NANTICOKE — Pittston Area was in a sharing mood with the football Friday night.
The Patriots were overly generous on the opening kickoff, fumbling away the right to have the game’s first possession.
They spent the rest of the night sharing the ball among themselves on the way to a 41-point halftime lead and a 48-13 victory over host Nanticoke Area in a non-league game at Frank Chicknosky Stadium.
Right from the snap, the Patriots spread the ball around – they used five different quarterbacks – while getting touchdowns from five players, including two each from Lucas LoPresto and freshman Caden Bailey.
Bailey carried eight times for a game-high 149 yards, including a 50-yard run to set up the last touchdown of the first half and a 56-yard touchdown for the final Pittston Area score.
“We put some guys in positions they haven’t been in this season,” first-year Patriots coach Paul Russick said. “We’re trying to build depth.
“Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 is tough. In my experience, teams that are deeper in kids who can play seem to do better.”
The Patriots will take a 2-1, non-league record into a stretch of their schedule that features all five of its WVC Division 1 games in succession, beginning with Friday’s home game against Wyoming Valley West.
Jude Ferentino, Brody Spindler and Bailey were in on stops as Pittston Area came up with a defensive stand on the first possession after Nanticoke started at the Patriots 27.
LoPresto made up for his fumble on the opening kickoff by returning a punt 46 yards for a score a minute into the second quarter. By then, he had his two touchdowns and the Patriots were in front 27-0.
Pittston Area scored the first two touchdowns on consecutive plays less than 3½ minutes into the game.
John Jadus took a Paulie Ferentino pass 50 yards for a touchdown. Then, when Nanticoke let a kickoff roll to a stop and the Patriots recovered at the 2, LoPresto ran it in on the next play.
Jude Ferentino ran 6 yards for the next score after Spindler made three straight tackles, including one for loss on fourth-and-two near midfield.
Bailey ran 8 yards for his first touchdown midway through the second quarter.
Then, the Patriots beat the clock to score on a 14-yard, fourth-and-10 scramble by Santino Capitano, the third quarterback used, with 4.1 seconds left in the half. Dan Girman peeled back to make a key block and Capitano fought his way in for the score.
Pittston Area was already mixing players in by halftime and went deep into its bench in the second half.
Winless Nanticoke, which had not gotten any points from its offense in the first 2½ games, picked up seven of its nine first downs in the second half while scoring a pair of touchdowns.
Quarterback Ian Walsh scored from the 1 in the third quarter. Jason Fondeur scored on a 3-yard, fourth-down pass from Max Leonard with 1:37 remaining.
Pittston Area 48, Nanticoke Area 13
Pittston Area`20`21`0`7 — 41
Nanticoke Area`0`0`7`6 — 13
First quarter
PA – John Jadus 50 pass from Paulie Ferentino (pass failed), 8:42
PA – Lucas LoPresto 2 run (Cole Baldwin kick), 8:31
PA – Jude Ferentino 6 run (Baldwin kick), 0:43.5
Second quarter
PA – LoPresto 46 punt return (Baldwin kick), 11:00
PA – Caden Bailey 8 run (Baldwin kick), 5:40
PA – Santino Capitano 4 run (Baldwin kick), 0:04.1
Third quarter
NAN – Ian Walsh 1 run (Juan Pablo Paztuzano kick), 8:19
Fourth quarter
PA – Bailey 56 run (Baldwin kick), 9:58
N – Jason Fondeur 3 pass from Max Leonard (kick blocked), 1:37
Team Statistics`PA`NAN
First downs`14`9
Rushes-yards`25-270`32-82
Passing yards`111`85
Total yards`381`167
Passing`6-11-0`9-15-0
Sacked-yards lost`0-0`0-0
Punts-avg.`1-30.0`4-27.8
Fumbles-lost`3-2`6-1
Penalties-yards`2-20`5-30
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — PA, Bailey 8-149, JFerentino 5-58, PFerentino 2-25, Capitano 2-18, Deondre Miller 4-15, Brody Spindler 1-8, LoPresto 1-2, Team 2-minus 5. NAN, Jonah Guzman 16-60, Walsh 8-29, Ahsamad Tyson 6-11, Team 2-minus 12.
PASSING — PA, PFerentino 4-5-0-80, Miller 1-1-0-22, Capitano 1-4-0-9. Santino Salvo 0-1-0-0. NAN, Walsh 7-10-0-74, Leonard 2-5-0-11.
RECEIVING – PA, Jadus 2-59, LoPresto 1-23, Landon Kendzor 1-22, Christian Cerasaro 1-9, Bailey 1-minus 2. NAN, Fondeur 5-57, Justin Johnson 2-9, Mark Welch 1-10, Guzman 1-9.
INTERCEPTIONS — None.
MISSED FIELD GOAL – PA, Baldwin 37.
