Patriots’ QB Drew Delucca (3) pitches to running back Harry Pugliese (6) for a 17-yard gain.
                                 Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch

Patriots’ QB Drew Delucca (3) pitches to running back Harry Pugliese (6) for a 17-yard gain.

Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch

<p>Pittston Area’s defense played a strong first half as Drew Menendez (22) and David Girman (16) stop Trojan Zach Fox (22) for a loss in the back field.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch</p>

Pittston Area’s defense played a strong first half as Drew Menendez (22) and David Girman (16) stop Trojan Zach Fox (22) for a loss in the back field.

Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch

<p>Pittston Area’s Harry Pugliese (6) scampers 77-yards for a Patriot touchdown against Nanticoke Area Friday night at Charley Trippi Stadium.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch</p>

Pittston Area’s Harry Pugliese (6) scampers 77-yards for a Patriot touchdown against Nanticoke Area Friday night at Charley Trippi Stadium.

Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch

<p>Having a great first half, Pittston Area’s Harry Pugliese gets by the last Trojan in his way for a 20-yard touchdown.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch</p>

Having a great first half, Pittston Area’s Harry Pugliese gets by the last Trojan in his way for a 20-yard touchdown.

Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch

YATESVILLE – Things went rather well for Pittston Area in the first half Friday night.

Even a mishap turned into a touchdown.

The situation changed quite a bit in the second half, but not enough to put a three-touchdown advantage in danger against an opponent struggling all season to find the end zone.

Running back Harry Pugliese scored all three touchdowns, the last when he picked up an errant shotgun snap and ran 12 yards for a score, as the Patriots defeated Nanticoke, 21-0, on a Homecoming Night interdivisional game between Wyoming Valley Conference football teams.

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Pittston Area improved to 2-4 while Nanticoke Area fell to 1-5.

Nanticoke used a 17-play drive to move 84 yards from its 4to the Pittston Area 12 before Robby Barbieri’s interception ended the threat.

The Trojans had three shots in Patriots territory in the second half, including taking over on the Patriots 24 on one possession, but the Pittston Area defense posted the shutout.

“We just couldn’t punch it in,” Nanticoke Area coach Ron Bruza said. “We have a young team

with a good nucleus, but that’s not an excuse. We’re already in Week Six and mental mistakes at the wrong time are just hurting us.”

Pittston Area looked like it was going to win with ease early on. Quarterback Drew DeLucca, who missed last week’s game with Wilkes-Barre Area with an injury, hit on passes of 22 and 16 yards to receiver Kevin Lockett on the Patriots’ first two plays from scrimmage. Pugliese took a pitch and ran around left end for a 20-yard score on the fourth play.

Then, after a Nanticoke punt, Pugliese scored on a 77-yard run on Pittston Area’s first play to make it 14-0 at 7:37 of the first quarter.

Nanticoke Area fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, but Pittston Area couldn’t punch in another score.

“Great start,” Pittston Area coach Nick Barbieri said. “We came out and scored on the opening drive, then we get a stop and score again. Then we get a turnover on the kickoff and we don’t score. We should have scored. We had a screen wide open and overthrew it.

“It would have been nice to be up 21-0, but still 14-0 six minutes into the first quarter is a great start for us.”

Pittston Area scored on its final possession before halftime, overcoming three penalties, including consecutive infractions after a first-and-goal at the Nanticoke 2. This touchdown wasn’t easy, as a shotgun snap hit off a player in motion and plopped down between DeLucca and Pugliese. Before DeLucca could even react, Pugliese grabbed the ball and ran 12 yards for a touchdown.

“It was a motion play and it hit off our tight end’s leg,” Pugliese said. “I just picked it up and ran into the end zone.”

Wilkes-Barre Area 35, Pittston Area 21

KINGSTON — The Wilkes-Barre Area offense hadn’t scored a touchdown in the past two games.

The unit made up for the lack of production early in the Sept. 25 afternoon’s game with Pittston Area.

The Wolfpack scored on their first two drives of the game and kept Pittston Area at an arm’s length throughout for a victory in a Wyoming Valley Conference interdivisional game.

Wilkes-Barre Area also received a career game from running back Howie Shiner. The sophomore rushed 15 times for 185 yards and two second-half touchdowns that put a crimp in a couple comeback bids by Pittston Area (1-4). Known more as a between-the-tackles power back, Shiner’s 65-yard touchdown run in the third quarter came 14 seconds after the Patriots had their first score.

Shiner was one of five Wolfpack players to touch the ball on a nine-play, 71-yard scoring drive to start the game. Quarterback Javant McClary capped it with an 11-yard run, giving WBA a 7-0 lead at 8:39 of the opening quarter.

The touchdown also gave the offense its first TD since the fourth quarter of a 31-30 loss to Wyoming Area on Sept. 4. The Wolfpack were shut out 45-0 by Dallas the following week and lost 49-10 to Delaware Valley last week, with the only touchdown coming on a defensive fumble return.

Wilkes-Barre Area needed just four plays to score on its next possession. McClary found Javon Goodwin streaking down the left sideline for a 36-yard touchdown connection. McClary darted up the middle for a 14-yard scoring run at 3:02 of the second quarter to boost the lead to 21-0.

Pittston Area quarterback Jimmy Spindler was hurt in the opener and hasn’t returned. Sophomore Drew DeLucca replaced him and put up some impressive numbers, but he missed the Wilkes-Barre Area game with an injury.

That left the Patriots with Robby Barbieri, normally a wideout, and Alex Hoban, normally a running back, as signal callers.

Pittston Area nearly got on the board at the end of the first half. A 23-yard pass from Barbieri to tight end Adam Shovlin placed the ball at the Wilkes-Barre Area 5-yard line with 24 seconds left. The Patriots got off two running plays before time expired, netting 3 yards.

Pittston Area, though, opened the second half with a 12-play, 75-yard drive. Running back Harry Pugliese’s 1-yard run cut the deficit to 21-7 at 5:47 of the third quarter. But on Wilkes-Barre Area’s first play from scrimmage, Shiner broke off his 65-yard TD run.

The Patriots followed with another scoring drive as Pugliese’s 5-yard run moved the deficit back to 14 points, 28-14. Again, WBA answered with a scoring drive ending in a 6-yard run by Shiner.

The Patriots then scored on their third consecutive possession, with a 1-yard sneak by Barbieri accounting for the game’s final touchdown with 2:29 remaining.

By the numbers – vs. Nanticoke

Pittston Area gained 263 first-half yards and finished with a 321-174 advantage in total offense for the game. … Nanticoke’s Zach Fox ran for 115 yards on 30 carries. … The Trojans, the lowest-scoring team in the WVC, have scored just six touchdowns in six games. … Pittston Area led 13-11 in first downs, 163-148 in rushing yards and 158-26 in passing yards. … Harry Pugliese ran 14 times for 143 and all 3 Patriots touchdowns. He was 8-for-132 in the first half, but just 7-for-11 in the second half when Nanticoke controlled the ball. … Drew DeLucca was 10-for-21 passing for 158 yards.

By the numbers – vs. Wilkes-Barre Area

Wilkes-Barre Area led in first downs 21-18, rushing yards 332-79 and total offense 396-275. … Robby Barbieri hit 11 of 18 passes for 157 yards for the Patriots.

Up next

Pittston Area (2-4) is home Friday night against Dallas (3-2) in a Wyoming Valley Conference Class 4A Division game. The Mountaineers have won three of four since an opening loss. Quarterback Jackson Wydra has been one of the WVC’s most efficient passers through the first half of the season.