FOOTBALL BEAT

Keystone Awards The Citizens’ Voice Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Division III Sports Beat Entry Steve Bennett High School Football

Veteran beat writer Steve Bennett blankets the high school football beat, covering games, explaining trends, developing features and writing the bulk of our weekly football magazine, Gameface.

COVER S

Fo

CHRISTOPHER DOLAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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STORY

rtitude on the sideline Cancer kept him off the field, but Dallas senior Zack Hill is still an important part of the Mountaineer team

BY STEVE BENNETT STAFF WRITER

The toughest kid listed on the Dallas football roster won’t be suiting up for the Mountaineers tonight when they take on Berwick in the Class 4A district semifinals. Just like he hasn’t for his entire senior, junior and sophomore seasons.

Zack Hill will see the holes created by the offensive line and imagine it being him that is running through them on the way to picking up first downs. He will see linebackers blitzing, making tackles and aligning the defensive linemen stationed in front of him. Again, he will imagine himself being the one calling out the signals.

But Hill will be in the end zone tonight, just like he has been for every Dallas football game this season. Only he will be operating the end zone camera, filming every play to be evaluated by both the coaching staff and the players on Monday afternoon.

For as badly as Hill wants to be out there on the field running around with his teammates, a lack of athletic ability is far from what is keeping him out of the lineup. Because for as enthusiastic about the game of football as Dallas coach Rich Mannello is, rarely, if ever, does Mannello single out a player because of his athletic ability.

Except Zack Hill.

Mannello raved about Hill’s speed and strength since he was a freshman. He was destined to be a leader on both sides of the ball. Zack Hill had it all.

But one phone call changed all that.

“I remember it as clear as day,” Zack’s father, Harold Hill, said. “His doctor called me at work, it was April 26 at 10:16 in the morning. They said they were suspicious of leukemia.”

Harold Hill had to make the 40-mile drive from work to get home to pick up his wife, Carol, then head to Dallas to pick up Zack from school. “That was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I saw him walking down the hall, and me knowing he possibly has cancer and he has no clue. I told him the doctor said there was something doing with the blood work.”

Zack had to get blood work done after realizing something was wrong. It was the spring of his freshman year. He had wrapped up his freshman football season and was making headway on the track team. He was fast, he was matching the times of all the upperclassmen and he was going to

make an impact on the track team. Just as he was projected to make one on the football team.

“I thought because of all the work I was doing running and lifting that I was just tired,” Zack said. “I thought it was making my performance worse. I was running very well at the beginning, then my times got gradually worse. My times were dropping off. I had no idea what was going on. Then I went lifting with my dad one weekend and my weights were dropping down. I got the blood test and was diagnosed with leukemia.”

Zack admits the first thing that crossed his mind when learning of the diagnosis was football.

“He is such an inspiration,” Mannello said. “Before he got sick, you knew he was going to be a tremendous football player. He was committed to that weight room. He got sick and there would be days he would just go in the room and watch the other kids lift. Everybody just drew so much from that.”

While football was on his mind, Zack was shocked by the diagnosis, and it took some time to process it all.

“I was stunned at first,” Zack admitted. “You don’t think about that. Later, I learned it is not common for people my age to get it. I got diagnosed and they took me down to the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. They did another blood test just to make sure. I stayed in the hospital for a month.

The worst part about it was them waking me up in the middle of the night every three hours.”

Zack spent a month in the hospital receiving chemotherapy treatments. After the month was over, he was cleared to return home. But some setbacks occurred.

“One chemo drug caused brain damage, we think he is fully recovered from that,” Harold said. “Another chemo drug cuts off the blood flow to the major joints where the bones end up dying and he had that in his knees. That is probably the only thing that prevented him from returning to playing football. We thought he may play this year. If he didn’t have issues with his knees, he probably could have played. He had surgery on both knees. They drilled holes in his knees and took stem cells from his hips and put them in his knees to help regrow the bones. It helped. He will probably have knee replacement surgery in his future.”

While his football career may have come to an abrupt end, his determination pressed on. During his freshman year, he never had a grade below a 99. Now, he carries a 96 average.

Even after having to re-learn the alphabet, how to talk and add. All things everyone takes for granted.

“The chemo actually stopped for a while, but then I had to go for what is basically a spinal tap,” Zack said. “It had some toxicity in it and that went to my brain. It partially paralyzed me. I couldn’t talk. After a while I started getting back into it. The school helped me out because with my brain I couldn’t comprehend as much as I could. My grades dropped off but I don’t know if that is because I was absent from school more. I’m able to keep my grades above 96 now.”

Zack has been able to return to the weight room and do a modified workout. He was named an honorary captain in his sophomore season, and Mannello keeps a folder of his progress in the weight room just as he does for every other player. Zack receives his sheets for that day’s workout, just like all the other players.

The only difference between Zack and the rest of the team, Mannello says, is that Zack doesn’t put the uniform on. Instead, he films practice on Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Tuesday, he uses the end zone cam while on Wednesday he is up on the press box. He attends the film sessions to make sure everything comes out right. There has never been a session where it didn’t.

“We have 10 more months to go with the chemo,” Harold said. “He is considered in remission, but we still have five more years to go after the chemo until he is considered cured. He has a good attitude, he never complains.”

The Thursday before Dallas opened the district playoffs against Honesdale, the seniors, as tradition, presented their senior speeches to the team. Zack presented his.

But he has a bigger message that he would like to deliver, say maybe before the team comes storming out of the locker room with a chance to play for a district title on the line.

“Theyjusthavetodoitfortheguyswhoaregraduating,”Zack said. “They are not going to have a chance to come back here and play football. Just try your best, you don’t know how far you are going to get. You don’t know what is going to happen next year, you don’t even know if you will be playing next year. I was hyped to play high school football and I never got the chance to. Just appreciate it, appreciate the time you actually have playing.”

Contact the writer: sbennett@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2062; @CVSteveBennett on Twitter

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Emotions high in Casey, Barletta debate

Upcoming GAR-Meyers game marks end of an era in WVC football

Barletta confronted Casey over a recent television commercial.

By MARC leVy aSSociated PreSS

I

ers drove the length of the field down to the GAR 2-yard line. The Grenadiers stopped the Mohawks on fourth down in the final seconds of the game. After the stop, a bench-clearing brawl ensued.

PHILADELPHIA — The first debate between Pennsylvania’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and his Republican challenger, U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, touched on health care, abortion rights and the economy under President Donald Trump before it ended in a personal and emotional exchange Saturday.

The hour-long debate, at WPVITV in Philadelphia, also featured Barletta being prompted four times to directly answer whether he would vote to prevent Trump from firing special counsel Robert Mueller, whose investigation uncovered Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Barletta has badly lagged Casey in fundraising and independent polls, making it a low-profile race in a state Trump won in 2016.

Casey is seeking a third six-year term in the Nov. 6 election.

In his closing statement, Barletta raised the matter of a Casey television ad that he objected to last weekend when it began running.

Barletta contends it is particularly cruel to his family because it mirrors the plight of his toddler grandson, a twin, who is fighting cancer.

The TV ad accuses Barletta of voting to let insurers strip coverage for pre-existing conditions and features a woman, Stacie Ritter, whose twin daughters were diagnosed with cancer.

Barletta challenged Casey again to take the TV ad down.

“Could you tell me why you did that?” Barletta asked, looking at Casey and his voice shaking. “And why you won’t take the ad down?”

Please see RiVAlRy, Page A4

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By sTeVe BenneTT Staff Writer

t began in 1931 with GAR’s 6-0 win over Meyers.

It ends Saturday afternoon when the two Wilkes-Barre high schools meet for the final time on the football field at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium.

The rivalry, which is the longest among schools in Luzerne County, has reached its finale after the school board approved a consolidation plan of all three city schools beginning with the 2019-20 school year.

Since the first game in 1931, friendships have been forged and broken. Memories of two proud programs will live on long after the final whistle blows.

“It was nasty,” said former GAR head coach Charlie Fick, who played for the Mohawks. “When I was at Meyers, GAR guys threw a brick through the window of the malt shop across the street from Meyers. It wasn’t the players who did it; it was the fans. As time went on the rivalry really intensified. It was tough; you really wanted to beat them.”

The rivalry is one where the cliche “you can throw the records out the window” truly does exist. It’s one where a simple play — “84 Cross” — called late in the 1985 game, launched a career that turned Raghib Ismail into the “Rocket.”

There have been players in this game that have gone to play at elite college football powers and continued on to the NFL. But what makes it a rivalry is it’s two neighboring schools coming together and protecting their turf.

This is it GAR won the initial meeting between the two teams, and Meyers followed in 1932 with a 6-0 victory. It wasn’t until the third meeting that the losing team final-

chriStoPher dolan / Staff PhotograPher

gar’s Michael Drozda runs the ball up the center during the 2016 game against Meyers at Wilkes-Barre Memorial stadium. inset: the rivalry has lasted decades. ly scored in Meyers’ 14-6 victo-ry.

Meyers leads the series 44-411. The lone tie was 6-6 in 1939.

Since then, the game has been played every year except for one. The 1971 game was postponed because of a blizzard.

The longest winning streak in the series is eight games.

GAR accomplished the feat twice. The first came from 1951-58. The second was from 2007-14.

There were times the game rested on the foot of the field goal kicker. Two GAR victories came on field goals. In 2007, Godson Tandoh booted a 32-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to give the Grenadiers a 3-0 victory. In 1982, Joe Ruane’s field goal gave GAR a 9-6 win.

That year featured one of the more thrilling endings. After Ruane’s kick, Mey-

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More than 40 percent of women over age 40 have dense breast tissue and that requires they receive ultrasounds or MRIs to substantially increase the detection of early stage breast cancer, Mark Moran / Staff PhotograPher said JoAnn Pushkin, executive Kamal sarada, M.D., an imaging specialist, looks director of DenseBreast-info.org.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2018

RIVALRY: Two storied programs produced star athletes From page a1

The coaching tree There have been 11 head coaches in the history of GAR. Joe McCracken was the first. He was followed by Vic Baiz, Harold “Dutch” Wermuth, Ted Casey, Ray Chesney, Chet Wasilewski, Luther Richards, Wasilewski again, John Rowlands, Charlie Fick, Tony Khalife and Paul Wiedlich Jr. Rowlands led the Grenadiers to their first unblemished season in 1976, going 12-0. In 1952, GAR finished 9-0-1 under Richards.

“In my opinion, John Rowlands is Mr. GAR,” said former GAR, University of Michigan and NFL lineman, Greg Skrepenak. “He was a stud.”

Meyers has had 13 head coaches in its history. Steve Emanuel was the first. Eddie Johnson, Fuller Greenwalt, Johnson, John Davies, Jack Jones, Cummings Jake Piatt, Mickey Gorham, Rich Chukonis, Gorham, Mike Namey, Dwayne Downing, Corry Hanson and Jeff Labatch have all walked the sidelines for the Mohawks.

Emanuel led Meyers to its first undefeated season, a 9-0 record in 1935.

mark elIaS / aSSoCIaTeD preSS

Notre Dame’s Raghib ‘Rocket’ Ismail flies down the sideline accompanied by only the referee during first-half action, Oct. 20, 1990, in South Bend, Ind. Ismail, a Meyers graduate, returned the Miami kickoff 94 yards for an Irish touchdown.

GAME TIME gar at meyers WHEN: 3:30 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Wilkes-Barre memorial Stadium TICKETS: game is sold out

There was a sophomore on the team that year named Raghib Ismail. He was small, shifty and had speed that fans in the Wyoming Valley Conference had not seen in years.

“My senior year I really believe that was Rocket’s coming out party with our game against GAR,” Maffei said. “The year before, Meyers, Hanover Area and GAR were tri-champs. If GAR beat us they would have been champs.”

But this was 1985 and GAR led 21-20.

“Rocket played well that year, but we had no idea just how good he was,” Maffei said.

“Against GAR he caught a touchdown pass and ran back a kick earlier in the game.

With 24 seconds left we got the ball back. We ran a play we never ran in a game all year.

“I don’t think any kid in the country could have done it. It was called 84 Cross.

Rocket lined up as the middle receiver in a wide trip set. He ran from the numbers on one side of the field to the numbers on the other side of the field 35 yards deep. He caught the pass and we won, 27-21.

“That game he just electrified everybody. From that point forward, he really became the Rocket.”

moments, on and off the field. But what the two programs do share is a mutual respect for one another.

“We respected each other because we knew how tough the kids were on both sides,” said Maffei, whose son Ryan is a starting lineman for the Mohawks. “The one thing I remember is a lot of the players from the other schools couldn’t believe how well the Meyers, GAR and Coughlin kids got along at UNICO. They were baffled when they saw the kids from Meyers and GAR hanging out. We got along really well off the field. But when it was time to play, it was time to play.”

Skrepenak had the same kind of experience when he played in the UNICO game.

But what Skrepenak can draw on, is the intensity the rivalry brought out on the field.

“I have been fortunate,” Skrepenak said. “I played in the best rivalry in sports when we (Michigan) played Ohio State. Ultimately it started for me in high school.

It was the same preparation and the same sense of us playing Meyers, like it was when we were playing Ohio State. The game was equally hard hitting with all the pomp and circumstance for a high school kid that he could have.”

star at Michigan and went on to play in the NFL. Williams was the quarterback for the Notre Dame Legends in the making team that ended Oklahoma’s Numerous players from 47-game winning streak in both sides reached the high- 1957, while Salvaterra was est levels of college football. named the MVP of the 1956 Meyers produced the likes Gator Bowl. of Mickey Dudish and Char‘84 Cross’ lie Wysocki, who both played Meyers quarterback Gene at Maryland. Todd Moules, Maffei called “84 Cross” in Lance Hamilton and Phil Ostrowski went to Penn the huddle during the fourth State. Steve Brominski and quarter of the 1985 game Qadry Ismail went to Syra- against GAR. Maffei, a twocuse, while Rocket Ismail year starter at quarterback, played at Notre Dame. Gor- threw for 3,579 yards in his ham, who graduated from career.

The Mohawks were not GAR, but coached at Meyers, having a particularly good also played at Notre Dame.

The Grenadiers had their season that year, but beating share of graduates move on GAR was all that mattered.

“No matter what, that is as well. Jay Kubicki went to play at Nebraska. Bobby Wil- always the biggest game,” liams went to Notre Dame, Maffei said. “The thing that I Corny Salvaterra and Shakir tell everyone is that once Soto went to Pitt and Paul they find out you played at Jefferson went to Penn State. Meyers, they don’t ask if you Harold Jackson finished his were all-scholastic or made collegiate career at Temple. the playoffs. They always ask Mark Glowinski went to the if you beat GAR.” More friends Well thanks to “84 Cross,” University of West Virginia than enemies and is currently an offensive Meyers was able to salvage a Contact the writer: Like all rivalries, GAR and sbennett@citizensvoice.com lineman with the Indianapo- 3-8 season with a win over Meyers has had its heated 570-821-2062 lis Colts. Skrepenak was a the Grenadiers.

MEYERS VS. GAR game results: 2017: meyers 26, gar 19, oT 2016: gar 50, meyers 7 2015: meyers 28, gar 6 2014: gar 46, meyers 19 *2013: gar 21, meyers 20 2012: gar 50, meyers 12 2011: gar 38, meyers 6 2010: gar 28, meyers 6 2009: gar 42, meyers 21 2008: gar 48, meyers 0 2007: gar 3, meyers 0 2006: meyers 34, gar 33 2005: meyers 21, gar 19 2004: meyers 36, gar 19 2003: meyers 54, gar 30 2002: meyers 42, gar 14 2001: meyers 33, gar 14 2000: gar 33, meyers 7 1999: gar 21, meyers 0 1998: gar 35, meyers 14 1997: gar 34, meyers 6 1996: meyers 34, gar 21 1995: gar 38, meyers 6 1994: gar 49, meyers 15 1993: meyers 8, gar 0 1992: meyers 38, gar 14 1991: meyers 33, gar 6 1990: meyers 14, gar 12 1989: gar 28, meyers 6 1988: gar 17, meyers 0 1987: meyers 38, gar 18 1986: gar 20, meyers 6 1985: meyers 27, gar 21 1984: meyers 15, gar 7 1983: meyers 22, gar 0 1982: gar 9, meyers 6 1981: meyers 17, gar 6 1980: meyers 21, gar 20 1979: gar 7, meyers 6 1978: gar 32, meyers 28 1977: meyers 35, gar 14 1976: gar 26, meyers 0 1975: meyers 25, gar 13 1974: meyers 66, gar 6 1973: meyers 33, gar 0

1972: gar 14, meyers 0 1971: game canceled because of snow 1970: meyers 40, gar 0 1969: meyers 23, gar 0 1968: meyers 28, gar 6 1967: gar 14, meyers 6 1966: gar 7, meyers 0 1965: gar 7, meyers 6 1964: meyers 27, gar 14 1963: gar 13, meyers 0 1962: meyers 32, gar 14 1961: meyers 20, gar 0 1960: meyers 6, gar 0 1959: meyers 14, gar 7 1958: gar 31, meyers 7 1957: gar 7, meyers 6 1956: gar 13, meyers 12 1955: gar 6, meyers 2 1954: gar 20, meyers 0 1953: gar 21, meyers 6 1952: gar 19, meyers 6 1951: gar 25, meyers 13 1950: meyers 19, gar 6 1949: gar 19, meyers 13 1948: gar 32, meyers 6 1947: meyers 13, gar 7 1946: meyers 26, gar 6 1945: meyers 6, gar 4 1944: meyers 12, gar 7 1943: meyers 34, gar0 1942: meyers 7, gar 0 1941: meyers 7, gar 3 1940: gar 13, meyers 0 1939: meyers 6, gar 6 1938: meyers 13, gar 0 1937: meyers 6, gar 0 1936: gar 18, meyers 0 1935: meyers 19, gar0 1934: meyers 13, gar 0 1933: meyers 14, gar 6 1932: meyers 6, gar 0 1931: gar 6, meyers 0 *First Backyard Brawl Trophy game

SCREENINGS: Pa. was the first state to cover 3D mammograms From page a1

“I do occasionally hear from women who, because of uncertainty about insurance coverage, elect not to have supplemental screening,” she said. “For women with dense breasts, for whom a mammogram is a less effective screening tool, a mammogram alone my be an incomplete screening. Yet, additional screening may involve out-of-pocket expenses.”

Pushkin, a Long Island, New York resident, became a patient advocate and helped launch the educational website DenseBreast-info.org in 2015 after her own personal experience with breast cancer.

She said she never missed an annual mammogram and was alarmed when she felt a lump during a self-exam.

She was particularly unnerved because she was told her mammogram was “normal.”

A radiological technician told Pushkin since she has dense breast tissue, cancer detection would be a “hard find.”

While breast cancer was undetectable on a mammogram, a tumor showed up minutes later on ultrasound in 2005. Based on the size and characteristics, the tumor was estimated to have been growing up to five years, she said.

“Unfortunately, during those five years, the letter I received after my mammogram, every one of those years said normal,” Pushkin said.

Pushkin said it came up as normal because the abnormality could not be detected in a mammogram.

After battling breast cancer,

GET SCREENED

■ Women who receive a 3D mammogram and receive a bill could file a complaint with the pennsylvania Insurance Department by calling 1-877-881-6388 or online at www.insurance.pa.gov.

■ pennsylvania’s HealthyWoman program provides free early detection services for breast cancer, including mammograms. This pennsylvania Department of Health program is for uninsured women and funded through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and prevention. To check eligibility, and to schedule an appointment, call 800-215-7494.

■ Those who have health insurance but have high deductibles or co-payments for these tests may also qualify for help through HealthyWoman. For more information, go to www.pahealthywoman.com. she said she had a recurrence almost five years to the day of the original diagnosis and underwent additional surgeries and treatment. There has been no evidence of the disease since 2011, she said.

According to DenseBreastinfo.org, a mammogram determines whether or not a woman has more dense breast tissue than fatty tissue.

Cancer is four to six times more likely in women with extremely dense breasts.

Though mammograms find some cancers not seen on other screening tests, they will miss more than 50 percent of the cancers present in women with dense breast tissue.

‘Diagnostic not preventative’ Breast ultrasounds are not covered by many insurers because they are considered diagnostic not preventative, said Dr. Tina George, Commonwealth Health family physician in Avoca.

While breast ultrasounds have been shown to aid in overall cancer detection, George said they also are much more likely than mammograms to result in false positives and unnecessary biopsies.

If there is more evidence breast ultrasounds reduce mortality rates over time, she said insurers could cover the full costs in the future.

A push for a state law Two years ago, New York became the first state to pass a law requiring full insurance coverage with no out-of-pocket expenses for all breast screenings, including ultrasounds or MRIs. “Eliminating these insurance barriers will prevent women from paying out-ofpocket for breast cancer screenings, including imaging for the detection of breast cancer, diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),” a news release from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office stated.

The New York law doesn’t mean all women are covered, however, Pushkin said. There are plans like self-funded plans which are exempt from state insurance laws, she said.

Pennsylvania does not have the same law as New York, but state Rep. Tarah Toohil, R-Butler Twp., said she believes it’s “something that we need to take a hard look at implementing in Pennsylvania.”

“Early detection is half of the battle and greatly increases the success rate for women,” Toohil said. “Unfortunately, because of high co-pays, high deductibles, and busy schedules, women are likely to find a million reasons to put off their breast screening or skip the exam altogether.”

Toohil said she looks forward to raising the issue with her colleagues to see if they can move legislation forward in Pennsylvania.

Local breast cancer survivor Barb Sciandra, who cofounded Paint Pittston Pink, said she would be in favor of a law that ensures that health insurance covers the full cost of breast ultrasounds.

“It’s a relatively safe test. I don’t see why insurance wouldn’t want to pay for something that has the potential to save someone’s life,” Sciandra said.

According to Pennsylvania Insurance Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Rementer, two bills were previously proposed in Pennsylvania that would give insurance coverage for breast density.

Senate Bill 869, proposed by Sen. Bob Mensch, a Republican who represents parts of Berks, Bucks and Montgomery counties, says mammogram films of breasts with higher density are harder to read and interpret than those of less dense breasts.

He suggested legislation that would amend the Insurance Company Law of 1921 to extend insurance coverage to ultrasounds and MRIs if mammograms shows dense breast tissue. Younger women are more at risk since about 50 percent of women under 50 years of age have dense breast tissue, he said.

Tom Wolf clarified 3D mammograms must be covered until the existing state mammogram law at no cost to women in the same manner as traditional 2D mammograms.

Pennsylvania Acting Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman said Pennsylvania is the first state to have this policy.

“Women can’t be worried about whether or not they can afford such a potential life-saving test,” Altman said.

Self-insured or self-funded health insurance plans offered by employers are not required to provide coverage under the Pennsylvania mandate for 3D mammograms, however. because they are regulated by the federal government and not by the state.

Advantages of 3D mammography are it produces more detailed images of breast tissue and there are fewer false positive mammograms which reduces the number of followup tests, Dr. George said.

Pennsylvania also has the Breast Density Notification Act. This means that if a mammogram shows a woman’s breast tissue, she must be notified.

While tremendous strides have been made in the detection and treatment of breast cancer, Altman said more work remains.

“Twenty-seven women get the devastating diagnosis that Pa. first state to cover they have breast cancer every day in Pennsylvania,” Altman 3D mammograms said. “And every day, the famiAlthough Pennsylvania lies and friends of five Penndoes not yet have a law like sylvania women endure the New York, the commonwealth death of their loved one from has extended its definition of this disease.” mammography to include 3D Contact the writer: mammograms. dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com In 2015, Pennsylvania Gov. 570-821-2115, @CVallabaugh Similar legislation called House Bill 579 also was introduced by State Rep. Isabella Fitzgerald, a Democrat from Philadelphia.

The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition supports legislation providing insurance coverage for breast density.

“We have met with the Pennsylvania Radiological Society to see how we can jointly move this critical legislation forward,” said Natalie Kopp, spokeswomen for the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.

Kopp said women need more than “one size fits all” insurance coverage.

According to statistics she provided, more than 140,000 Pennsylvania women are living with breast cancer and 2,000 of those women will die this year.

When detected at its earliest stage, the five-year breast cancer survival rate is 98.6 percent.

“Every Pennsylvania woman deserves the best possible breast cancer screening available,” Kopp said. “Sometimes a mammogram, even the 3D mammogram, isn’t the only screening needed. We receive calls, emails and letters from women who desperately need these additional screenings like ultrasounds and MRIs for the early detection of breast cancer but can’t afford the bills. This legislation will save women’s lives.”

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Opa-locka, Florida, where they believe some of the packages originated, another official said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation by name.

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David Nargoski throws his hands up in frustration while questioning a call during last week’s game between Meyers and Holy Redeemer at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium. Nargoski was watching the game from the backyard of a home on Corlear Street.

Backyard deck will provide great view of final GAR-Meyers game

BY STEVE BENNETT Staff WRIteR

deck and catch any game at the stadium on a Friday night or Saturday When the hottest ticket for a high afternoon. It’s where they’ll be staschool football game went on sale ear- tioned with several of their friends lier this month, Anthony Gipson when Coughlin hosts Berwick tonight didn’t need to wait in in what will be the Cruline. saders’ final game.

WHERE He’ll have the best “There are going to TO WATCH seat in the house when be a few of my CoughSaturday’s game GAR and Meyers play lin friends coming over between gaR and for the final time at 3:30 for the game,” said GipMeyers is sold out, p.m. Saturday at Wilson, who graduated but the game will kes-Barre Memorial from Meyers in 2011 be broadcast at Stadium. and played football one 3:30 p.m. on SerThe backyard of Gipseason for the vice electric chanson’s home on Corlear Mohawks. “Saturday nel 2.

Street is adjacent to the there is going to be a stadium, at the far end bunch of friends and Dave ScheRbeNco / Staff PhotogRaPheR away from the scoreboard. It’s where family coming over.” he and his fiance Kiah Randolph can Fans watch a game at Wilkes-Barre Memorial from the backyard Please see GAME, Page A5 justwalkoutthebackdoor,sitontheir deck of Anthony Gipson’s house on Corlear Street.

Investigators dig for pipe bomb motive WASHINGTON — Investigators searched coast-tocoast Thursday for the culprit and motives behind the bizarre mail-bomb plot aimed at critics of the president, analyzing the innards

of the crude devices to reveal whether they were intended to detonate or simply sow fear two weeks before Election Day. Three more devices were linked to the plot — two addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and one to actor Robert De Niro — bringing the total to 10 in an

outbreak of politically loaded menace with little if any precedent. Authorities warned there might well be more.

Law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that the devices, containing timers and batteries, were not rigged like booby-trapped package bombs that would

explode upon opening. But they were still uncertain whether the devices were poorly designed or never intended to cause physical harm. A search of a postal database suggested at least some may have been mailed from Florida, one official said. Investigators are homing in on a postal facility in

Actor James Karen never forgot his roots Friend: W-B native always remembered where he first set foot on the stage.

BY ERIC MARK Staff WRIteR

James Karen, the wellknowncharacteractorandWilkes-Barre native who died at 94 this week, never forgot his roots, according to an old friend from the local theater world.

“I think it’s important that people realize he did not forget from whence he came,” said Walter Mitchell, director of development at Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre.

Karen, who appeared in films such as “Poltergeist,” “The China Syndrome,” “Wall Street,” “All the President’s Men” and “Return of the Living Dead,” discovered his love of performing at Little Theatre

when he was a student at Coughlin High School in the late 1930s, according to Mitchell.

Karen, who was born Jacob Karnofsky, loved to tell the story of how an enthusiastic amateur thespian named Dan Flood — later a long-time U.S. congressman — talked him into appearing on stage for the first time, Mitchell said.

Karen told that story during an interview with The Citizens’ Voice in 2013. He also spoke fondly of his time at the Little Theatre as a teenager.

“It was terrific for me,” he said. “It gave me a real reason to exist, and to live. I was doing exactly what I wanted to do.”

Rain tonight B8

Area’s Largest Purchaser Of Precious Metals

the cItIzeNS’ voIce fIle

James Karen, left, and his wife, Alba Francesca, standing, chat with Catherine Flood and former congressman Dan Flood during the 65th anniversary celebration of the Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre in 1988.

Karen left the area in the continued into his 90s.

1940s and launched a sucPlease see KAREN, Page A5 cessful acting career that

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BREAking nEWS, viDEOS, BlOgS AnD mORE AT ciTizEnSvOicE.cOm © 2018 The Citizens’ Voice

BY KENT JACKSON Staff WRIteR

Crestwood schools will reopen today with a two-hour delay after being closed for two days while bus drivers updated their criminal background checks.

State auditors discovered some of the background checks weren’t current, leading the Crestwood School District to close Wednesday and Thursday and cancel a contract with its school bus provider, effective in February 2019.

Rinehimer School Bus of Slocum Twp. has a contract with Crestwood, but the school board decided to end it early.

“Their duty was to make sure every driver was qualified through the state mandate.

That didn’t happen. The contract said if they can’t provide transportation, we can terminate,” board President Bill Jones said.

During the next three months, the board can ask companies for proposals to provide bus service.

Jones said several firms are interested and will have drivers, but also might extend jobs to current drivers. There is a possibility, he said, that the board might let Rinehimer reapply.

Scott Henry, owner of Rinehimer School Bus, didn’t return a telephone message.

State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale on Wednesday said school administrators and the board have the ultimate responsibility to ensure that drivers are certified, although bus companies should make certain as well.

DePasquale used Crestwood as an example when advising

Dave ScheRbeNco / Staff PhotogRaPheR

BY MICHAEL BALSAMO, COLLEEN LONG AND ZEKE MILLER aSSocIateD PReSS

Classes resume today with delay as background checks for drivers are updated.

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LOCAL / STATE / NATION

THE CITIZENS' VOICE A5

GAME: Deck seats ‘are the best seats in town’ FROM PAGE A1

While Gipson and Randolph occupy one side of the double-block residence, four of his friends live on the other side. It makes for some easy watching.

“Every single week I have been doing it for my buddies,” Gipson said of making the deck available when games are being played. “It’s been every week for the last four of five years.”

The seats offer much more than a view of the game.

JOSH REPLOGLE / ASSOCIATED PRESS There are times when you DAVE SCHERBENCO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Postal service police screen employees entering the Royal Palm processing and can see the group on the deck Taking in a recent game from the deck were, from left, Distribution Center on Thursday in Opa-locka, Fla. talking with the officials, Greg Skrepenak, David Nargoski, Doug Richards and cheering on their favorite Doug Pape. team and generally having a good time. more.”

‘Every single week offered “They are the best seats in Instead, Gipson is expectI have been doing ing about 30 friends for Sattown,” Gipson said. “The game. environment is great. The it for my buddies. urday’s FROM PAGE A1 Gipson said they will be refs are funny. Usually you grilling up some barbecue only see them throwing flags It’s been every hot dogs and hamNew details about the or getting yelled at. It’s great week for the last chicken, devices came as the four-day burgers. He also said that one to see them interact with us. mail-bomb scare spread They talk about everything.” four of five years.’ of his friends will be bringing over some crab macaroni nationwide, drawing investiWhile fans who were ANTHONY GIPSON and cheese. gators from dozens of federunable to get a ticket for SatWilkes-Barre resident “The more the merrier as al, state and local agencies in urday’s game and those long as everybody has a good the effort to identify one or crammed into the bleachers more perpetrators. will be envious of Gipson’s offered me $50 to use my time,” Gipson said. “We have The targets have included setup, there was one fan who backyard and deck for the people walk by the house all former President Barack thought ahead and asked if last Meyers and GAR game. the time but nobody has just Obama, Hillary Clinton, the space was for rent.

He said I could come if I come in and asked to sit on CNN and Re p. Maxine “I don’t want to name the wanted to. I guess he wanted the deck. I’m sure that will Waters of California. The man, but one Wednesday to have him and his friends change Saturday.” common thread among them night our doorbell rings at over for the game himself. I Contact the writer: was obvious: critical words 10:30,” Gipson said. “It was told him that the deck is not sbennett@citizensvoice.com for Donald Trump and freone of the most odd things I up for rent. Personally, I 570 821-2062 quent, harsher criticism in have ever experienced. He thought he should have @CVSteveBennett return.

At a press conference Thursday, officials in New York would not discuss possible motives, or details on how MARK LENNIHAN / ASSOCIATED PRESS the packages found their way A member of the New York National Guard watches as into the U.S. postal system. commuters walk through the World Trade Center Nor would they say why Transportation Hub on Thursday in New York. none of the packages had raid shined a light on the doc- abortion waiting periods and Discoveries inside detonated, but they stressed practice. Some say it performing illegal late-term The list of bombing tar- going to do to someone else. house of horrors led tor’s they were still treating them gets spread from New York, And some people like to relshould be demolished to erase abortions. He was convicted of to murder charges. the physical reminders, while three first-degree murder as “live devices.”

Delaware and Washington, ish that,” he said.

“As far as a hoax device, D.C., to Florida and Califorothers say it should be saved charges and one manslaughter The new packages discovASSOCIATED PRESS we’re not treating it that nia. because of architectural signif- charge related to the deaths of ered Thursday set off a new PHILADELPHIA — Phila- icance. one woman after a botched way,” said Police CommisThe explosive devices wave of alarm. sioner James O’Neill.

Investigators acting on nar- abortion and several of the viawere packed in envelopes A retired New York police delphia has begun the process Details suggested a pattern with bubble-wrap interiors detective working in security to auction off the site of a for- cotics-related tips raided the ble fetuses.

Gosnell had been a well— that the items were pack- bearing six American flag in De Niro’s Manhattan mer clinic where now-impris- west Philadelphia building in known physician, making aged in manila envelopes, stamps and the retur n office called police after see- oned doctor Kermit Gosnell 2010. addressed to prominent address of Florida Rep. Deb- ing images of a package performed illegal late-term A grand jury produced a house calls and opening a clinTrump critics and carried bie Wasserman Schultz, the bomb sent to CNN and recall- abortions. more than 200-page report on ic where few physicians pracThe city is seeking to use a the horrors inside. Sedated ticed. Authorities say Gosnell U.S. postage stamps. The former chairwoman of the ing a similar packa g e devices were being examined Democratic National Com- addressed to the actor, offi- sheriff ’s auction to recoup women were found lying on was known to perform proceabout $50,000 in delinquent tax- dirty recliners covered in dures for immigrants and othby technicians at the FBI’s mittee. cials said. forensic lab in Quantico, VirThe bombs seized WednesThe packages addressed to es, with a sale possible as soon blood-stained blankets. A flea- ers who had issues getting ginia. day were about six inches Biden were intercepted at as early 2019, Philly.com report- ridden feral cat roamed the access to abortions or who had The packages stoked long and packed with powder Delaware mail facilities in ed Thursday. hallway where investigators passed the stage in their pregThe proceedings were initi- stepped over animal feces to nancies where other doctors nationwide tensions and and broken glass, according New Castle and Wilmington, fears as voters prepared to to a law enforcement official according to a law enforce- ated earlier this year. Gosnell, climb the stairs in the build- would perform the procedure.

Some experts who deal with vote Nov. 6 to determine par- who viewed X-ray images. ment official who, like oth- who is serving a prison sen- ing. tisan control of Congress — The official said the devices ers, wasn’t authorized to dis- tence of life without the possiFetuses were found in con- removing stigma from propera campaign both parties have were made from PVC pipe cuss the investigation and bility of parole, or someone on tainers all over the building, ties where crimes, deaths and described in near-apocalyp- and covered with black tape. spoke on condition of ano- his behalf, will have the chance including some that investiga- suicides happen, said owners to object to the sale at a hearing tors had determined had been have an easier time selling and tic terms. Even with the At the New York briefing, nymity. sender still unknown, politi- authorities confirmed that at viable births. Medical examin- developing commercial propLike earlier targets, both Nov. 27.

Community members and ers said there were signs of erties because no one has to cians from both parties used least some of the packages Biden and De Niro have the threats to decry a toxic were distributed through the been sharply critical of neighbors have mixed feelings incisions and severed spinal sleep there or live with the ghost of past events. Some political climate and lay U.S. mail, and cautioned that Trump. The actor dropped about what should happen to cords. blame.

Gosnell was charged with community members, howevthere could be additional an expletive insult at Trump the building, which stirs deep “A very big part of the devices in the postal system. at this year’s Tony Awards emotions in some who lived in hundreds of counts of violat- er, have their doubts the buildAnger we see today in our They said investigators and also apologized to Cana- the neighborhood when a 2010 ing state requirements on ing’s history can be erased. society is caused by the pur- searching for more suspi- dians for the “idiotic behavposely false and inaccurate cious parcels had not found ior of my president.” Biden reporting of the Mainstream any during the previous said last week that the presiMedia that I refer to as Fake eight hours. dent may not “know what News,” Trump said on TwitDavid Chipman, a retired he’s doing” and coddles dicter. “It has gotten so bad and federal ATF agent and now tators. hateful that it is beyond senior policy adviser for the Trump has called Biden description. Mainstream Giffords Center, said the “Crazy Joe” and “mentally

BY BRET PALLOTTO bill on the counter. while she stayed in the vehiMedia must clean up its act, details revealed telltale signs weak.”

CENTRE DAILY TIMES Patton Twp. police eventu- cle. She would then drive the FAST!” that could help guide investiOn Thursday, during a Three women were arrest- ally stopped a Chevrolet Mal- women from store to store to Former CIA Director John gators. campaign trip to suburban Brennan, the target of a The tape on the pipe is “an Buffalo, Biden said: “We’ve ed Oct. 19 for using counter- ibu driven by Samantha Kal- repeat the process.

Kalson was charged with package sent to CNN, fired investigator’s dream,” he got to get off this hate feit $100 bills to make pur- son, 28, of Wilkes-Barre, with back. said, recalling a case in Tex- machine. We’ve got to come chases at about 10 State Col- Marshall, Markessa Cole- 10 felony counts of conspiralege retail stores, according man and two other women cy to commit forgery and 10 “Stop blaming others. as that was solved because together.” misdemeanors. Both Coleinside.

Look in the mirror,” Bren- the fibers on the tape were The packages were “clear- to State College police.

An AutoZone employee at After police searched the man and Marshall were nan tweeted. “Your inflam- traced to the bomber’s dog. ly an effort to terrorize peomatory rhetoric, insults, lies, He said bombers tend to plot ple politically, to choose peo- State College alerted a co- vehicle, they found a book charged with one felony & encouragement of physi- methodically. ple for political purposes and worker that Nahciera Mar- containing counterfeit $100 count of conspiracy to comcal violence are disgraceful.

“This is someone sitting attack them because of their shall, 19, of Wilkes-Barre, bills and numerous receipts. mit forgery and one misdeOne of the receipts was meanor.

Clean up your act....try to act down and spending time beliefs,” New York City May- may try to make a purchase All three were arraigned using a counterfeit $100 from Ross, which is where Presidential.” thinking about what they’re or Bill de Blasio said. because she had done so pre- Coleman, 25, of Irvington, by District Judge Kelley Gilviously.

New Jersey, made a purchase lette-Walker, who denied During the transaction, for $44.97 with a counterfeit them bail because the trio the employee told Marshall $100 bill and received $55.03 was allegedly operating a celebration in 1988, and often FROM PAGE A1 “multi-county criminal orga“He was affable, outgoing, he had to obtain a counter- in change. contacted old theater col- generous with his time, feit marker from the back Police said Kalson would nization.”

All charges were forwardHe appeared in Broadway leagues on his trips home, unlike some actors who of the store. Marshall then give the women counterfeit productions, amassed more according to Mitchell. become full of themselves,” fled the store and left the bills to make purchases ed for prosecution. than 200 film and television “He was a good friend of Mitchell said. “He was down credits, and was well-known the theater for many years,” to earth and had a great from a series of commercials Mitchell said. “He would sense of humor.” for the Pathmark supermar- check in with us to see how Five years ago, Karen Pictures at Village Pet! ket chain. we were doing.” spoke about his long career But even as a busy actor Articles published after that began on a community ALL PROCEEDS BENEFITS RESCUE WARRIORS working in New York and Cali- Karen’s death at his Los theater stage in WilkesCASH OR fornia, Karen often came home Angeles home on Tuesday Barre.

CHECK ONLY to Wilkes-Barre to visit family noted that his face and voice “I like to work, and I’ve PETS AND HUMANS OF ALL AGES WELCOME! and friends, Mitchell said. were better-known than his had a good time of it,” he ALL PETS MUST BE ON A LEASH, NO AGGRESSIVE PETS. And he never forgot where name. said. he first set foot on stage.

Mitchell said that never Contact the writer: OCTOBER 28TH • 10 AM - 3 PM Karen attended the Little bothered Karen, who did not emark@citizensvoice.com Theatre’s 65th anniversary let his success go to his head. 570-821-2117 Village Pet Luzerne, 490 Union Street

BOMBS: Devices examined at FBI forensic lab in Virginia

Closed Philly abortion clinic site will be sold

W-B residents accused of passing counterfeit bills

KAREN: ‘Generous with his time’

Star Wars Halloween

$10 each pic

COVER S

Whe Ma

Rocket, Qad

BY STEVE BENNETT STAFF WRITER

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES

G8 OCTOBER 26, 2018 THE CITIZENS' VOICE WB_VOICE/SPECIAL_SECTION/PAGES [G08-09] | 10/24/18

22:53 | CONNORSSTE

When they came to Wilkes-Barre in 1982, Meyers High School was as much of a mystery to Rocket and Qadry Ismail as the Ismail brothers were to Meyers.

Coming from Newark, New Jersey, the Ismail brothers were looking to find a better way of life and set the foundation for a future they had no idea where it would take them.

On Saturday, Rocket and Qadry Ismail will return to Wilkes-Barre, this time to celebrate the final game of the storied rivalry between Meyers and GAR. “I was 11 years old at the time we came to Wilkes-Barre,” Rocket said. “We moved in with my 77-year-old grandmother. She kept us in check.”

They learned to love the game of football from what they watched on television. Just dreaming of one day being able to do what their heroes were doing on the screen in front of them.

“I never saw artificial turf before,” Qadry said. “I had heard of this place called Meyers.

There was a football game one Friday night and I went with one of my friends. The next thing you know we are on the turf. I was in heaven. I never saw artificial turf before. All of a sudden this coach comes over to us, it was Mickey Gorham. I’m thinking we are in so much trouble, and he asks us what we are doing. He told us to come back the next Friday and that we are going to be on the bus and on the sideline. I was in eighth grade and I was with James Fonzo. The next week I got on the bus and went to Wyoming Area.”

As it turned out, that was the beginning of

two o caree Ro Moha him t a sta Moha ing p own i “I right was s scrim broke hand from turf b Mem “Th at Wy They off ta amaz was e hamm my h rep th Physi didn’ cup it chest Wh durin Rock boun back their ry wi

STORY

ere Legends ade Their Mark

dry Ismail look back on time playing for Meyers

of the most dynamic high school football ers in the history of Meyers High School. ocket was too old to play for the Mini awks, missing the age cutoff. That sent to the Meyers freshman team. Qadry was ar in the making playing for the Mini awks, scoring touchdowns at an eye-openace. All the while, Rocket was having his issues. was so small, I couldn’t hold the ball t,” Rocket said. “Even though I was fast, I seventh-grade fast. I remember our first mmage, I got the ball on a pitch and I e free, but the ball started bobbling in my d, and that slowed me down. A guy got me behind and that was the first time I got burn on the famous turf of Wilkes-Barre morial Stadium. he first game that year we were playing yoming Area on a Saturday morning. y put me in the backfield and gave me an ackle play. It was one second I see this zing light and a hole. The next second I eclipsed by eternal darkness and sledge mers hitting me. The ball popped out of hands. It went 10 yards in the air. I got the hat he is fast, but he fumbles all the time. ically, it was going to happen. But the ball ’t fit where the forearm and where you t with your hand and hold it next to your t. That didn’t work for me.” hile they created long-lasting memories ng their time with the Mohawks, with ket rushing for 4,333 yards and Qadry ncing back between wide receiver and full, there are two games that stick out in memories the most, aside from the rivalith GAR.

And they were both against Dallas.

The first came during their junior season in 1986. Actually, the stage was set a week prior to the game when a group of football players from Meyers decided to go out and watch Dallas play on a Saturday afternoon to get a live look at the upcoming opponent.

“So we roll up to Dallas and we are wearing our polyester Meyers football jackets, there was a bunch of us,” Qadry said. “Dallas was playing of all teams, GAR. So we’re sitting on the GAR side for a bit and we decide to walk around. We ended up walking over on the Dallas side.”

That’s when it started.

“They knew we were there,” Rocket said of the Dallas faithful. “I don’t know if it was the student section, the band or the fans, but they all started chanting ‘Dallas wants Meyers.’ It’s getting louder and louder. So we get in the car and figure out a way to use that against them.”

It made for an eventful Friday night at Wilkes-Barre Memorial the following week.

“Mickey Gorham was a phenomenal motivator,” Qadry said. “He starts talking about what we need to do and how they don’t respect us. He told us that if Dallas wants us, we are going to give it to them. The whole locker room erupts. So we are waiting to leave the locker room and one dude looks out the peephole and sees Dallas is leaving the locker room. We just burst through the doors chanting ‘Dallas wants Meyers.’ We got two feet from them. It would have been a brawl, but their coaches started dividing us and then our coaches jumped in.”

Meyers ended up winning the game, 32-14, setting up for an even more interesting

rematch the following year at Mountaineer Stadium.

As legend goes, the keys to the lawn mower at Dallas suddenly went missing. There was nobody that was in too big of a hurry to find them.

“That was a game of legend,” Qadry said.

“I’ve had guys tell me that not only did they water the grass down, but they let it grow higher. It was all wet on our sideline and their sideline was dry.”

In the first half, Rocket estimates he rushed for 4 yards.

“That game my senior year got heat because of what happened the year before,” Rocket said. “We were getting all the press and nobody was predicting us to lose. Dallas was able to think of a way to brilliantly negate that. They essentially grew the grass where it was so long it couldn’t stand up straight. It had that curl over. At some points I couldn’t even see my shoes.”

Dallas won the game, 21-8.

“Four years after that game I’m back home at the Odyssey working out,” Qadry said.

“One dude comes up to me and asks me how I’m doing. Then he says to me, ‘You know the Dallas game, I was one of the guys who helped water down the field. I was told we needed to slow you and your brother down.’”

It was at Meyers where Raghib Ismail became the Rocket and Qadry launched a career that led him to a Super Bowl championship and an opportunity to return to the school and present it was a ceremonial golden football.

Wilkes-Barre proved to be a city that embraced them and made them two of its own.

“Thereisnotjustonethingthatsticksouttome

about Meyers and Wilkes-Barre,” Rocket said. “It is everything. It was the opportunity to go there. It was getting ready to take the SAT and everybody who helped me. It was the people who showed up at our front door with groceries and bags of clothes, and somebody giving me and my brother a couple of dollars to go to Burger King after a game with the rest of the team. It is the people.

They were all a part of it. Meyers is central in all of that. Everything about it stands out.”

After graduating from Meyers, Rocket went on to be one of the most electrifying college football players during his career at Notre Dame that eventually brought him to the CFL and the NFL. Qadry went to Syracuse, where he finally settled in at wide receiver after playing fullback in high school blocking for his brother. Qadry is also the only player from the Wyoming Valley Conference to play on a Super Bowl-winning team.

On Saturday, they will walk into WilkesBarre Memorial Stadium to watch a chapter they were such a big part of come to an end.

“Going into that stadium as an honorary captain brings on another level of responsibility,” Qadry said. “It is a time for the players and it is a special moment. There will be memories. Like the time Mickey Gorham got us a police escort to play at Valley West. It’s maybe three miles to Valley West, but that ride felt like 10 miles to me. Of all the police escorts I have been involved in when I was in college and the NFL, nothing compares to that day. It was just so magical. I just want everyone to enjoy the day.

“Make the last one the best one.”

Contact the writer: sbennett@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2062; @CVSteveBennett on Twitter

THE CITIZENS' VOICE OCTOBER 26, 2018 G9 WB_VOICE/SPECIAL_SECTION/PAGES [G08-09] | 10/24/18

22:53 | CONNORSSTE

WB_VOICE/PAGES [B01] | 01/20/18

21:17 | CONNORSSTE

tHE CItIzEns’ VOICE

Sports SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018

NFL PLAYOFFS

THE DEFENDERS

The last four teams standing features four of the league’s best defenses this season.

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AssociAted Press

AssociAted Press File

Eagles’ Steven Means celebrates after a sack during a game this season.

NEPA home to Vikings fans, too

I

t would be easy, perhaps even obvious, to expect Northeast Pennsylvania to be a sea of midnight green today, to assume you could peak your head out the door on any main road or side street and catch a few waves of a distant chant wafting through the air.

E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES! someone will yell. Then, someone else will join. And, maybe some more. It will be that kind of a day a couple hours up the turnpike from Lincoln Financial Field, where the de facto home team stands 60 minutes away from the Super Bowl.

really, every day here — and you’ll find the proud Northeast DOnnIe Pennsylvania chapter of the PurCOLLInS ple Gang.

In Dunmore, John Errico will Commentary be comfortably alone, TV on and his computer at the ready, chatting online with fellow Vikings For so many here and around fans, most of whom he has never the region, today marks the Phila- met. They are the only people delphia Eagles’ next best chance who truly know his plight, the to play for the elusive Lombardi only ones who could possibly Trophy their fans have impatient- understand how this is going to ly awaited. But they won’t be feel, win or lose. alone.

Look for them — today and, Please see COLLINS, Page B10

Four of the five teams that gave up the fewest points during the regular season are the last four left with a shot at the Super Bowl, something that had never happened since the NFL-AFL merger nearly a half-century ago.

And three of the four toughest to gain yards against are still around, too.

Still think that all a team needs to succeed in the modern game is an elite QB? Go ahead and take a close look at today’s matchups for the conference championship games.

Sure, Tom Brady (assuming his injured right hand is good to go) and the New England Patriots will be playing for the AFC title, just like they always do, but they’ll be going up against Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Over in the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles will send Nick Foles out to face the Minnesota Vikings and Case Keenum, hardly a marquee matchup between quarterbacks, and one set up by injuries to other signal-callers.

What this quartet of teams does have in common is solid defense, showing once again that while everyone is paying so much attention to one side of the ball, it’s the other that might truly matter the most. The more league rules and officiating tend to favor offenses, the more figuring out ways to slow that down is imperative.

“When you have a defense that can shut that type of firepower down,” said Brian Robison, a linebacker on the Vikings defense that ranked No. 1 in yards and points allowed, “it allows you to win ballgames.”

Please see DEFENSE, Page B10

NFL Inside: Previews of today’s conference finals.

AFC Championship, Page B6 NFC Championship, Page B7

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION

Erie merger was quick, successful

BY STEvE BENNETT stAFF writer

The Erie School District was facing a financial crisis and was almost $12 million in debt.

The state demanded something be done or there would be no more funds released for the district.

The idea of merging three schools — Central Tech, Strong Vincent and East — was floated and gained approval last spring. Officials determined a consolidation could save almost $8 million.

Wilkes-Barre Area is facing a similar situation. There

Combining programs right for Wilkes-Barre

Please see ERIE, Page B10

P

ick a sport and any team at one of the three WilkesBarre city schools.

Now, pick another sport.

And for the purpose of this exercise, go ahead and pick one more.

Without selecting an opponent, try to find a contest where one of the city schools is considered a favorite each time they take the field, court, mat or pool.

Try to select a specific team that would be considered a prohibitive favorite to win a division, or for that matter, compete for a District 2 title on a consistent basis.

Pretty difficult, isn’t it? past season. Erie was formed after the merger of three Sure, there is a year or two city schools.

have been ongoing discussions about building a new school to replace the crumbling Coughlin and Meyers high schools.

At January’s school board meeting, athletic officials presented a plan that shows how a consolidated athletic program could work.

“We had been talking about it probably for three or four years,” Erie High School co-principal Mike Pisano said. “We had been in a budJAck HAnrAHAn / erie times-news get situation for five or six years. We started making Erie High School head football coach Rob Matz talks major cuts in the district.” with his team in the locker room before a game this

Steve Bennett Commentary

when a team from one of the city schools wins a championship and moves on to the state level. But year after year after year?

Let’s face it, the time has come and gone where opponents fear any of the sports programs that compete at the public high schools.

Please see BENNETT, Page B10

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WB_VOICE/PAGES [B10] | 01/20/18

21:20 | CONNORSSTE

SPORTS

B10 THE CITIZENS' VOICE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018

BENNETT: Merging Wilkes-Barre programs will benefit students FROM PAGE B1

It just doesn’t happen anymore. Not only are the wins dwindling and the losses piling up, but the numbers of student-athletes participating in sports programs at GAR, Coughlin and Meyers just aren’t there.

The same can be said for any number of sports programs in the WVC, but schools outside the WilkesBarre Area school district can’t do much about it other than patrolling the halls at the high school and junior high to try to find athletes.

Wilkes-Barre is in a position to do something.

Facts are facts, and it’s time the leaders of the district take a good, hard look at them.

GAR’s girls basketball team lost 30 consecutive games before beating MMI Prep on Thursday.

Coughlin’s junior varsity boys basketball team scored 12 points in a recent game.

The freshman field hockey team at Meyers is holding on by a string.

Those are just three examples. The writing is clearly on the wall. The district is facing the possibility of losing sports programs. And with that comes lost opportunities for the kids.

The big problem is there are too many adults who are

in charge of the district that don’t want to see it. They want to hang on to the glory days. But those days are just faded memories.

The athletes in the district face blowout losses and getting on a bus to travel to a game they have no chance at winning.

Meyers athletic directors Mike Nameyand Corry Hanson recentlypresented the school boardwith a thorough analysis of the dire straights thedistrict’s athletic programs face.

In its current state, it’s not pretty. The future is not much brighter.

When the presentation concluded, two board members spoke. One mentioned something about 1972. Sorry to say, nobody cares about 1972 anymore. Another asked why none of the coaches in the district were there to support the presentation. It wasn’t mentioned there weren’t any coaches present to fight it either.

We all know that eventually there will be a shiny new building built somewhere in the district that will house students from Coughlin and Meyers. Eventually GAR will join.

When that happens, all the schools will form one athletic program.

However, today, WilkesBarre is in the unique position where it can combine all three athletic programs now.

Imagine what that would do for the programs and the coaches.

Practices won’t have to be canceled because of a lack of participation. Teams may even start tasting a bit of success where they haven’t experienced it in the past.

The adults involved in all of this need to understand that kids want to win. This isn’t like the past where the rivalries were bitter and everyone hated one another.

Kids talk on social media all the time. They even participate on the same AAU teams, attend the same camps and clinics, and for that matter, hang out together.

The adults put in charge to make adult decisions need to start making them for the betterment of the district and the student-athletes representing the district. Not their own agenda.

The right decision to save all sports in the city high schools and create more athletic opportunities, is to merge them into one program.

The sooner that decision can be made and implemented, the better off the studentathletes and the district will be.

Contact the writer: sbennett@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2062; @CVSteveBennett on Twitter

DEFENSE: Final 4 share quality FROM PAGE B1

Minnesota gave up 15.8 points per game. Jacksonville was No. 2 at 16.8, followed by No. 4 Philadelphia’s 18.4 and No. 5 New England’s 18.5.

“There’s teams that have really good defenses that aren’t talked about,” Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy said. “We’re one of them.”

It’s the first time since the 1970 merger there has been that sort of defensive dominance among the NFL’s final four. The closest was at the end of the 2010 season, when teams that ranked No. 1 (Steelers), No. 2 (Packers), No. 4 (Bears) and No. 6 (Jets)

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“The most heralded guys on the field are the quarterbacks. So I would say, nine times out of 10, your detail goes into your offensive planning and things like that,” said Jacksonville’s leading tackler, Telvin Smith, who returned a fumble 50 yards for a touchdown last weekend. “Offense sells tickets, and defense wins championships. I’m happy I’m on the defensive side.”

Take a look at the regularseason rankings in various defensive categories, and you can’t miss the Jaguars.

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GREG WOhlFORD / ERiE TiMES-NEWS

Erie head football coach Rob Matz talks to his team.

ERIE: School, team consolidation worked under quick turnaround FROM PAGE B1

Time was of the essence.

The decision came in the spring. The school year at Erie Central, East and Strong Vincent ended in June and when students returned in August, they were students at the newly formed Erie High School.

“We had to work quick,” Pisano said. “We put everything in place pretty quick.

We had one building (Central Tech) that was able to hold 2,300 students.

“It was such a quick turnaround, but we had to do it. It was just bringing the kids together and having conversations with the student body and student-athletes. We had to rehire all the positions. It was really going and getting a lot of input fromthestudentswhenit came to uniforms and colors.”

Up in class The decision to consolidate came in the middle of a twoyear athletic scheduling cycle.

ThePennsylvaniaInterscholastic Athletic Association, the governing body of high school athletes in the state, requires schools to submit enrollment numbers for students in grades 9 to 11 to determine what classification each school falls.

Before the consolidation, East was 5A, while Central and Vincent were 4A schools.

Now, Erie High School is Class 6A in baseball, softball, basketball and football. The Royals compete at the 4A level in volleyball and soccer.

Wrestling, girls tennis, track, cross country, swimming and golf are 3A sports.

An athletic merger of GAR, Meyers and Coughlin would push Wilkes-Barre to Class 6A in basketball and football.

“The coaches did a great job in the offseason and summer to get workouts and programs going in all the sports,” Pisano said. “We thought it would be more of a struggle to bring all three together from different

schools when they had been competing against each other.”

When the idea first emerged there was some hesitation and resistance.

“At first everybody wanted to keep their school,” Pisano said. “People were concerned about bringing them all together in one building. It’s going pretty good. We are an innercity school. There was the possibility of an East side-West side situation. We haven’t seen any of that. That goes a long way with what we did in the summer with the athletic programs. We just built continuity.

We did a lot of different things to get everyone to buy in.”

Because of the merger, Erie High School now offers more sports and there are more opportunities for the studentathletes. Soccer, cheerleading and several other programs have seen significant growth.

The boys soccer team lost to McDowell in a shootout in the District 10 championship game. The girls basketball team is the favorite to win the district title.

“We are a legitimate athletic program,” Pisano said.

Football success Rob Matz wasn’t sure if he would be coaching football in 2017. The only thing he was certain of is that he would not be coaching football at Erie Central, the school where he been head coach since 2011.

His status became unsettled when the three schools merged. “ I t w a s ro u g h , o n ly because I wasn’t named the head coach until June 20,” Matz said. “I had a short amount of time with the kids.

You had a lot of proud tradition from the high schools.”

Matz said the biggest resistance was from adults who felt things should be done a certain way. For example, Matz stuck with the single-wing offense. It’s what he’s most familiar with, but outsiders

wanted a spread offense.

Between a first-team, second-team and special teams, Matz estimates he played 50 or more players per game.

“It got to the point where we probably started the year with 80 kids on the roster,” Matz said. “We had our own freshman team. At one point on the field during summer workouts we had 108 kids. We were able to get more guys on special teams, things like that.”

Thebigrostersizewassomething that immediately grabbed Matz’s attention. In his last season at Central he had 40 players on the roster and didn’t have a freshman team.

He built a staff with coaches from the three schools and the weight room was furnished with equipment from all three schools.

With the merger came success. The Royals went 9-3 and won the District 10 championship.

“A lot of people didn’t think we’d be successful,” Matz said. “They said if we went .500 that would be a good start. We knew as coaches being .500, we were not going to be happy.

“Now nobody wants to play us. Teams that beat up the city schools badly in the past, we asked them to schedule us for the new two-year cycle and one school that actually won a state championship recently sent a reply back with a capital NO.” Matz said merging the schools was the right decision and one that should have happened earlier.

“More than anything, when you do this you have to get the right person and the right staff in place,” Matz said. “You need to get people who care about the kids and stick it out. It was absolutely the right decision.”

Contact the writer: sbennett@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2062; @CVSteveBennett on Twitter

COLLINS: Region’s Vikings fans rooting for Super Bowl chance FROM PAGE B1

In the Back Mountain, 29-year-old Colin Weale got hooked on those tight-spinning Warren Moon spirals and has been fascinated by the Vikings ever since. He’ll be watching at home, living and dying with the purple and gold, the team he can’t quit.

“They give you hope every year,” he laments, “right before they tear your heart out.”

And last week, one could find local Vikings fans in Minneapolis, too. In the moment that emboldening them all to hope that years of near misses might have been leading up to something greater, where quarterback Case Keenum launched a prayer with 10 seconds left, and wide receiver Stephon Diggs hauled it in along the right sideline and sprinted for the end zone, scoring the game-winning touchdown as time expired.

“While everybody watching at home was probably yelling, ‘Run out of bounds,’ everyone in the stadium was yelling ‘Run, run, run!’, because we could see the entire field was open in front of him,” said 26-year-old Old Forge resident Matt Paradise, who traveled to the Mini Apple with his father to watch their beloved Vikings take down the Saints from seats along the sideline. “I don’t think anyone even knew how to react. Everyone was

running around the aisles.

People were hugging each other. They couldn’t believe what they just saw. ” There is a curious swarm of life-long Vikings fans around the region, considering they play more than 1,100 miles to the northwest, and few understand why.

Errico guessed some frustrated local New York Giants fans may have switched loyalties as he did when the G-Men traded the wildly popular Tarkenton to the Vikes before the 1972 season. nnn “It broke my heart, the Hail Mary pass when Roger Staubach hit Drew Pearson (in the Dallas Cowboys’ stunning last-second win over the Vikings in the 1975 NFC Divisional Playoff),” Mountain Top resident, native Dunmorean and long-suffering Vikings fan Tom Shermanski said. “It took us that long to reverse that last weekend.

That’s how long it took to take that feeling away for me.”

Shermanski’s voice became more animated as he went on.

One could sense a rant coming. And this is no week to stop a Vikings fan’s rant.

“That game last week took away two things for me: That, and it took away the Bounty Bowl from the Saints,” the emotional Shermanski went on. “Because the Saints in 2009 beat up Brett Favre so bad, they

still show hospital pictures of him. He was so mangled up.

The Bounty Bowl got Sean Payton suspended, and he should have been terminated really. He should have been fired from the league. But instead, he got suspended for a year and so did the GM, and they laughed it off, and they should have taken the Super Bowl away from them because of it. As a Viking fan, it should have been gone.

That’s how I feel about that guy.

“Thank God it was the Saints. That couldn’t have happened to a better team.”

Then, he paused. To collect his thoughts. To feel the weight lifted from his chest. To stretch a monkey-free back.

“You hear the frustration in my voice?” he laughed.

“I’ve waited 42 years for this thing to come down.”

Tonight, even if the Eagles don’t head to their third Super Bowl, plenty of football fans who have fallen in love through more frustrating times than exhilarating ones with the Vikings’ hard-nosed style and perseverance — a state of mind that appeals to many in this area — will experience a state of jubilation that maybe they had once stopped believing could be theirs.

DONNIE COLLINS is a TimesShamrock sports columnist.

Contact him at dcollins@ timesshamrock.com and follow him on Twitter @ DonnieCollinsTT.

WB_VOICE/PAGES [B01] | 11/10/18

22:31 | CONNORSSTE

tHE CItIzEns’ VOICE

Sports SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2018

King’s shuts out Wilkes to win Mayor’s Cup.

Page B6

Holy Redeemer moves on to PIAA volleyball semifinals.

Page B4

PENN STATE FOOTBALL

S TAT E C O L L E G E — Trace McSorley and Penn State went back to a familiar formula Saturday — a steady diet of elusive Miles Sanders.

The resurgent running game put the Nittany Lions offense back on track, and got McSorley a milestone victory, too.

Sanders ran for 159 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, McSorley matched Todd Blackledge’s program record with his 29th win at quarterback and No. 21

Page B10

Offensive line’s play leads to convincing win

McSorley matches mark as Lions top Wisconsin

BY TRAVIS JOHNSON ASSOCiATED PRESS

Jimmy Butler traded to Sixers.

Penn State beat Wisconsin 22-10.

If Sanders had been irritated that his rushing totals had fallen off along with the Nittany Lions’ offensive output lately, he didn’t show it.

He considers himself a patient tailback, and he channeled some pent-up energy into running over the Badgers.

Penn State (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten, No. 20 CFP) racked up 200plus rushing yards in each of the first six games but had ABBy DREy / CENTRE DAiLy TimES averaged just 120 over the Penn State running back Miles Sanders cuts down last three. the field during the game against Wisconsin.

STATE COLLEGE robably have led off a few columns this way over the years, but the truth that drips off of every word makes it worth repeating now and again.

Football is DONNIE a simple COLLINS game.

Commentary It’s not always easy to play, mind you, but once you’re on the field, some truths are self-evident. Move the ball forward

P

when you have it; push it backward when you don’t. Be stronger in the trenches; be faster on the edges. Take care of the football, for if the opponent can’t get the ball, he can’t score.

Most important of all, everything starts up front.

Penn State hasn’t made things look easy for most of the season, and it certainly didn’t make everything look easy Saturday.

However, there should be no mistake about two things: The Nittany Lions’ 22-10 win over Wisconsin is their best of the season, and the offensive line is the biggest reason why.

Please see COLLINS, Page B5

PIAA FIELD HOCKEY

DISTRICT 2 FOOTBALL

FOR THE WIN Overtime field goal sends Dallas to title game

FRANK C. LAURi / CONTRiBUTiNG PHOTOGRAPHER

Valley West’s Karaline Stelma manages the ball during Saturday’s state quarterfinal game.

BY STEVE BENNETT STAFF WRiTER

DALLAS — The kick was certainly high enough. It was definitely long enough.

The only thing left to determine was what would the wind do with the football once it left Ryan Fisher’s foot and whether a second overtime between Dallas and Berwick would be needed.

But with two timeouts taken, Fisher had plenty of time to make the necessary adjustments. And while the wind did take hold of the ball, Fisher had just enough to sneak it through the uprights and give Dallas a 3-0 victory Saturday afternoon at Mountaineer Stadium in a District 2 semifinal.

Spartans advance to semis Stelma’s goal enough for Valley West in state quarterfinal.

BY MATT BUFANO STAFF WRiTER

Please see DALLAS, Page B4

■ Wyoming Area’s first loss ends its season.

■ Delaware Valley tops Hazleton Area for 6A title.

Page B4

DAVE SCHERBENCO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Ryan Fisher kicks the game-winning field goal Saturday as Matt Maransky holds.

SOUTH CENTRE TWP. — One year ago, Valley West field hockey made a statement.

The Spartans cashed in on early scoring chances with three first-half goals in a win against a nationally ranked Selinsgrove team.

Many of the same elements were in play Saturday, including the site, the stakes, and the end result, although it unfolded in a much different way.

Goalkeeper Sydney Rusnock and her defense kept victory within reach for Valley West, which finally got the one and ■ Sem dom- only goal it needed in inant in Class A quarterfinal. the second ■ Wyoming half by Area falls in Karaline overtime.

Stelma in Page B3 a 1-0 win against Bangor in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals at Central Columbia High School.

“It’s very frustrating because you want to kind of make a big statement by scoring in the first half,” Stelma said. “But, we got it done.

That’s all that matters.”

District 2 champion Valley West (16-3-1) advances to play in the semifinals Tuesday against District 3 runner-up Palmyra.

Palmyra (18-5-1) won its quarterfinal game, 2-1 in overtime, against Villa Maria. Villa Maria was the reigning state champion after beating Valley West in the final last season.

Please see SPARTANS, Page B3

WB_VOICE/PAGES [B04] | 11/10/18

23:06 | CONNORSSTE

LOCAL SPORTS

B4 THE CITIZENS' VOICE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2018

Osenkarski leads Royals to state semifinals

BY TONY MALUSO SPORTS EDITOR

QUAKERTOWN — The set hung in the balance. The fate of the match — the season — rested on how the next few points unfolded.

When everything’s on the line and your back’s against the wall, big-time players take matches into their own hands.

Holy Redeemer and New Hope-Solebury each had a set win during Saturday’s PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal at Quakertown High School. The pivotal third set stood 20-18 in New Hope’s favor.

At their most trying time, the Royals got a kill from Skylar Osenkarski.

And another one.

And another one.

And another one.

Four Osenkarski kills swung control to Holy Redeemer’s favor before Sarah Liskowicz slammed set-point down.

Winning the third set didn’t

technically award theof ruts and we had to match to Holy Redeemeliminate that quick er, but it likely deterbecause getting yourmined the course the self in a rut then comrest of the afternoon ing back is the hardest took. The fourth set thing,” she said. “Once was a 25-12 Royal romp OSENKARSKI we figured out how to to close the match, 3-1, eliminate them, then and put Holy Redeemer into the we controlled the game.”

Hicks set up the offense with state semifinals.

Osenkarski totaled 31 kills 57 assists in the match. on the day, but the biggest While the kill numbers were came when her team needed it big — Livia Moore added 15, the most.

Julia Andrejko eight and Lis“She’s not a two-time all- kowicz seven — Holy Redeemstater for nothing,” Holy er’s defensive play at the net Redeemer coach John Kablick played a crucial roll in the said. “I think (setter Korren team advancing.

“Wewatchedalittlebitof film Hicks) knows where she is when they game’s super tight. onthemcomingintothegameso We have five hitters on this wewerealittleprepared,”Moore team and anybody can hit said. “We knew (Gwen Vogelfrom anywhere, but Skylar sang and Katie Costello), they’re came up big. She’s been big for tremendoushitters,butweknew if we got up there and were solid the last four years.”

Osenkarski said the key was inourblockingthenitwouldjust simply for the Royals to fix go down. We got a lot of points off that.” their issues.

“We got ourselves into a lot While Vogelsang (15 kills)

VOLLEYBALL and Costello (11 kills) did their fair share of damage, the Royal blockers stood tall getting many points directly off the block.

Osenkarski had nine blocks, Moore had six and Liskowicz and Andrejko each had a pair.

“We practiced really hard and knew coming in their two main hitters were outside,” Osenkarski said. “So, we practiced blocking outside and always knew where their main hitters were.”

“We work very, very hard on blocking,” Klabick said. “We put so much time into blocking and back row defense, digging, and it pays off.”

The day’s opening set was one of runs. An initial 8-2 Royal lead turned into a 13-9 Lion advantage.

The final tide turned in Holy Redeemer’s favor as it took the set 25-18.

The second set was more even, tied at eight spots before New Hope surged at the end for a 25-23 win.

With the match even, the play echoed the scoreboard.

Little separation was had either way in the third set. A kill and an ace from Costello put New Hope up 20-18.

Then Osenkarski took over.

After the Royals got ahead in the match, they didn’t let up.

They opened the fourth set up 9-3. Although New Hope got back within two, a 15-4 Holy Redeemer’s run, including Moore serving the final eight points, closed out the day.

“One thing we don’t do that other teams do is, when they’re down they start to deteriorate and lose their energy,” Moore said. “A phrase we focus on is, ‘Focus on the next point.’ We were taking it a point at a time and I think that got their mentality down.”

Holy Redeemer improves to

23-1, while New Hope closes its season at 21-2.

“I thought it was going to be a tough one,” Klabick said. This team I believe only lost one match the entire season. We knew they had the two big outside hitters who are really good, good setters, back row was solid. We just kept grinding. And, we were hitting from everywhere. We knew they were going to come outside 80 percent of the time, but we were attacking from everywhere and that makes a difference.”

Holy Redeemer plays District 3 champion Delone Catholic in Tuesday’s semifinal at a site to be announced.

“We made it this far, we practiced our butts off,” Osenkarski said. “We did everything to make it this far. I’m really excited for this.”

HOLY REDEEMER 25 23 25 25 — 3 NEW HOPE-SOLESBURY 18 25 22 12 — 1

Contact the writer: amaluso@citizensvoice.com

Warriors fall to Lakeland The loss was Wyoming Area’s first of the season.

BY STEVE BENNETT STAFF WRITER

DAVE SCHERBENCO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Dallas’ Matt Maransky dives in to block Jarret Groshek’s field goal attempt.

DALLAS: Shuts out Dawgs FROM PAGE B1

The win sends Dallas (11-1) to next week’s Class 4A district championship game against No. 1 seed Valley View. The Cougars earned the right to play for a title with a victory over West Scranton.

It will be the second meeting between the two teams this year after Valley View won at Dallas during the regular season. Berwick ends the year 9-3.

Berwick coach Frank Sheptock called a timeout prior to Fisher’s kick to ice him. Dallas coach Rich Mannello called a timeout to make a personnel change up front on the line of scrimmage.

“Just going through my mind, it gave me more time to think about the wind and how I was going to kick into the wind,” Fisher said. “It was a nerve-wracking kick. Keeping my composure was the biggest part of the kick. The kick went up and the wind just killed it by the uprights and it drifted right.”

While battling the wind was difficult enough for both teams, Dallas played the game with a new starting quarterback. With both starter Michael Starbuck and backup RJ Wren out with injuries, the Mountaineers turned to junior Michael Lukasavage, who did not attempt a pass or carry the ball at all this season.

“I found out Sunday,” Lukasavage said of when he was informed he would be starting. “I worked hard all offseason and made sure when I had the opportunity I went and took it. We are able to handle adversity so fast and so well.

Knowing our starting quarterback and backup went down, it made me who I am today. I know I have a great team around me and that let me go out and play ball.”

With scoring opportunities at a premium, field position was going to be key and special teams was going to be a factor.

Matt Maransky blocked a 38-yard field goal attempt by Berwick as the first half expired, and he blocked another when the Dawgs attempted a 25-yarder after getting the ball first in overtime.

“Actually it was our scout team look that enabled me to block that kick (in overtime) and the first kick,” Maransky said. “We were just able to get around the edge. They are a great team and do things well. I just got lucky. We knew it was going to be a low-scoring game with low yardage.”

WEST PITTSTON — Lakeland fooled Wyoming Area once, and it helped set up a quick touchdown. Lakeland fooled the Warriors twice, and it led to the game-winner.

Lakeland went to its bag of tricks early on its first possession and called for a fleaflicker on its first offensive play of the game. The Chiefs used it again on its next to last possession of the game and it was enough for Lakeland quarterback CJ Dippre to score from 1 yard out as the Chiefs defeated Wyoming Area, 21-14, Saturday night at Wyoming Area in the Class 3A district semifinals.

The win sends the Chiefs to next week’s championship game, where they will play defending champ Scranton Prep. Wyoming Area’s only loss of the year ended its season, as the Warriors finished 11-1.

“They think we are going to run the clock out at the end,” Lakeland coach Jeff Wasilchak said. “I said that nobody thinks you would run a flea-flicker twice in one game. I figured take a shot.

The kids executed it.”

Lakeland’s final possession began at its own 49-yard line following a Wyoming Area punt. Dippre hit Thomas Pidgeon on the flea-flicker for a 45-yard gain. After a screen pass picked up 3 yards, the Warriors were called for a defensive pass interference in the end zone and an unsportsmanlike penalty that moved the ball to the 1-yard line.

On the ensuing snap, Dippre called his own number and bulled his way into the end zone to put the Chiefs ahead for good with :6.9 remaining in the game.

“It’s a situation where you can’t let anybody behind you whether it is a special play or a regular snap,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said of Lakeland’s trick play.

“It was something we talked

Dallas had a touchdown taken off the board in the second quarter when Lukasavage connected with Luke DelGaudio on an 8-yard pass, but it was negated due to a holding penalty.

“That drive into the wind, it’s tough to have a touchdown taken off the board,” Mannello said. “The kids overcame that.

That was our best drive of the day, and it was into the wind. It was just a tremendous effort all day by the kids. I am so happy for them.”

Berwick finished with 203 yards of total offense with 183 coming on the ground. Defensively, the Dawgs gave up 81 yards rushing, while Lukasavage threw for 93.

“Obviously, it was a defensive kind of day,” Sheptock said. “As the game wore on, we were thinking about an overtime situation. We had a couple of shots but we just didn’t execute. We had a chance to make some big plays but it just didn’t work out.”

Dallas won the toss in overtime and went on defense first.

Berwick began the series with a delay of game penalty moving the ball back to the 15.

After two incomplete pass attempts, Teagan Wilk rushed for seven yards. Maransky came around the edge and block the field goal attempt meaning Dallas just needed a field go to win.

Lenny Kelley carried the ball three consecutive times for Dallas gaining 3 yards setting up Fisher’s game-winner.

His field goal against Berwick in the regular season proved to be the difference in Dallas’ three-point win at Crispin Field.

“At the end of the fourth quarter, I knew it was going to come down to some little point,” Fisher said. “We are

BY STEVE STALLONE both two great teams going at STAFF WRITER each other. I knew it would MILFORD — For the seccome down to the small ond year in a row, Hazleton points.”

Area came here in Week 12 Berwick 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 Dallas 0 0 0 0 3 — 3 looking to bring home a Overtime championship trophy.

Dal - Fisher 24 field goal For the second straight Team statistics Ber Dal season, Delaware Valley sent First Downs ................................................. 10 9 Rushing-Att-Yards...............................48-183 36-81 the Cougars home to the offComp-Att-Int .......................................... 2-9-1 5-19-0 Passing Yards ............................................. 20 109 season without it.

Total Yards................................................. 203 190 The defending champion Fumbles-Lost .............................................4-1 1-0 Penalties-Yards .......................................3-30 2-15 and top-seeded Warriors Individual statistics pounded the Cougars with Rushing: Ber – O.Shoemaker 22-85; R.Laubach 17-56; A.Sharkuski 5-25; T.Wilk 3-18; B. their methodical run game, Maurer 1-(-1). Dal – L.Kelley 32-73; M.Lukasavmixed in several big plays age 2-6; D.Meuser 2-2; Team - 0-0.

Passing: Ber – R.Laubach 2-9-1, 20. Dal – from the arm and legs of M.Lukasavage 4-17-0, 93; L.Kelley 1-2-0, 16.

Receiving: Ber – O.Shoemaker 1-12; T.Wilk junior quarterback Zach 1-8. Dal – L.DelGaudio 2-25; D.Meuser 2-47; Scillia, and pulled away to a M.Maransky 1-37.

35-14 victory Saturday afterContact the writer: noon. sbennett@citizensvoice.com; 570 821-2062; Delaware Valley (9-3) is @CVSteveBennett on Twitter now headed back to the PIAA

CHRISTOPHER DOLAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Wyoming Area quarterback Dominic DeLuca gets past Lakeland’s Billy Good and into the end zone for a touchdown during Saturday night’s Class 3A semifinal. The Chiefs won, 21-14.

HS FOOTBALL about going back on the field.

(Pidgeon) made a play on the ball.”

The same combination on the flea-flicker in the first quarter helped the Chiefs take a quick 7-0 lead. After Lakeland recovered a Wyoming Area fumble, Dippre and Pidgeon connected on a 40-yard pass play down to the Wyoming Area 5-yard line.

On the next snap, Giovanni Spataro scored to give the Chiefs the quick lead 37 seconds into the game.

Faced with a fourth-andfour from their own 46, Wyoming Area called for a fake punt, but Dom DeLuca’s pass fell incomplete. Lakeland went to work quickly, and Dippre hit Colin Walsh on a 46-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0.

But the Warriors responded.

DeLuca scored from the 9-yard line near the end of the first half to cut the Lakeland lead in half. He then added an 18-yard touchdown run near the end of the third quarter to even the score. But the Warriors could not find their offensive rhythm in the fourth quarter, and the Chiefs capitalized on the big play to move on to next week’s title game.

“We certainly didn’t play our best football early,” Spencer said. “The response was there and we put ourselves in position. There were some key things in those situations. A few penalties took us from a short field to where we were backed up. Lakeland did a great job tonight. We were right there, just hoping to have a different finish.”

Lakeland 7 7 0 7 — 21 Wyoming Area 0 7 7 0 — 14 First quarter LAK - Spataro 5 run (Good kick), 11:23 Second quarter LAK - Walsh 46 pass from Dippre (Good kick), 5:29 WA- DeLuca 9 run (Kranson kick), :38.5 Third quarter WA - DeLuca 18 run (Kranson kick), :41.0 Fourth quarter LAK - Dippre 1 run (Good kick), :6.9 Team statistics LAK WA First Downs ...................................... 12 14 Rushing-Att-Yards....................35-115 36-91 Comp-Att-Int ............................. 7-11-0 8-14-0 Passing Yards ................................ 167 92 Total Yards...................................... 282 183 Fumbles-Lost ..................................1-0 4-2 Penalties-Yards ........................11-113 10-89 Individual statistics Rushing: LAK – G.Spataro 20-86, 1 TD; J.Kovaleski 5-25; T.Pidgeon 2-10; C. Dippre 8-(-6), 1 TD. WA – D.DeLuca 22-76, 2 TDs; L.Haros 8-13; N.Elko 3-12; Z.Williamson 1-9; B.Williams 1-(-7); Team - 1-(-12).

Passing: LAK – C.Dippre 7-11-0, 167, 1 TD. WA – D.DeLuca 8-14-0, 92.

Receiving: LAK – T.Pidgeon 3-85; G. Spataro 3-36; C.Walsh 1-46, 1 TD. WA – B.Williams 3-68; L.Haros 2-11; D.DeLuca 1-(-1); D.Ambrosino 1-17; C.Carr 1-(-3).

Contact the writer: sbennett@citizensvoice.com; 570 821-2062; @CVSteveBennett on Twitter

Delaware Valley wins another title Class 6A Tournament after claiming its second straight District 2-4 Subregional final over the second-seeded Cougars (6-6). The Warriors face State College next weekend.

The win was the Warriors’ seventh in a row this season — and 11th straight against Hazleton Area dating back to 2010, following the last of the Cougars’ five District 2 championships.

DV head coach Keith Olsommer dismissed the notion that his team has some sort of mastery over the Cougars.

“I don’t know if it’s anything like that. It’s a big game, our kids know it’s a big game, and the kids have risen to the occasion and

played well against them,” Olsommer said.

“It’s nice that your kids can step up. Sometimes they don’t, but our kids did today.”

That wasn’t the case for the Cougars, who saw their own four-game win streak and title dreams come to a sudden halt in the bitter cold of Milford for a second straight season.

“We got the ball in the red zone twice and came away with no points,” said Hazleton Area head coach Mike Brennan. “We didn’t play our best game, and clearly we didn’t deserve to win the game.”

Contact the writer: sstallone@standardspeaker. com; 570-501-3596; @sstallone5 on Twitter

Hazleton Area Delaware Valley

7 7

0 14

7 7

0 — 14 7 — 35

First quarter DV - Walters 41 pass from Scillia (Sorrell kick).

7:27 HAZ - Horton 13 run (Garcia kick). 2:04 Second quarter DV - Scillia 5 run (Sorrell kick). 11:15 DV - Balcarcel 3 run (Sorrell kick). :03 Third quarter DV - Balcarcel 13 run (Sorrell kick). 7:26 HAZ - Smith 14 pass from Wolk (Garcia kick).

5:38 Fourth quarter DV - Scillia 4 run (Sorrell kick). 4:57 Team statistics Haz DV First Downs ................................................. 10 18 Rushing-Att-Yards...............................28-194 45-284 Comp-Att-Int ........................................ 9-15-1 10-15-1 Passing Yards ............................................. 72 159 Total Yards................................................. 266 443 Punts-Average......................................2-30.0 2-34.0 Fumbles-Lost .............................................1-0 0-0 Penalties-Yards .......................................2-20 8-60 Individual statistics Rushing: Haz – D.Horton 17-144, 1 TD; S. Wolk 8-38; D.Solomon 2-6; L.Johnson 1-6. DV – J.Balcarcel 23-181, 2 TDs; Z.Scillia 9-42, 2 TDs; J.Henderson 5-28; S.Croll 2-19; P.Machado 4-11; J.Foushee 1-4; Team - 1-(-1).

Passing: Haz – S.Wolk 9-15-1, 72, 1 TD. DV – Z.Scillia 10-14-1, 159, 1 TD; Team - 1-0.

Receiving: Haz – D.Smith 5-35, 1 TD; J. Hunsinger 2-31; D.Horton 1-3; E.Matyas 1-3. DV – J.Foushee 5-47; H.Klein 2-48; C.Walters 1-41, 1 TD; J.Balcarcel 1-17; M.Studsrud 1-6.