Pittston Area’s Kevin Lockette (2) get up high over Wyoming Area’s Garret Pocceschi (1) for a Patriot touchdown reception from QB Drew DeLucca on Oct. 28, 2022.
                                 Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch

Pittston Area’s Kevin Lockette (2) get up high over Wyoming Area’s Garret Pocceschi (1) for a Patriot touchdown reception from QB Drew DeLucca on Oct. 28, 2022.

Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch

<p>Warrior senior running back Aaron Crossley hurdles Patriot defensive to score Wyoming Area’s first touchdown on a six-yard run on Oct. 17, 2023.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch</p>

Warrior senior running back Aaron Crossley hurdles Patriot defensive to score Wyoming Area’s first touchdown on a six-yard run on Oct. 17, 2023.

Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch

<p>Pittston Area’s QB Drew DeLucca (3) tosses a pass to an open Lucas LoPresto (1) for extra yardage on Oct. 27, 2023.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch</p>

Pittston Area’s QB Drew DeLucca (3) tosses a pass to an open Lucas LoPresto (1) for extra yardage on Oct. 27, 2023.

Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch

<p>Pittston Area QB Drew DeLucca (3), the game’s MVP, gets off a throw before being caught by the Warriors’ Aaron Crossley (5) on Oct. 28, 2022.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch</p>

Pittston Area QB Drew DeLucca (3), the game’s MVP, gets off a throw before being caught by the Warriors’ Aaron Crossley (5) on Oct. 28, 2022.

Tony Callaio file photo | For Sunday Dispatch

After two seasons as division opponents wrapping up the regular season in games with championship implications, the Pittston Area and Wyoming Area football teams are back to merely being rivals for their 60th meeting.

That, of course, remains plenty enough to make the Oct. 25 game at Pittston Area’s Charley Trippi Stadium a special night for both the Patriots and Warriors.

The series history, like that of many rivalries among neighbors, features multiple examples of the assumed underdog doing just fine.

That is encouraging news for the host Patriots, who have had their share of frustrations in the first season under new coach Joe DeLucca.

Related Video

Wyoming Area headed into the latter stages of the season once again battling for the title in Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2.

Pittston Area, in its first season after returning to Division 1, was distinctly much more competitive than in its previous cycle there. The result was a series of mid-season, near-misses when facing the division’s top teams.

The Warriors have the WVC’s highest-scoring offense, thanks to featuring both high-end talent leading the way and depth of options.

Lidge Kellum was the first WVC runner to reach 1,000 yards this season while sophomore Luke Kopetchny was the first receiver in all of District 2 to surpass 500 yards.

Giving Kellum room to operate and quarterback Anthony DeLuca time to find Kopetchny is a line that tends to control games on both sides of the ball.

There is plenty of help from others up front but Chase DeSanto and Andrew Steinberger have been the consistent two-way performers up front.

DeSanto is headed to play National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football at Sacred Heart. The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder leads the offensive line and rotates in the interior defensive line.

“What’s he’s able to do at the point of attack being physical, knocking people, but then still, at that size, being able to work on the second and third levels and also pass protect,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “He’s got good feet; he’s got heavy hands and he’s very athletic”

Steinberger, a two-way starter up front, does not have DeSanto’s size.

“At 6-1, 220, he’s kind of that undersized lineman,” Spencer said. “But, I challenge anybody to find anybody who has played better on both sides of the ball with the measurables that Andrew has.

“His tenacity, his physicality. Even at his size, he’s able to knock people back and get to those second levels.”

Steinberger leads the team in sacks. Josh Mruk and Michael Crane also had multiple sacks despite missing significant time to injuries early in the season.

Damian Lefkoski leads the secondary with three interceptions.

Jacob Morgan and Trustin Johnson, two more defensive backs, rank second and third on the team in tackles behind Kevin Wiedl.

Pittston Area has dealt with a series of injuries throughout the season.

“We really have not been 100 percent healthy all season,” Patriots coach Joe DeLucca said.

The Patriots ground game improved with the return of two-way lineman Gunnar Zaledonis.

Pittston Area also gets a boost, however, from the blocking of H-back Jaylen Hart, who doubles as a defensive tackle, and two-way end Colton Lis.

“Going with Jaylen as more of a fullback and H-back has given us the ability to run the football more with C.J. (Pietrzak) and Matt (Walter),” DeLucca said.

Hart and Zaledonis, on the inside, along with Lis and Pietrzak, on the edge, have toughened up the team’s run defense.

Malkolm Blackshear leads the secondary.