HONESDALE — East Stroudsburg North came into the season with a lot of optimism. It was the second season under head coach Dave Laughlin; Wayne King was arguably the best quarterback on the mountain; and a number of new and returning players were going to help North take a step in the right direction.
Some of those things came true, with players like King and Zach Deresky-Martinez providing a much-needed punch to the offense and, in the latter's case, to the defense as well. Unfortunately, it was more negatives than positives as the Timberwolves drop the season opener to Honesdale 33-16.
"We got some things to clean up," head coach Dave Laughlin said after the game. "We got to understand our scheme better. We got to take better steps."
The more glaring issues are on the defensive side of the ball, where the defensive line struggled to get any push, and the defense as a whole struggled to tackle, most noticeably when Honesdale's Mason Avery shed several North defenders en route to a 70-yard touchdown run.
"This game came down to tackling, and we didn't do a great job of it," Laughlin said. "Our defensive line kept getting upfield as well. We can't get upfield like that. We're hitting our gaps. but we have to be in good space.
"The best part about it is they are things that are easy to correct."
High school football in the Poconos: Coverage for the 2024 football season
North was down 12-0 early after a botched onside kick to start the game gave Honesdale favorable field position, followed by another score after a long drive. The Timberwolves made it close after Deresky-Martinez scored a touchdown and King ran in the 2-point conversion. But after another score late in the first half, the Hornets grew the lead to 20-8 and it was never close again.
Offensively, there was a lot to like about North. Both King and Deresky-Martinez made plays, as did running back Brandon Roca. The issue came with the offensive line, where the right side had three veterans, and the left guard and left tackle were "brand new" as Laughlin put it.
Miscues often led to King being forced to scramble or the play being blown up altogether.
"We got to points in the game where we lost focus," Laughlin said. "And that's where we gotta instill the idea of knowing when and where to step."
Growing pains aside, this was the second-highest scoring game in the Dave Laughlin era, and although the score may not indicate it, Timberwolves football is still moving in an overall upward trend. Now that the staff have tangible evidence of this year's group, they can adjust and prepare for another 4A opponent in Wallenpaupack.
Week 1 Pocono scores
East Stroudsburg South 33, Abington Heights 14
Coach Matt Walters said that the Cavaliers would return to moving the ball through the air, and they did exactly that as quarterback Ivan Laubach threw for 212 yards, and wide receiver Xazvier Pusateri had eight catches for 152 yards and a touchdown. Pusateri also returned an interception for a touchdown.
Running back Charles Capers started the season with a bang as he ran for 90 yards and three touchdowns.
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Dieruff 46, Pocono Mountain East 21
A tough outing in Dustin Thomas' first game as head coach as the Huskies doubled the Cardinals' score with room to spare. But the silver lining is that East's 21 points is more than any game in 2023. So the offense is trending in the right direction, while the defense now has tape to identify areas for improvement.
Governor Mifflin 35, Pleasant Valley 0
The Bears' youth movement got underway against the opponent they defeated in the Eastern Conference championship. But there was no comeback to speak of this time as the Mustangs shut out Pleasant Valley. In Week 2, the Bears will travel to the Lehigh Valley to take on Dieruff.
Stroudsburg 30, Wallenpaupack 10
The Mounties were playing down the street from North and Honesdale, and their offense did not disappoint as Jim Miller and Co. put together another high-scoring outing. Home fans will be able to see it in action next week as they have their home opener against Wilkes-Barre.
Scranton 14, Pocono Mountain West 7
It was going to take time as the Panthers were replacing a number of starters on offense and defense, but Jim McCarroll's squad battled from start to finish. It's also the first season with new starting quarterback Jerel Sims, so progress at this point is just as valuable as production. West will be home again on Thursday against Belmont Charter.
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Week 1 District 11 football scores
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Growing pains for East Stroudsburg North football in season opener
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