Wyoming Area’s Lidge Kellum was the 2024 Carmelo Falcone Award MVP winner in the annual game against Pittston Area. From left: Sam Falcone (Carmelo’s great-grandson), Kellum and Carmen Falcone (Carmelo’s grandson).
Wyoming Area senior running back Aaron Crossley took home the Carmelo Falcone game MVP award against cross town rivals Pittston Area. The trophy was presented by Carmelo’s grandson Carmen Falcone, left, and Sammy Falcone, Carmelo’s great grandson. Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Lidge Kellum took a break from carrying the ball in the second quarter of the 2024 Wyoming Area-Pittston Area football game.
Kellum did enough with his busy workload before and after to become the latest recipient of the Carmelo Falcone Award as the Most Valuable Player in the annual rivalry game.
The Wyoming Area senior running back ran for 135 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown, in the first quarter of the 28-0 win over the Patriots, but also lost three fumbles.
“I took it as a moment to rebuild and think about what I had been doing wrong and to trust myself to do better,” Kellum said in a post-game interview. “Trustin (Johnson) stepped up so I was not worried about getting back into the game too fast. I was just worried about getting back into the right mental state.”
Kellum ran for 268 yards on 21 carries and added his second and third touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters.
The effort continued a recent trend of huge rushing numbers put up by durable feature backs on the way to the Falcone Award.
In many cases, those numbers were produced by Wyoming Area tailbacks.
Current Lehigh University running back Aaron Crossley scored the first three touchdowns of the 2023 game on the way to 29 carries, 349 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-14 victory.
The Warriors have won nine of the last 11 meetings and their tailbacks have taken he Falcone Award seven times.
Jeff Skursky had the busiest night of those award-winners, carrying 39 times for 236 yards and four touchdowns in 2014.
Skursky was followed in the past decade by Jeff Miles in consecutive seasons, Corey Mruk, Drew Mruk and Crossley.
Miles became the first back-to-back recipient of the award in 2015 and 2016. He ran for three touchdowns each time, carrying a combined 47 times for 311 yards.
The Mruks became the second set of brothers to earn the award, following Gary and Greg Dolhon, who were recognized in 1980 and 1988.
Corey Mruk carried 36 times for 239 yards in 2018. Compared to recent recipients, Drew Mruk had a relatively light offensive workload, running 18 times for 168 yards in 2020, but he was also in on 11 tackles in that game.
Family is deeply rooted in the Carmelo Falcone Award.
The award was created after the 1978 death of the Falcone Beverage owner who enjoyed spending time around and offering support to high school football teams. His family will present the award for the 48th time Friday night.
CARMELO FALCONE AWARD WINNERS
1978 – Charlie McDermott, WA
1979 – Mike Sobeski, PA
1980 – Gary Dolhon, WA
1981 – Mark Sickler, WA
1982 – Jamie Kutzer, WA
1983 – Nick Biscontini, PA
1984 – Leo Malsky, WA
1985 – Ken Scalpi, PA
1986 – Tom Musto, PA
1987 – J.R. Richards, PA
1988 – Greg Dolhon, WA
1989 – Charlie Kabalka, PA
1990 – John Nocito, WA
1991 – Jim Pizano, WA
1992 – Jamie Kudrako, WA
1993 – Jim Pizano, WA
1994 – Mike Owens, PA
1995 – Tony Scatena, WA
1996 – Ben Kopka, WA
1997 – B.J. Stelacone, WA
1998 – Rich Musinski, WA
1999 – Kevin Shotwell, PA
2000 – Jim Norris, PA
2001 – Matt Williams, WA
2002 – Matt Pizano, PA
2003 – Tony Avvisato, PA
2004 – Gennaro Zangardi, PA
2005 – Ryan McDonnel, WA
2006 – Tyler Serbin, WA
2007 – Nick Bellanco, WA
2008 – Sam Parente, PA
2009 – Chris Price, PA
22010 – Nick O’Brien, WA
2011 – Anthony Haughton, PA
2012 – Nick O’Brien, WA
2013 – Kyle Gattuso, PA
2014 – Jeff Skursky, WA
2015 – Jeff Miles, WA
2016 – Jeff Miles, WA
2017 – Walter Coles, PA
2018 – Corey Mruk, WA
2019 – Dominic DeLuca, WA
2020 – Drew Mruk, WA
2021 – Nick Elko, WA
2022 – Drew DeLucca, PA
2023 – Aaron Crossley, WA
2024 – Lidge Kellum, WA
