District 2 Season Preview: Lackawanna Football Conference

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Jared Samuel | August 27, 2026

We’re finally here, on the doorstep to another season of high school football.  As we get set to watch some games, let’s take a look at the Lackawanna Football Conference (LFC).

Division 1:  Abington Heights, Delaware Valley, North Pocono, Scranton, Scranton Prep, Valley View, Wallenpaupack, West Scranton

• Abington Heights had some significant losses from graduation.  Coach Joe Repshis did get a lot of underclassmen on the field last year however, and that experience should help.  Senior RB Jayden Anglin will be a key contributor this season as a strong runner who is hard to bring down. Senior QB Noah Kayal has big shoes to fill but is more than capable of delivering some big-time leadership. 
• Delaware Valley has always found a way, right?  Coach Keith Olsommer sometimes appears to be a quiet leader, but he knows how to prepare his guys and get them to buy into the process.  2 key leaders for the Warriors should be Senior RB Devin Estevez and Senior TE James Dabney who have both seen plenty of action coming into this season.
• North Pocono is coming off of a strong state playoff run in their 13-1 2025 season.  Coach Greg Dolhon lost a few starters to graduation, but J-Man thinks he’s gotta be pleased with the Trojan roster. Senior QB Chase Zimmerman and Junior RB Joe Briskie are solid, but it’s Senior DB/WR Cole West who has turned the most heads and may be the best all-around player in the LFC.
• Scranton lost quite a bit to graduation, so new Head Coach Jack Miles has some work to do in getting the Knights back on an upward trajectory.  As long as they stay healthy, the positives will undoubtedly come.  Junior QB Jack Cabets will be looked to early for leadership for this young group.
• Another year, another group of talented players have graduated….and another reload to make yet another run for Scranton Prep.  Coach Terry Gallagher has been here before though, and knows how to get his team prepared and how to get the younger players tome under the lights.  Senior RB/LB Braedon McPartland and Senior DB/WR Noah Krzywiec have the experience and will be called on to set the example of the Cavalier way.
• Valley View vs. Everyone.  We know this, and it’s evident that this is how this program prepares for the season.  Coach Scot Wasilchak has his crew looking to improve on last year’s 6-5 campaign, and they have a good foundation to do just that.  Senior RB Tyler Muchal, Senior FB/LB Jeffrey Wasilchak and Junior QB Caleb Brown have plenty of experience and toughness to lead the Cougars.
• Up at the lake, Wallenpaupack has a nicely balanced roster coming into this season.  Coach Matt Nawrocki definitely has the services of a full stable (3 by J-Man’s count) of Kiesendahls!  Senior RB Ed Kiesendahl and Sophomore RB Anthony Kiesendahl return, as does Junior QB Jake Rafferty which give the Buckhorns some solid leadership.  Wallenpaupack usually starts the season pretty strong, so we will see if they can do the same this year and keep the momentum going.
• West Scranton has something to prove.  Coach Jake Manetti has good numbers out this year, but the team has also moved up to 6A.  Senior QB Jake Deluca had a pretty good season last year, and the Invaders are developing several other QB’s as well.  Having not been that heavily impacted by graduation like some other teams, is this the year the Invaders take home the Bell?

Prediction:  This division should be a huge slug-fest between North Pocono, Scranton Prep and Valley View, with Abington Heights possibly mixing it up as well.  In the end, it will be the team that avoids injuries that most likely takes it.  J-Man thinks that team is the North Pocono Trojans.

Division 2:  Dunmore, Honesdale, Lakeland, Mid Valley, Riverside, Western Wayne

• Expectations are high in Bucktown as Dunmore returns a solid core of players this season.  Coach Kevin McHale’s group is a tight-knit one, led by Senior QB/DB Weston Yannone, Senior FB Xavier Burke and Junior FB Brandon Mecca.  If the defense rises to the occasion like the Bucks did 2 years ago, they may definitely make some playoff noise this season.  
• Honesdale is now in year 2 under Coach George Howanitz.  There are some good returning players, led by Senior RB Gabe Duda who rushed for over 1200 yards last season.  The line also has some significant size and experience, and thus the J-Man feels that the Hornets will definitely improve from their 4-win campaign a year ago.
• Last season was a big return to greatness for Lakeland.  The returning District 2 Class 2A champs also return quite a few playmakers, and Coach Dave Piwowarczyk has to be pleased with the experience his underclassmen received last year.  Lakeland has a great trio of guys on offense–Junior WR Jackson Pochas, Junior QB Rocco Spotaro and Senior WR Chase Rosenkrans.  As long as the Chiefs stay healthy, this should be a very interesting season.
• Mid Valley had some significant losses via graduation.  Coach Stan Yanoski does however have a pretty sizeable group and a great mix of underclassmen.  Senior WR Aiden Willson and Sophomore WR Nick Hricenak have some experience and will be counted on to lead the pack.  Expect some growing pains, but also expect some growth this season.
• Riverside is another team that graduated a lot, has a new head coach (Jim Tucker) but has underclassmen with some pretty significant experience.  Senior QB/DB Brayden Rose is a terrific athlete who can do just about anything on the field, and Senior WR Jared Jackson keeps getting better and better.  The line may be a bit undersized but is quick and athletic.  If there are no significant injuries, the Vikings may surprise.
• Western Wayne is far removed from that magical run 2 years ago.  There have been quite a few changes, coaching and otherwise, but the community support there is great.  The roster does have some bright spots of experience, like Senior RB Quinn Swartz and Junior QB Jake Grodack.  They will need to get back to their roots of strength and conditioning in order to get back on track.

Prediction:  J-Man thinks there’s gonna be a whole lot of Lakeland and Dunmore hype here, and it should come right down to a head-to-head matchup week 10.  The head says it’s too close to call, but the gut keeps saying “Bucktown”.

Division 3:  Carbondale, Holy Cross, Lackawanna Trail, Montrose, Old Forge, Susquehanna

• Carbondale had a pretty good season last year.  They have some continuity, with main contributors Senior RB Francisco Roman and Senior RB Caedon Voglino back to lead the Chargers.  If they stay healthy and continue to grow as a team, they can improve from last year.
• Holy Cross is struggling a bit right now with low numbers and some injuries.  They’ve unfortunately had to forfeit their opener against Lakeland, but hopefully they will get healthy and improve their numbers and get back on the field soon. 
• Coach Steve Jervis continues to prove all the doubters wrong.  Just when you think he is going to have a lean year, Lackawanna Trail performs well yet again.  On offense Junior FB Carter Edwards has experience, as does Junior RB Hayden Reed.  On defense, watch out for Senior DL Kaylix Douglas off the edge.
• Montrose makes their return to the LFC this year after several years as an independent.  Their roster is pretty balanced and not senior heavy, so the experience they will gain this season should pay some dividends in future seasons.  Returning to the LFC is a challenge and there will be growing pains for sure, but if they stay healthy it will be a positive for the program.
• Is this the year that Old Forge gets back on track?  The roster is young, but has pretty decent numbers.  The schedule definitely has winnable games, so there may be improvement on the horizon for the Blue Devils.
• Much like the Blue Devils, Susquehanna also has a young roster but good numbers.  The early schedule is balanced so if the Sabers can get off to a decent start then they may gain some momentum.  

Prediction:  Even with losses on the roster again this year, it’s hard for the J-Man to pick against Lackawanna Trail, although Carbondale could surprise.

Feel free to reach out to me via DM on ‘X”  @jaredsamuelpfn  or email me at nepafootball71@gmail.com