NANTICOKE – Pittston Area prepared for the near and long-term future Friday night.
The Patriots tuned up for the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 season and worked in many of their youngest players on the way to a 48-13 romp over host Nanticoke.
Freshman Kayden Bailey rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries to lead Pittston Area. The Patriots have a 2-1 record as they head into a five-week stretch in which they will face all their divisional opponents.
“We put some guys in positions they haven’t been in this season,” first-year Patriots coach Paul Russick said. “We’re trying to build depth.
“Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 is tough. In my experience, teams that are deeper in kids who can play seem to do better.”
Russick has the program’s entire freshman class with the varsity and junior varsity squad and showed why Friday. He is ready to use several of those players in key spots and get the others experience in comfortable wins.
“We played a lot of freshmen,” Russick said. “We brought our entire ninth-grade team up. We felt like it was a better situation to be with us and get some valuable minutes under the lights like this.”
The last two of the five quarterbacks used were freshmen. Deondre Miller had runs of 11 and 12 yards, then a pass completion of 22 yards on his first three plays.
Bailey had a 50-yard run to give Pittston Area enough time to score its sixth touchdown before halftime. He added a 56-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown to the 8-yard score he had in the second quarter.
“It was great to see kids like Kayden Bailey, Deondre Miller and Santino Silvo play,” Russick said. There was a whole bunch. Gavin Migliori made a bunch of tackles.”
Each of the first three quarterbacks contributed to scoring plays.
Pittston Area held defensively after fumbling the opening kickoff, then moved 70 yards in four plays. Paulie Ferentino hit John Jadus on a crossing pattern for a 50-yard touchdown.
Nanticoke then failed to handle the kickoff and Pittston Area covered the ball at the 2.
All-star receiver Lucas LoPresto took several snaps as a Wildcat quarterback, including scoring from the 2 for team’s second touchdown in 11 seconds.
Jude Ferentino’s 6-yard run made it 20-0 after one quarter and the Patriots managed a second touchdown in a span of 1:43 when LoPresto returned a punt 46 yards for a score.
Bailey ran 8 yards for the next touchdown.
“I got in the end zone a couple times,” Bailey said. “That was a great experience.
“It’s a great time to be out there, especially with this team.”
Santino Capitano scrambled for a 14-yard touchdown on fourth-and-10 with 4.1 seconds left in the half.
Nanticoke (0-3) scored its first two touchdowns of the season in the second half while Pittston Area tested many different combinations.
BY THE NUMBERS
Brody Spindler had four tackles and three assists to lead Pittston Area defensively for the third straight game. One of the tackles was for a loss. … The Patriots had 32 different players make tackles. … Pittston Area led 10-2 in first downs, 189-16 in rushing yards and 278-57 in total offense in the first half. … The Patriots finished with 270 rushing yards on 25 carries (10.8 per carry). Jude Ferentino had 58 yards on five carries to finish second on the team to Bailey’s 149 yards.
UP NEXT
Pittston Area (2-1) will host Wyoming Valley West (0-3) Friday night at Charley Trippi Stadium to open its Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 schedule. The Spartans have lost 23 straight. They played Williamsport tough in a 31-20 opening loss, but have given up 93 points combined in the last two weeks.
