WRIGHT TWP. — All that remains for Lucas LoPresto is to steal a page from last week’s last-second NFL theatrics.
The Pittston Area junior has now produced touchdowns offensively as a runner, passer and receiver; on special teams as both a kick and punt returner; and on defense by returning an interception and a fumble. Running back a blocked field goal is all that is left.
LoPresto’s four first-half touchdowns Friday night allowed the Patriots to stand alone as the last team with an unbeaten Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 football record after a 47-14 rout of host Crestwood.
As LoPresto explained after the game, there has been some improvisation to his division-leading 14 touchdowns.
“I don’t think they’re designed to break away, but when I get the chance, it goes well,” he said.
LoPresto ran for scores of 7 and 80 yards in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead. In the second quarter, he added a 6-yard touchdown run, then a game-breaking strip sack, followed by him scooping up the ball for a 37-yard fumble return and a 33-0 lead with more than five minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Even with LoPresto having a punt return for a touchdown called back by one penalty and a pass reception to the 4 erased by another, the Patriots were able to open a 40-7 halftime lead.
Against a Crestwood team that had won the previous three weeks by a combined margin of 153-28, Pittston Area was able to open a Mercy Rule-sized lead with 3:44 left in the third quarter.
The result puts the Patriots at 3-0 in Division 1 and gives them a 5-1 overall start for the first time in 22 years.
First-year Pittston Area coach Paul Russick acknowledged that there were some concerns about whether his team could put together another big road effort in the aftermath of a potentially draining, come-from-behind, 36-35 overtime victory at Dallas last week.
“As a program that hasn’t really won a heckuva lot, that is a worry in the back of your head,” Russick said. “It’s good to have Lucas LoPresto on our side as well as the rest of the cast that helped tonight.”
Crestwood, joining in as the last team to begin its divisional schedule, fell to 3-3 overall.
The LoPresto defensive touchdown completed the fourth Pittston Area sack in the first 19 minutes.
Santino Capitano kept busy sprinting down field for tackles on kickoff coverage and joining Matt D’Aiello in leading the pass rush.
Brody Spindler, who finished off Dallas a week ago with the winning runs in overtime, got Pittston Area started against Crestwood. His interception and 18-yard return ended Crestwood’s game-opening drive.
One play after Spindler converted a fourth-and-three situation, LoPresto followed him around right end and into the end zone for the first score.
LoPresto, the team’s leading receiver in the game and on the season, stepped in as the Wildcat quarterback to begin the third drive. After faking a handoff, he sprinted up the middle for the 80-yard touchdown.
Spindler sandwiched a 31-yard touchdown in between the next two LoPresto scores.
Jaden Shedlock got Crestwood on the board with a 12-yard run, but Pittston Area responded before halftime.
Paulie Ferentino engineered a drive that packed 10 plays into 2:24. He hit John Jadus in traffic for an 11-yard touchdown with 12.2 seconds left in the half.
Freshman Kayden Bailey ran 35 yards for the touchdown that invoked the running clock.
Pittston Area 47, Crestwood 14
Pittston Area`14`26`7`0`—`47
Crestwood`0`7`0`7`—`14
First quarter
PA – Lucas LoPresto 7 run (Cole Baldwin kick), 8:03
PA – LoPresto 80 run (Baldwin kick), 0:24.6
Second quarter
PA – LoPresto 6 run (Baldwin kick), 9:08
PA – Brody Spindler 31 run (kick blocked), 6:24
PA – LoPresto 37 fumble return (run failed), 5:17
CRE – Jaden Shedlock 12 run (Cooper Laubach kick), 2:36
PA – John Jadus 11 pass from Paulie Ferentino (Baldwin kick), 0:12.2
Third quarter
PA – Kayden Bailey 35 run (Baldwin kick), 3:44
Fourth quarter
CRE – Kyle Schade 4 run (Laubach kick), 9:31
Team Statistics`PA`CRE
First downs`19`12
Rushes-yards`34-272`35-178
Passing yards`62`59
Total yards`334`237
Passing`8-16-2`5-11-1
Sacked-yards lost`1-2`4-15
Punts-avg.`2-40.5`5-30.4
Fumbles-lost`1-1`1-0
Penalties-yards`8-72`7-50
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — PA, LoPresto 4-97, Spindler 11-75, Bailey 10-73, Santino Capitano 4-33, PFerentino 1-minus 2, Liam Flynn 4-minus 6. CRE, Schade 5-88, Shedlock 15-45, Nate Walsh 4-26, Jake Jeckell 11-19.
PASSING — PA, PFerentino 8-15-0-62, LoPresto 0-1-0-0. CRE, Shedlock 5-11-1-59.
RECEIVING – PA, LoPresto 6-41, Jadus 2-21. CRE, Jack Rodgers 2-39, Walsh 2-8, Barna 1-12.
INTERCEPTIONS — PA, Spindler 1-18.
MISSED FIELD GOAL – None.
