Scranton Prep Dominates Lakeland, 70-7
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Jared Samuel | August 26, 2023
The Lakeland Chiefs went into their season opener this afternoon from a season that saw them advance to the State playoffs in 2022. They faced a Scranton Prep Cavaliers squad that also advanced to the State playoffs a season ago. Last season, the Chiefs humbled the Cavaliers in the regular season with a 41-14 victory, and you had to wonder if history was about to repeat itself.
Not today.
Lakeland struggled early and often and Scranton Prep took the fullest advantage of the situation, scoring 5 TD’s in the first quarter and never looking back in a 70-7 pummeling today at Dunmore Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Lakeland started their first series with a net of minus-13 yards due to 2 costly penalties. After a bad punt by the Chiefs gave the Cavaliers great field position, a combination of runs by Senior WR/RB Quinten Palermo and Junior QB Louis Paris was capped by a Paris 3-yard TD run. With 6:17 left in the 1st quarter, Prep led 7-0.
Then the wheels came completely off for the Chiefs, as a quick 3-and-out was met immediately by the Cavaliers WR Tae Weeks, who turned a reverse into a 59-yard TD run on Prep’s 1st play of their second series. Just like that it was 14-0 with 4:06 left in the 1st quarter. Lakeland was then intercepted 3 plays later at their own 40 by Cavalier WR/DB Liam Barrett, who on the next play caught a pass from Paris and turned that into a 40-yard touchdown. With 2:23 still left in the 1st quarter, it was 21-0 for Prep.
Lakeland then had a pass picked off by Cavalier Senior LB/TE Andrew Summa, who took it 28 yards to the house and scored, making it 28-0 with only 58 seconds to go in the 1st. Lakeland then got a great kick return by Junior RB/LB Chris Chmiola down to the Prep 37. Unfortunately, it went for naught as Chiefs QB David Naniewicz broke a big run but fumbled the ball through the endzone for a touchback. On the very next play, Palermo broke an 80-yard run for another score, and as the 1st quarter ended it was the Cavaliers with a commanding 35-0 lead.
Lakeland finally gained a 1st down on their next possession, but ended up stalling and punting it away. The Cavaliers and Chiefs then traded possessions with neither team making any strides. Prep would then score on their next 2 possessions with the first ending on a Paris to Summa 14-yard score to make it 42-0 with 4:09 left in the 1st half, and the next Prep drive was capped with a Paris to Barrett TD connection to make it 49-0 going into the half.
In a second half played mostly by reserves and aided by the mercy rule, the Chiefs finally scored on a 26-yard run by Senior RB Josh Ponce to make it 49-7 with 8:12 left in the 3rd quarter. From there, Prep had the rest of the scoring, starting with a 3-yard TD run by Sophomore WR/RB Will McPartland to make it 56-7 with 4:51 left in the 3rd.
In the 4th quarter, Prep added another score as Senior QB Tyler Mackrell had 1 2-yard TD run with 10:22 left in the game to make it 63-7. The last scoring drive of the game by the Cavaliers was finished by Sophomore WR/RB Caleb Rutkoski as he ran it in from 19 yards out to make it 70-7 with 1:29 left in the game.
After the game, Cavalier Junior QB Louis Paris talked about the approach to this season: “We brought back a lot of guys, we kinda came together and looked to have a great season this season and this is how we came out.”
My post-game interview with QB Louis Paris of Scranton Prep @LouisParis514 @PaFootballNews @ScrPrepSports pic.twitter.com/wHTW2pHLeh
— Jared Samuel (@jaredsamuelpfn) August 26, 2023
Scranton Prep will host the West Scranton Invaders next week, while Lakeland will look to get back on track as they head on the road to face Carbondale.
Be sure to check out the photo gallery from today’s action provided by Sherryl Samuel at the link below:
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