MOSCOW — Pittston Area took some big leaps between Week One’s 32-0 loss and Friday night. But the Patriots couldn’t make up enough ground to break into the win column.
North Pocono freshman running back Joe Briskie ran for 167 yards and a touchdown, and the North Pocono defense did just enough bending without breaking to defeat the Patriots 23-13 at North Pocono Stadium.
Though Briskie’s 29-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave the Trojans some breathing room, he made arguably a bigger impact on his final drive. The freshman converted multiple first downs and kept the clock running as North Pocono bled eight minutes off the clock and effectively shut down any Pittston Area chance to respond.
We really believe we in our offensive line, we’ve got a ton of great backs,” North Pocono coach Greg Dolhon said. “Joe was the hot guy today.”
Briskie’s touchdown run late in the third quarter gave the Trojans a 20-6 lead, but Pittston Area was far from finished.
Quarterback Matt Walter made two defenders miss on a fourth-down attempt, finally setting his feet and firing a strike to Lucas Lopresto in the back of the end zone to make it 20-13.
There were multiple times after North Pocono got the ball back where it looked like the Patriots had the Trojans stopped. But the Trojans converted one fourth down and several third-and-short situations, primarily with Briskie toting the ball and doing the dirty work.
North Pocono got the ball back with 9:12 to play. By the time Sam Magnotta drilled a 20-yard field goal to make it a 23-13 lead, there was just one minute left — no time for the Patriots to recover.
After getting shut out in the season opener, Pittston Area hit the halftime break on Friday night still searching for its first points of the year. But the Patriots defense held their ground time and again to keep North Pocono within reach, leading just 6-0 at the half.
“Last week, it was about fundamentals … we went back to work and honed in,” Pittston Area head coach Joe Delucca said. “If we continue to clean things up, we’re going to be alright.”
Pittston Area running back C.J. Pietrzak busted a 55-yard run to the end zone early in the third quarter to tie the game 6-6, with a blocked extra point preventing the Patriots from taking their first lead of the year.
Pietrzak finished with 109 yards rushing on 13 carries. Walter ran for 91 yards and threw for 67.
“(Pittston Area) came here wanting to pound us and they did, and they beat us up pretty good,” Dolhon said. “We survived, and I’m really proud of our kids … it’s a good test for us.”
North Pocono took the lead for good on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Chase Zimmerman to Cole West, and after the defense recovered a fumble in Patriots territory, Briskie found a hole and ripped through it for another Trojans touchdown, making the lead too much for Pittston Area to overcome.
In addition to that fumble, Pittston Area also turned the ball over twice on downs in North Pocono territory, and lost another good drive on an end-zone interception from Zimmerman in the first half.
BY THE NUMBERS
The teams were nearly even statistically. Pittston Area led in first downs 12-11, but North Pocono gained more yards with a 221-201 edge in rushing, 72-67 in passing and 293-268 total. … Pittston Area’s Lucas Lopresto caught seven passes for 55 yards, including his 10-yard touchdown.
UP NEXT
A pair of 0-2 teams meet Friday night when Pittston Area plays its home opener at Charley Trippi Stadium against Nanticoke. The Trojans have struggled offensively, scoring only on a kickoff return and being outscored 72-6 in their two games.
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