Warrior running back, senior Aaron Crossley (5), carries two Crestwood defenders, Eli Meadows (25) and James Barrett (26), for extra yardage in the 2nd period at Sobeski Field, West Pittston, Friday night.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
WEST PITTSTON — Wyoming Area didn’t only remember last year’s 42-point loss to Crestwood. Many of the current Warriors were on-field witnesses to those painful 48 minutes of football.
Friday night offered an opportunity for some payback and Wyoming Area got it.
Three Wyoming Area running backs scored touchdowns and the defense came up big when needed as the Warriors defeated Crestwood, 29-22, in a non-divisional game between Wyoming Valley Conference football teams.
Wyoming Area improved to 3-0. Crestwood, which played in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 4A state semifinals a year ago, fell to 0-3 with its third seven-point loss. All three Crestwood opponents exited Friday night at 3-0.
“We’re there, but we’re not making plays,” Crestwood coach Ryan Arcangeli said. “Players win games, coaches lose them. I have to do a better job preparing our guys in tough times and certain situations on how to make the play, period.”
A big difference was Aaron Crossley’s ability to find running room this time for Wyoming Area. A 2,000-yard rusher last season, Crossley had just 43 yards on 12 carries in the 49-7 loss to Crestwood. He finished Friday night with 153 yards on 21 rushes, scored a touchdown and ran for a two-point conversion.
Crossley, though, wasn’t the only difference maker. Running back Michael Crane added 58 yards on eight carries and scored twice. Running back Lidge Kellum touched the ball once, but sifted his way up the middle for a 61-yard touchdown with 10:26 left that proved to be the game-winning score.
“I said to a bunch of people that teamwork is something you can’t teach. And chemistry,” Crossley said. “Just knowing coming on the field, you don’t have to worry about one guy. We could roll in fresh guys. From the bottom to the top of the depth chart, we have guys who can score from anywhere on the field and that can make plays and change the game.”
The game-changers weren’t only on offense.
The Wyoming Area defense also came up big when needed. Matt Rutkoski had a 12-yard sack on a fourth-and-four from near midfield. Three plays later, Crane scored on a 23-yard run as the Warriors took a 22-14 lead into the fourth quarter.
Crestwood’s final possession was kept alive by a pass interference penalty on fourth down. The Comets moved to the Wyoming Area 8-yard line on the running of quarterback Jaden Shedlock, who finished with 188 yards rushing. A penalty and a bad snap pushed the ball back to the 21. After an incompletion, Kellum and Josh Mruk sandwiched Shedlock as he released a pass, resulting in another incompletion.
“(Shedlock) was going to get his plays and they made their plays,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “In critical situations and times, the defense stood up and made those plays you have to make to win a football game.”
Wyoming Area then ran out the final 4:14, giving Crestwood a heavy dose of Crossley.
Crane’s first touchdown, a 3-yard run, opened the scoring 31 seconds into the second quarter.
Shedlock’s 2-yard run tied the game at halftime.
The teams were tied again at 14 and 2.
Crossley’s 23-yard touchdown was matched 25 seconds later by Shedlock’s score from 57.
Allen Angon’s 15-yard run for Crestwood came just 2:32 after Crane’s second go-ahead score.
BY THE NUMBERS
Crestwood had leads of 20-16 in first downs and 305-268 in rushing yards, but Wyoming Area’s edge in the passing game gave it a 348-322 advantage in total offense. … Crestwood completed just two of eight passes for 17 yards and was sacked twice. Anthony Delucca was 4-for-8 for 80 yards for Wyoming Area. Josh Mruk had two catches for 50 yards. … Crestwood was penalized 13 times for 83 yards, compared to just five for 41 yards for Wyoming Area. … Jacob Morgan led the Wyoming Area defense with seven tackles and four assists. Kevin Wiedl had four tackles and six assists. Matt Rutkoski and Jacob Gustitus each made two tackles for losses.
UP NEXT
Wyoming Area is home Friday night against Nanticoke in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 game. Prior to the season, the Trojans looked ready to join the Warriors and defending champion Pittston Area in the division title race. The loss of starting quarterback Peyton Kepp to a knee injury for the second straight season, however, have changed that outlook. Following a 35-0 rout of Carbondale in the opener, Nanticoke has lost two straight games to Class A schools Old Forge and Nanticoke. The Trojans bring a 1-2 record into their division opener against the Warriors, who are unbeaten, including a division win over Tunkhannock. Zack Fox ran for more than 200 yards in the opener and more than 100 against Old Forge.
