday 1:00 pm

(1) Delaware Valley: The Warriors enter the District 2 5A Playoffs on a seven game winning streak and are the number one seed in the playoffs. Senior running back and defensive back Ryder Machado has rushed for 1,120 yards and 17 touchdowns. On defense, Machado has four interceptions, returned one for a score. Quarterback Logan Olsommer is throwing for 882 yards and eight touchdowns. The defending 5A District Champs played a tough schedule to start the season with the hope of making a deep run in the 5A State Championships.

(2) Abington Heights: The Comets enter with a 6-4 record and were awarded the number 2 seed. Quarterback Nick Bradley has 1,801 yards and 19 touchdowns in the 2023 campaign. Wide receiver Mason Fedor has 58 catches for 862 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also has five interceptions on defense, returning two for touchdowns. Kevin Schmidt has caught 18 passes for 280 yards and five touchdowns. Abington Heights is looking to get to their first District Final since 2016.

(3) Scranton: The Knights enter with a 5-5 record, beating out Pittston Area for the number three seed. Senior quarterback Billy Maloney has been Scranton’s best player. He has thrown for 1,220 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also added 902 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns to go along with his passing numbers. On defense, Maloney has two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. Senior defensive back Oliver Almonte leads the team in interceptions with three. Scranton is looking to get back into the District Final after falling to Delaware Valley in the Final last year.

(4) Pittston Area: The Patriots are 5-5 and got the fourth and final playoff spot in the 5A Playoffs. The Patriots started the year replacing almost every starter except at quarterback. Senior quarterback Drew DeLucca has thrown for 1,497 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has two impressive wideouts. Freshman Lucas LoPresto has 34 catches for 585 yards and seven touchdowns. He also has two interceptions returned for touchdowns. Junior Matt Walter has caught 32 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns. Pittston Area looks to pull off a big upset in the semifinals against the defending District 2 5A Champs.

6A Game

Wilkes-Barre (5-5) @ Nazareth (9-1) – 7:00 pm

(6) Wilkes-Barre Area: The Wolfpack went 6-4 and got the seventh seed in the District 2/4/11 Subregional Playoffs. Wilkes-Barre Area has used a balance attack to get this far. Senior running back Howie Shiner is rushing for 1,112 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season. Sophomore quarterback Jake Howe has thrown for 1,536 yards and 19 touchdowns.  Sophomore wideout and defensive back Treyvon Gembitski has been an impact player on both sides of the ball. On offense, Gembitski has 25 catches for 391 yards and four touchdowns. He has recorded four interceptions on defense. The Wolf Pack started the season 0-2 but have won 6 of their last eight games.

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