Pittston Area junior running back Jude Ferentino lunges towards the goal line scoring the second Patriot touchdown for the night against Mid Valley Friday night.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area senior Aldan Brody (26) wraps up Mid Valley’s freshman Nicholas Hricenak at the line of scrimmage Friday night at Charley Trippi Stadium.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
The Patriots’ Lucas LoPresto scores on a 20-yard reception during first quarter action against Mid Valley.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area’s Brody Spindler (0) and Victor Narsavage (14) apply pressure to Mid Valley quaterback Brett Yanoski.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
YATESVILLE — In a dominant performance by Pittston Area, 2007 graduate Paul Russick earned his first win in his debut as the head football coach of his alma mater.
“Obviously, it’s a dream come true to come home,” Russick said following his squad’s 46-9 dismantling of visiting Mid Valley on Friday night.
The result represented a 69-point swing from Opening Night a year ago when the Patriots lost 32-0 at Mid Valley.
Pittston Area set the tone early by scoring on its first possession, which came after a blocked punt deep in Mid Valley territory. It was Lucas Lopresto, one of the Wyoming Valley Conference’s top returning players, who spun his way into the end zone on a 20-yard pass from Paulie Ferentino to give his team a 7-0 lead.
From there, Pittston Area’s offense was a runaway train.
Special teams continued to contribute when Lopresto scored his second touchdown on an 89-yard kickoff return for a 19-3 lead in the seonc quarter.
“He’s dynamic,” Russick said. “Who would kick him the ball? I have no idea. (Mid Valley) did it.”
Running back Jude Ferentino had two touchdowns of his own, runs of 9 yards in the second quarter and 1 yard in the third. Sandwiched between Ferentino’s first score and Lopresto’s return touchdown was a field goal from Mid Valley’s Cole Baldwin for the Spartans’ only points of the first half.
Despite a solid yardage output from Mid Valley quarterback Brett Yanoski, the visitors’ passing attack struggled to string together more than two positive plays in a row. The Pittston Area defense stifled Mid Valley’s offensive attack through the air and on the ground.
“We knew that (Yanoski) was a really good quarterback, and we knew that he’d be able to make checks to put us in pretty bad spots,” Russick said. “We just trusted our kids.”
Even the lone touchdown play for Mid Valley — a 36-yard pass from Yanoski to Nick Hricenak in the third quarter — was followed by an incomplete pass on a failed two point conversion attempt.
Lopresto and Jude Ferentino were joined in the scoring by senior wideout Stephen Barnic, who caught a pair of touchdowns from Paulie Ferentino, and backup quarterback Santino Capitano, whose 10-yard rushing score in the game’s final frame cemented the blowout.
Paulie Ferentino and Barnic made it 26-3 at halftime on a 6-yard connection with 22 seconds left in the second quarter.
Russick pointed to Barnic as an example of his team’s experience, a trait that may come in handy as the campaign continues. Pittston Area features 21 seniors on its roster.
“From our standpoint, the kids responded extremely well,” Russick said. “I’m really proud of where they’re at.”
The second Ferentino-to-Barnic touchdown covered 32 yards 1:05 into the fourth quarter to make it 39-9.
BY THE NUMBERS
Jude Ferentino carried 15 times for 114 yards to lead the Patriots offense. … Stephen Barnic had three catches for 36 yards … Pittston Area led 12-8 in first downs and 242-69 in rushing yards while Mid Valley led 203-62 in passing yards. … Paulie Ferentino needed just seven attempts to produce three touchdown passes. He completed five for 62 yards.
UP NEXT
Two of the three teams that produced the highest victory margins in District 2 Friday night will meet when North Pocono visits Charley Trippi Stadium Friday night. North Pocono pounded Nanticoke 56-0 in its opener. The Trojans, coached by Wyoming Area graduate Greg Dolhon, outgained Nanticoke 377-27. Joe Briskie carried eight times for 95 yards to lead a ground game that averaged eight yards per carry and North Pocono hit its only two passes.
