Matthew Rutkoski (35), Tyler Reynolds (77), Donovan Miller (22) and other Wyoming Area defenders combine to stop Western Wayne’s Josh Vinton for no gain during Friday’s game.

Matthew Rutkoski (35), Tyler Reynolds (77), Donovan Miller (22) and other Wyoming Area defenders combine to stop Western Wayne’s Josh Vinton for no gain during Friday’s game.

SOUTH CANAAN — Western Wayne fooled Wyoming Area on consecutive offensive plays in the last two minutes of the second quarter to erase a deficit and pave the way for a 34-23 victory in a non-league game that highlighted the District 2 Friday night football schedule.

The two teams, potential district playoff opponents who are favorites to win Division 2 of their respective conferences, came in with 2-0 starts that were beginning to get them consideration among the state’s top Class 3A teams.

Much of the game was a physical battle between the tackles, but the Wildcats went away from that to turn a 10-7 deficit into a 20-10 halftime lead.

The Wildcats set up the Warriors with six straight Josh Vinton runs, five of them to between the tackles, to move 39 yards.

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On second-and-seven from the 10, John Pyatt faked one more handoff to Vinton, allowing Sean Owens to break free. Owens was the only player standing in the left half of the end zone as he waited to pull in the go-ahead touchdown pass with 1:42 left in the second quarter.

Western Wayne freshman Archer Long intercepted a pass two plays later.

The Wildcats started a reverse with Owens going right to left from his wide receiver position. Owens then handed the ball to Vincent Silon going the other way, clearing a path for Silon to run down the right sideline for a 48-yard touchdown 56.4 seconds before halftime.

The deception on the two big plays was in contrast to a physical battle in which the teams tested each other with their power running games.

“I just think the difference throughout the game was their physicality,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “Hats off to them. They played very physical on both sides of the ball and on special teams. That coupled with we had two turnovers, a Pick Six and the other interception, the only two turnovers in the game.

“In a game like this, you can’t afford those kinds of mistakes.”

Vinton led the way for Western Wayne with 29 carries for 184 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 13-yard interception return for a touchdown to open the biggest lead at 34-17 with 5:14 remaining.

Wyoming Area’s Lidge Kellum also carried 29 times and scored twice. He ran for 164 yards.

The Warriors led twice.

After Wyoming Area’s first drive stalled at the 20 on downs, the Warriors pushed the Wildcats back another yard and forced a punt.

The snap went over the punter’s head and out of the back of the end zone for a safety and 2-0 lead with 3:21 left in the first quarter.

Western Wayne did not have a first down until the last minute of the quarter and finished the quarter with just six net yards of offense.

The Wildcats broke through on the first play of their fourth possession. Vinton went off right tackle, slipped through tackles about halfway through the run and stumbled into the end zone for a 55-yard score and 7-2 lead.

Wyoming Area regained the lead with a 10-play scoring drive. Anthony DeLucca hit Luke Kopetchny three times, including twice to convert third-and-nine, before Kellum went around left end for 21 yards and a touchdown. Kellum added the two-point conversion.

Following Western Wayne’s flurry to end the first half, Wyoming Area drove 80 yards in 11 plays with the second-half kickoff. Kellum carried seven times for 56 yards in the drive, which he capped with a 10-yard run.

Vinton reestablished control for Wyoming Area with seven carries, including on the last five plays, on the next drive. He gained between six and eight yards on each of the carries, including the touchdown that made it 27-17 with 2:27 left in the third.

“Vinton was the difference tonight in all phases of the game,” Spencer said. “His physicality, his athleticism, his willful running of the football was the difference.”

The Warriors added a late, 5-yard touchdown pass from DeLucca to Kopetchny, but Pyatt handled the on-side kick and the Wildcats ran out the clock.

“We were able to stymie some of their run game and put them off schedule and make them throw the ball,” Western Wayne coach Shane Grodack said. “But, to their credit, they threw the ball very well.”

BY THE NUMBERS

Wyoming Area finished with leads of 19-12 in first downs, 174-37 in passing yards, 352-254 in total offense and 27:15-20:45 in time of possession. … Wyoming Area’s Luke Kopetchny was the game’s leading receiver with 10 catches for 140 yards. … Western Wayne’s Sean Owens picked up 40 yards on his only kickoff return and had punts of 35 and 70 yards to pin Wyoming Area at its 11 and 3. … Jacob Morgan led the Wyoming Area defense with six tackles, three assists and a broken-up pass.

UP NEXT

Lakeland is at Wyoming Area in a non-league meeting of 2-1 teams Friday night. The Chiefs are led offensively by the passing combination of David Naniewicz to Chase Rosenkrans. Lakeland slipped to 1-9 last season and surpassed that win total by starting this season with wins over Carbondale 40-18 and Holy Cross 21-3 before losing to Riverside 41-13 Friday night. The teams met in two thrilling District 2 Class 3A semifinals in 2018 and 2020, both at Wyoming Area. Lakeland pulled off a 21-14 upset the first time, but Wyoming Area won the rematch 35-32.