Warriors shut out Patriots for seventh straight win

YATESVILLE — Wyoming Area will head into the District 2 football postseason on a pair of impressive streaks.

The Warriors defeated Pittston Area 28-0 at Charley Trippi Stadium Friday night to run their winning streak to seven games.

With Jacob Morgan, Kevin Wiedl and Damian Lefkoski leading the way, Wyoming Area ended the regular season on a streak of 124:29 — more than 10 quarters — without allowing a score.

“We knew they were more balanced this year,” said Wiedl, who intercepted a pass, forced a fumble and was second on the team with five tackles. “We were ready for the run and we tried to shut down (Lucas) Lopresto the best we could. Our cornerbacks held him without a catch.

“When you play a great game like that, on the run defense and the pass defense, it’s going to be a shutout. We knew we had to be successful on both ends.”

The Warriors limited the Patriots to 81 rushing yards — 2.7 per carry — and just four completions on 20 attempts.

Morgan made a team-high 11 tackles, including one for a loss, and assisted on three more. The cornerbacks, Lefkoski and Gage Speece, each came up with one of the team’s three interceptions.

Lefkoski’s interception, in the end zone, with 4:37 left in the half protected a 7-0 lead.

Lidge Kellum made sure the offense provided some of its usual fireworks.

Kellum received the Carmelo Falcone Award as the game’s Most Valuable Player by carrying 21 times for 268 yards and three touchdowns.

But a unit that had reached 50 points in four of the previous six games, also had three turnovers, reducing the impact of its 409 yards.

Kellum fumbled three times in the first quarter and the Patriots recovered two of them.

The first of Kellum’s six runs of at least 20 yards was also the first turnover, less than two minutes into the game when Lopresto forced a fumble that Victor Narcavage recovered.

Three plays into the second possession Kellum took a pitch to the right and followed Max Getzie’s block to turn the corner on his way to a 71-yard touchdown. Nick Ciampi added the first of three extra points for a 7-0 lead with 5:29 left in the first quarter.

Kellum lost another fumble at the end of a 32-yard run, with Narcavage knocking it free and Brody Spindler recovering, on the last play of the first quarter.

Pittston Area held the ball for 7:23 to start the second quarter and Trustin Johnson, who rotates in to spell Kellum on occasion, took the seven tailback carries for the Warriors in the quarter.

“I took it as a moment to rebuild and think about what I had been doing wrong and to trust myself to do better,” Kellum said. “Trustin stepped up so I was not worried about getting back into the game too fast. I was just worried about getting back into the right mental state.”

Quarterback Matt Walter converted on fourth-and-two and third-and-one in Pittston Area’s most effective drive.

The Patriots moved inside the Warriors 40 for the only time in the game. On third-and-nine from the 14, linebacker Matt Rutkowski rushed Walter into the pass that Lefkoski picked off in the end zone.

Johnson had a 36-yard run to help move Wyoming Area from its 5 into Pittston Area territory but the half ended with the score still at 7-0.

The Warriors quickly took charge in the second half.

Wiedl stepped in front of a pass on the third play of the third quarter.

“I was reading the flow of the play,” Wiedl said. “As soon as I saw him rolling out to that side, I was watching his eyes. Once I saw the release, I just made a break on the ball.

“You have to go make a play.”

Kellum made sure that play did not go to waste.

Starting in Pittston Area territory, he ran 22 yards on the first play and 20 yards for the touchdown three plays later. The first run was around end, the second featured two complete 360-degree spins and another cut while running on the inside.

The Warriors scored again on the next possession on one of the longest drives of the season for a team that has often scored quickly while racking up a District 2-leading 420 points in 10 games.

Overcoming a 15-yard penalty, the Warriors moved 80 yards in 10 plays and more than five minutes.

Kellum had a 27-yard run in the drive, but it was the passing of Anthony DeLucca that did much of the damage. DeLucca was 5-for-5 for 58 yards, hitting Luke Kopetchny and Wiedl twice each before faking into the line and hitting Michael Crane for an 8-yard touchdown.

The Warriors carried the 20-0 lead into the fourth quarter.

Pittston Area came up with two stops, but could not get to midfield.

Wyoming Area then added a seven-play, 57-yard drive hat took 4:50 off the clock and resulted in a 24-yard Kellum touchdown with 1:27 left. Kellum carried five times for 51 yards on the drive.

DeLucca passed to Wiedl for the two-pointer.