WEST PITTSTON – Aaron Crossley’s brutish running allowed Wyoming Area to hold on to the football for long stretches of Friday night’s District 2 Class 4A football quarterfinal.
Josh Mruk’s defensive pressure made sure North Pocono could not.
Crossley and Mruk each scored two touchdowns to lead the way as the Warriors recovered from a pair of first-half deficits to advance to the district semifinals with a 31-19 victory at Anthony “Jake” Sobeski Stadium.
With Crossley carrying 18 times in each half, mostly between the tackles, Wyoming Area built a 32:39-15:21 advantage in time of possession. His runs produced the go-ahead touchdown and a two-point conversion late in the first half, another score in the third quarter and third-down conversions in the fourth quarter when the Warriors were protecting their lead.
Mruk had a pick six as well as another interception and another score. He also rushed the passer into a fourth-down incompletion on North Pocono’s last offensive play of the night in the middle of the fourth quarter.
“Turnovers were a big difference in the game closing it out,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “Josh’s interception and then Lidge Kellum did a great job coming in and provided some big plays.
“Credit to those guys stepping up in a big moment on a big stage like this in a district playoff.”
Hobbling after carrying a dozen times in the third quarter, Crossley went in and out of the game in the fourth quarter. He came in to get the tough yards on a pair of third-down conversions, but when he was out, Kellum also kept the chains moving with fourth-quarter runs of 18, 20 and 11 yards.
All of their efforts were needed to put away an improving North Pocono team, coached by former Wyoming Area quarterback Greg Dolhon.
“We knew they were going to be a tough team,” Mruk said. “They had a close games with some tough teams. They had a lot of talented young guys.
“We expected a dogfight.”
Mruk’s interceptions and pressure helped offset 169 yards and two touchdowns passing by Noah West with the help of some dynamic plays by his receiving corps.
“That’s a relatively young team over there,” Spencer said. “They’re going to be a very good team going forward. They had a lot of young guys making plays, the (Cole) West kid on the outside and his brother making some very nice passes, putting them right on the money.
“Also, their tight ends and their backs coming out of the backfield did a nice job as well.”
The game’s first two possessions took up all but 16 seconds of the first quarter and produced a field goal by each team.
Brady Mapes hit from 37 yards for North Pocono. Liam Burke connected from 26 for Wyoming Area.
North Pocono fumbled through the end zone to miss out one chance to take the lead.
Wyoming Area then had a high punt snap get into the end zone and the Trojans trapped punter John Turner there for a safety and 5-3 lead with 7:21 left in the half.
Mruk’s first interception led to six straight Crossley runs covering 31 yards, including five on the go-ahead touchdown 39.7 seconds before halftime.
Crossley kept running, carrying on eight of 10 plays on the opening drive of the second half. His 3-yard touchdown made it 17-5.
North Pocono came right back just 2:18 later on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Noah West to Ryan Marsh.
The Trojans came up with a stop and had the ball back with a chance to regain the lead.
But, Mruk, who said he was merely hoping to bat the ball down on each of his interceptions, was there to turn the momentum with his 32-yard touchdown return.
“I saw some guys in front of me, made some cuts and then it was just open field,” Mruk said. “I took off.”
North Pocono answered in just three plays when Noah West’s 48-yard pass to Cole West set up his 4-yard touchdown pass to Evan Wolff on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Warriors went 80 yards in response with two Kellum runs and a personal foul on the Trojans leading to a 14-yard touchdown reception by Mruk from Anthony DeLucca on play action with 8:30 left.
“When we run play action it’s open every time,” Mruk said. “ … We knew we had the momentum then.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Aaron Crossley, who is now over 4,000 rushing yards for his career, ran for 203 yards on 36 carries. … Lidge Kellum added 54 yards on five carries as the Warriors outrushed the Trojans, 281-77. … Wyoming Area ran 64 offensive plays to 38 by North Pocono. … Wyoming Area led in first downs, 20-10. … Jacob Morgan had three tackles and seven assists while Matt Rutkoski added three tackles and four assists for the Warriors. Mruk had four tackles, including the only stop for a loss by Wyoming Area.
