Last weekend, a state football title came home to Greater Pittston in dramatic style.
I know the title goes to Wyoming Area but I believe all people in Greater Pittston are happy. There are a lot of crossover families between the two school districts.
The DeLuca family is a perfect example where starting WA QB Dominick DeLuca’s dad Carl was a three-year starting QB for Pittston Area.
Not many newspaper photographers get the chance to cover a PIAA state final football game; in fact, it could be once in a lifetime thing. I was fortunate to shoot not only the Wyoming Area/Central Valley 3A title game at Hersheypark Stadium, but I covered the Dallas/Thomas Jefferson 4A championship game two days earlier.
Dallas did not fair as well as Wyoming Area, but faced a very tough team from south of Pittsburgh.
Photographing a losing team in such a meaningful game was gut-wrenching. The last thing a player or coach wants to see is someone taking a photo after a big loss. I’ve known Bonny Mannello, wife of Rich Mannello, the Dallas head coach, for over 30 years, so I really felt their loss.
The WA game was totally different from the Dallas game for a few reasons. WA’s game was at noon while Dallas had a 7 p.m. start. It was extremely cold and windy Thursday night for the Dallas game while the sun blared brightly for the WA game on Saturday.
With a slight breeze and a bright sun shining, it was a few degrees warmer than two days earlier, making the weather more bearable for the WA game.
As a graduate of WA, I knew I had to do a job and keep my emotions in check. I had to focus and concentrate at all times because it was easy to go from photographer to fan and alum.
During the game, I thought of all the former football players and coaches who were a part of the previous 52 years of Warrior football. In a way, I felt the 2019 team members were playing for all of them as well as for themselves.
Great coaches such as Jack Henzes, the second all-time leader in victories in PA; Tom Vaxmonsky, a district title winning coach; and Paul Marranca, an Eastern Conference champion coach, have led the Warriors but never got to the big dance at Hersheypark Stadium.
State title games only go back to 1988 so neither Coach Henzes or Coach Vaxmonsky would have had the chance to play for a state title with the Warriors, but Henzes did win a state title with the Dunmore Bucks in 1989.
Current WA coach Randy Spencer, a former player at the school, assistant coach and finally head coach, did what seemingly is impossible – he took the Warriors to the title game – and won.
I got to be in the locker room prior to the start of the game to snap photos. I was really surprised to see how calm everyone was, as if it was just a routine game. Sure, everyone had their game face on, that was to be expected, but there was no pacing, no upset stomachs, nobody squirming like worms. Just calmness.
Eventually, someone blasted music after Coach Spencer went over last-minute directions and the team started to get into the moment. That’s when I knew it was game on.
From the standpoint of a photographer, there wasn’t much to shoot for the first three quarters, but man, the last quarter had me busy.
Down two touchdowns, the Warriors were in a bit of a hole but this team had been there before so nobody seemed to be worried. The composure of these young players was extraordinary. Then again, most of these players have played together for at least a decade from junior football through high school.
When WA removed the two touchdown deficit to tie the game and eventually go ahead with just a few minutes left on the clock, a lot of fans could breathe a bit easier. But the game was not over and there was still enough time for Central Valley to mount a strike. That, however, didn’t happen.
The football Gods were on the side of Wyoming Area that day and the team brought home the hardware.
Many tears were shed after the game, including mine. I was happy and proud for my alma mater but, truth be known, if Pittston Area won the title, I would have gotten emotional. My philosophy has always been, Greater Pittston first and foremost. I’ve rooted for Pittston Area many, many times over the years.
Here’s an interesting fact — it was Team WA covering states. Times Leader’s sports writer John Erzar covered both Dallas and Wyoming Area games, journalist Kevin Carroll covered the WA’s homecoming parade and post-title game rally. Thursday evening, local sports writer Matt Bufano covered the Dallas game for another newspaper. Erzar, Carroll and Bufano are all WA graduates.
Last, but not least, Wyoming Area grad and Sunday Dispatch Editor Dotty Martin anxiously waited back home for my photos from Hersheypark Stadium for last Sunday’s edition, including the cover shot.
It may be a long time before a local team gets to states again but, in the meantime, many area residents will be talking about the sunny day in December 2019 when WA came from behind to win the school’s only state championship game.
Quote of the week
“Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness.” – Steve Maraboli
Thought of the week
“Fortune sides with him who dares.” – Virgil
Bumper sticker
“Eighty percent of success is showing up.” – Woody Allen
