A military helicopter flies over Lakeland High School’s football field during Salute to Service Night ceremonies.
Nick Ciampi (19), Jordan Rosario (23) and Drew Keating combine to make a tackle for Wyoming Area in a 38-14 win over Lakeland.
Wyoming Area players greet first responders during pregame ceremonies at Lakeland on Salute to Service Night.
CHAPMAN LAKE – Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer might prefer a different approach, but he loves the responses his football team has produced when its unbeaten record is in jeopardy.
For the second time in three weeks, the Warriors overcame a two-touchdown deficit on the road with an overwhelming flurry of two-way football.
Wyoming Area scored the game’s final 38 points Friday night to defeat host Lakeland 38-14 in the only game on the District 2 schedule in which both teams entered the night with 3-0 records.
The Warriors started their comeback earlier, but otherwise it was a flashback to two weeks ago when they recovered to defeat Dallas 27-20 in a game between two-time, defending Wyoming Valley Conference divisional champions.
Lakeland scored the game’s first 14 points and was threatening to restore its two-touchdown advantage when it arrived in the Red Zone midway through the second quarter.
Max Getzie, Drew Keating, Nick Ciampi and Donavon Miller came up with the defensive plays that led to offensive efforts by Jack Gravine and Ciampi in a four-play, 91-yard scoring drive as the Warriors moved in front, then ran away from the Chiefs.
In a 17-minute stretch through the end of the third quarter, the Warriors ran off 24 of their points while outgaining the Chiefs 212 to minus-30.
Against Dallas, it was a 281-45 yardage advantage in a span of 20½ minutes while scoring the game’s last 20 points.
Spencer’s thoughts that night summed up what he saw again Friday.
“It’s one play at a time and then on to the next play,” Spencer said then. “You can’t talk about being process-oriented and then not genuinely, authentically do that.
“ … That’s really what it’s all about – staying in there together.”
Miller reiterated that message Friday night after a huge defensive effort in which he made nine tackles, including a sack; assisted on five more, including one for a loss; and broke-up two passes, provided the coverage that made completing another on fourth down impossible and rushed the quarterback into yet another misfire.
“None of us hang our heads,” Miller said. “We talk to each other and we fix things.”
Fellow linebacker Ben Gravine helped with that. He had five tackles (one for a loss), six assists and a broken-up pass.
The Gravine brothers were prominent in the Dallas win, including connecting on the game-winning touchdown, and again in the recovery against Lakeland.
Jack Gravine carried 14 times for 175 yards. He had a 45-yard burst for the first Wyoming Area touchdown in the second quarter, a 23-yard score for a 31-20 lead in the third quarter and a 72-yard run that keyed the 91-yard sprint into the lead.
Ciampi followed Gravine’s long run with a 14-yard touchdown run on the next play and Wyoming Area moved in front 15-14 when holder Luke Kopetchny took a low snap and passed to Josh Mruk for a two-point conversion.
Mruk also scored when he took his only carry 50 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown and Kopetchny went from holder to passer again on one of the game’s biggest plays.
Wyoming Area faked a field goal on the last play of the first half with Kopetchny finding Miller, who reached the ball past the pylon for a 9-yard touchdown as time expired, sending the Warriors into the break with a 22-14 lead.
“The touchdown was needed,” Miller said. “That touchdown brought a lot more energy for us. Throughout the game, our energy gets higher and higher.”
The Wyoming Area special teams also provided a safety after a high snap when the Lakeland punter chose to down the ball in the end zone rather than try to get off a kick with the rush coming at him.
“Sometimes, we don’t start off strong,” Jack Gravine said. “That’s all right, it’s about how we finish.
“We’ve got to just keep on pushing through it. We have to just believe. ‘Next play’ coach tells me. You have to keep your head down.”
BY THE NUMBERS
The turnaround occurred on both sides of the ball. Wyoming Area’s first 10 plays resulted in three punts and did not produce a play of more than three yards as the Warriors gained just seven yards. The next 20 plays resulted in 252 yards, four touchdowns and 10 first downs. Lakeland had two touchdowns, nine first downs and 156 yards on its first 22 plays. The next 17 plays netted negative-30 yards and did not result in a first down. … Wyoming Area outrushed Lakeland 385-32 with the help of four players with at least 50 yards. In addition to Jack Gravine’s 175 yards and Josh Mruk’s 50 on one carry, Nicholas Kondrosky was 5-for-58 and Nick Ciampi was 7-for-53. … Lakeland quarterback David Naniewicz passed for 163 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown to Chase Rosenkrans, and led his team with 38 rushing yards and a touchdown. Rosenkrans caught six passes for 118 yards. … The game’s only turnover came when Wyoming Area’s Caden Reynolds batted a pass into the air and fellow lineman Max Getzie picked it off.
UP NEXT
Wyoming Area (4-0) is back home Friday night to open its WVC Division 2 schedule against Tunkhannock, which improved to 2-2 overall by winning its division opener over Nanticoke 42-6 Friday night. Lucas Ciprich rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns in the win. In Tunkhannock’s other victory, 55-7 over Holy Redeemer, Ciprich ran for 247 yards and three scores.
