The J-Man’s View of District 2: Sample Sizes

Tagged under: District 2, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

Jared Samuel | September 10, 2025

The J-Man had 3 games to cover this past weekend…..whew! We went from pouring rain Thursday to warm temps Friday then back to cooler temps Saturday with rain actually moving kickoff times out later. It was 41 degrees this morning at the Captain’s Quarters, and colder for Sherryl when she left for work just after 5am (!!). The dog didn’t even want to go out this morning. And yet we are going to see low 80’s again by Thursday. Like I always say: NE PA is the Twilight Zone of weather!

The outlook from up on the mountain: With 3 games in, we’re at the point of the season where sample sizes are appropriate enough for us to analyze some teams in District 2. Some teams are off to a great start, some have had mixed results and others started slowly but are starting to rebound. We can apply this to a team’s identity with respect to 4 identifying phases of the game: Running game, Passing game, Defense, Special Teams. Let’s break some of these early season sample sizes down, in no particular order:

Top Contenders

Class 6A – Wilkes-Barre: Positives-Running game, Passing game. Watch out for the Wolfpack. QB Jake Howe has truly become what he worked hard to attain, and that is a dual-threat QB. The speed on this team is real, no question, and after a strong defensive showing against Valley View last Friday it would seem they can do that as well. The D will need to be more consistent but if they get it right, look out. Key remaining games: 10/3 at Pittston, 10/24 vs. Williamsport
Class 5A – Abington Heights: Positives-Running game, Passing game, Defense. The Comets are thriving, in part, because the pressure is no longer so much on QB Nick Bradley. Mind you, he is still doing his thing through the air, but he told me he feels much more energized due to the emergence of a solid run game and the continued growth of their defense. They are off to a nice 3-0 start, and as the defending Class 5A District champs they are in the driver’s seat right now. Key remaining games: 9/12 vs. Valley View, 9/20 vs. North Pocono, 10/3 vs. Scranton Prep
Class 4A – North Pocono: Positives-Running game, Defense. The Trojans can run the ball, believe me. And they’ve got multiple guys they can count on to get it done. Their defense has been outstanding, giving up only 21 points over the first 3 games. And, this team is relatively young too. This could be the start of a multi-year run. Key remaining games: 9/20 at Abington Heights, 10/3 at Valley View, 10/24 at Scranton Prep
Class 3A – Berwick: Positives-Running game, Defense. It’s no secret anymore: RB Ty’Meere Wilkerson is really good, amassing 592 rushing yards and 8 TD’s over the first 3 games. The defense, however, has been the real story as they shut down the Lackawanna Trail offense this past week after a shutout the week before. Key remaining games: 9/26 vs. Wyoming Area, 10/17 vs. Selinsgrove
Class 2A – Lakeland: Positives-Running game, Passing game. Are the Chiefs back? It would seem so, as QB David Naniewicz is firing on all cylinders right now. Lakeland got into a slugfest with Riverside this past week, so it remains to be seen if their defense can hold up. We will find out soon enough. Key remaining games: 9/12 vs. Wyoming Area, 9/26 at Dunmore
Class 1A – Lackawanna Trail: Positives-Running game, Defense. One thing we know about the Lions is they are a well-coached squad and they have a strong running game. RB Isaac Ryon has rushed for over 500 yards and has hung up 9 TD’s already through 3 games. Coach Steve Jervis has been in this spot before and his team always responds. After a challenging loss at 3A Berwick, Trail is 2-1 and still in a good spot but will need to dust themselves off quickly. Key remaining games: 9/12 vs. Dunmore, 10/24 at Riverside

In the hunt

Class 5A – Pittston Area: Positives-Running game, Special Teams. The 2-1 Patriots only blemish is a tough loss to North Pocono. Otherwise, they are much improved and are running the ball well. And, earth to the rest of District 2: you really need to stop kicking the ball to WR Lucas Lo Presto, he is way too dangerous on returns and already has 2 special teams TD’s this season. Key remaining games: 103 vs. Wilkes-Barre, 10/24 at Wyoming Area
Class 4A – Valley View: Positives-Running game, Defense, Special Teams. The Cougars can tote the rock at you all night, for sure. RB Tyler Muchal leads Valley View with 270 yards rushing already as a Sophomore so he has a bright future ahead of him. Their defense will keep them in every game that they play, a tough and disciplined squad. And they have a good kicking game as well. Key remaining games: 9/12 at Abington Heights, 10/3 vs. North Pocono
Class 3A – Wyoming Area: Positives-Running game, Passing game. Wyoming Area always seems to play as though nobody respects them. Well, they’ve earned some respect after wins over 2 4A squads and a big shutout win against Western Wayne. RB Trustin Johnson is a tough runner, and WR Luke Kopetchny is just getting warmed up. Key remaining games: 9/26 at Berwick, 10/24 vs Pittston
Class 2A – Dunmore: Positives-Running game, Defense. The Bucks dropped a very close game to Riverside that they dominated on the stat sheet. Since then, they have played well and are out to a 2-1 start. And the defense…yeah, it’s the “Bucktown” swarming defense that has returned and they’ve given up only 21 points in 3 games. Watch out for these guys, they’ve got some momentum. Key remaining games: 9/12 at Lackawanna Trail, 9/26 vs Lakeland

Where we are headed Friday 9/12: Something has to give, so Sherryl & I figured we should go see what happens as Delaware Valley visits Scranton Prep. Both teams are yearning for a win and this one is usually pretty good. Kickoff is 7pm from Dunmore Veteran’s Memorial Stadium.

PFN’s District 2 coverage this week, follow these on ‘X’ for updates: