Wyoming Area graduate Greg Dolhon and his North Pocono football team have a state playoff win and a 13th victory for the first time in school history.
The undefeated Trojans came from behind three times in the fourth quarter Friday night to defeat host Bishop Shanahan 40-36 in a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 4A game.
Cole West provided the winning score in the final minute on a night when District 2 teams went 2-1 in three state games that produced 223 combined points, and all were decided by a touchdown on less on a score in the fourth quarter.
West had two fourth-quarter touchdowns. The first, from 4 yards, came after the Trojans entered the quarter down 21-20. The second is bound to become legendary at the Lackawanna Football Conference school as West broke tackles and dragged bodies along the way for a game-winning, 21-yard touchdown with 46 seconds left.
Josiah Gray scored two of his three touchdowns in the first quarter to get North Pocono off to a 13-0 start. The Trojans led 13-7 at halftime before the offenses ran wild in the second half.
Chase Zimmerman’s 1-yard touchdown erased a 29-26 deficit in the fourth quarter before the Trojans needed — and produced — one last comeback.
Dolhon became head coach at North Pocono after serving as assistant under his late father-in-law, Jack Henzes, at Dunmore. After starting his career at Wyoming Area, Henzes spent nearly half a century leading the Bucks on his way to ranking third in state history in football coaching victories with 444.
Scranton Prep got three short touchdown runs from Will McPartland and a 49-yard fumble return by Ricky Dewey to defeat Mifflinburg 28-21 in a Class 3A game at Milton.
Mifflinburg led 14-0 when its only two first-quarter offensive plays resulted in 88- and 76-yard touchdown passes from Chad Martin to Landen Murray.
Scranton Prep started its playoff run by handing Wyoming Area just its second loss of the season.
Delaware Valley, which managed just seven points while squeezing out a one-point victory over Pittston Area in the District 2 semifinals, scored 21 points in the first seven minutes, but could not hold on to the three-touchdown lead.
Undefeated Hollidaysburg rallied past the Warriors 56-42 in a Class 5A game at Danville.
Carter Muth scored five touchdowns, including the game-winner and an insurance score.
Trey Newton ran back the opening kickoff for Delaware Valley, and Mike Iuzzolino also had a kickoff return for a score on a night when they combined for five touchdowns.
