Wyoming Area head football coach Randy Spencer speaks to his team for the last time of the season when the Warriors were defeated by Scranton Prep Friday night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Rocco Pisano (3) catches a Blaise Sokach-Minnick (15) pass Friday night against Scranton Prep.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Usamah Alansari (14) breaks a tackle for a 14-yard reception gain for Wyoming Area.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area senior Rocco Pisano (3) look for a gap for extra yardage against the Cavaliers of Scranton Prep.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Warriors Joe Marranca (36) and Blaise Sokach-Minnick (15) swarm in on Scranton Prep’s Sean Monahan (9) for a 10-yard loss in D2 final at Scranton Stadium Friday night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
SCRANTON — Wyoming Area made London Montgomery work harder for his yards than any opponent this season.
Scranton Prep’s defense took things a step further, holding the Warriors scoreless for the first time since their 2019 mid-season meeting of eventual state champions with Southern Columbia.
The Cavaliers forced four turnovers, including one that Robert Rossi returned 42 yards for the last Scranton Prep score in a 28-0 victory in the District 2 Class 3A championship game at Scranton Memorial Stadium.
“Physically, their defense certainly up front initially, and then they made plays on the back end when we took our shots down the field,” Warriors coach Randy Spencer said of the difference in the game.
Scranton Prep, which did not have a shutout until last week’s district semifinal against Mid Valley, held Wyoming Area without a first down until 3:30 left in the second quarter.
The Cavaliers allowed the Warriors to take one snap in Scranton Prep territory until the final Wyoming Area drive in the fourth quarter.
Scranton Prep came up with one last stop to preserve the shutout when its pass rush forced an incompletion on fourth-and-two with 7:40 left.
Offensive standouts Rossi and Montgomery joined Robert Maguire with interceptions and the Cavaliers also used a jarring hit to force a fumble.
Rossi’s touchdown on the interception return gave Scranton Prep its 28-0 lead just two plays into the second half. He had also scored by taking a screen pass from Laflin resident Sean Monahan 37 yards for a touchdown and 21-0 advantage with 7:38 left in the half.
Monahan ran 33 yards for the game’s first touchdown and Montgomery added an 18-yarder on the first play of the second quarter.
Montgomery finished with 193 yards on 32 carries for his lowest per-carry average of the season. The junior, who is a two-event state medalist as a track sprinter, already has scholarship offers from Arizona State, the University of Connecticut and Old Dominion University.
The game matched two teams ranked in the top 10 in the state in Class 3A.
Scranton Prep entered the game ranked third, according to PennLive.com, and Wyoming Area joined the rankings during the week in the 10th place.
The Warriors, two years removed from their Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state championship, finished 10-2.
“A lot of our guys are looking forward to hopefully going on and continuing their athletic and academic careers at the next level,” Spencer said. “We also have a great group of developing young guys who will return next year.
“We’re proud of our team and very proud of where this program is at.”
