WEST PITTSTON — Wyoming Area used its own version of 7-on-7 football to drill Hanover Area Friday night.
The Warriors scored seven touchdowns on seven first-half possessions while opening a 49-point halftime lead in their Homecoming Game.
Dominic DeLuca accounted for four touchdowns and Corey Mruk ran for the other three to lead the unbeaten Warriors to the 56-7 Wyoming Valley Conference Class 3A romp over the Hawkeyes.
Brian Williams pulled in two touchdown passes and Dimitri DePietro the other while producing the 49-0 halftime lead.
DeLuca also ran for a touchdown, covering 14 yards for the first score.
In a game that could produce a rematch in the District 2 Class 3A playoffs, Hanover Area was no match for Wyoming Area in its first shot at the WVC’s top small-school team.
Mruk carried 17 times for 127 yards. DeLuca hit six of 12 passes for 137.
Then, after leading a 35-point, second-quarter onslaught, each sat out the second half.
“Hanover Area made it difficult in the box there,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “They challenged our running game and I thought we responded on the edge, made a couple plays in space, hit a few pass plays and did what we needed to do initially.”
Wyoming Area’s defense limited Hanover Area to 12 yards rushing, just two in the first half.
The Warriors held an 18-3 advantage in first downs at halftime after moving the ball up and down the Jake Sobeski Stadium field.
Wyoming Area scored on a pair of nine-play drives that covered 64 and 60 yards in the first quarter.
DeLuca had a five-yard run on fourth-and-one on the way to his touchdown run, then hit Derek Ambrosino for 34 yards on third-and-10 to set up his 3-yard touchdown pass to Williams.
Leo Haros set up the next two scores with a 27-yard punt return and a 36-yard return of Thomas Wycoski’s blocked field goal.
Mruk went 4 yards to complete a 34-yard drive for a score on the second play of the second quarter.
Then, the touchdowns came rapid fire for the Warriors, who never went five minutes without scoring in the first half.
DeLuca hit Williams on a fly pattern down the left sideline for a 53-yard touchdown on the first play after the blocked field goal.
Mruk scored on runs of 23 and 18 yards less than three minutes apart.
The DeLuca-to-Depietro touchdown pass covered 7 yards on third-and-two with 9.2 seconds left in the half.
Wyoming Area went with reserves while the entire second half was being played under the Mercy Rule.
Manny Saldana scored on a 14-yard run for Hanover Area in the third quarter and 120-pound sophomore Adam Signan pulled in a 9-yard touchdown pass from Blaise Sokach-Minnick, the third quarterback Wyoming Area used, midway through the fourth.
Wyoming Area 56, Hanover Area 7
Hanover Area`0`0`7`0`—`7
Wyoming Area`14`35`0`7`—`56
First quarter
WA – Dominic DeLuca 14 run (Aleah Kranson kick), 8:47
WA – Brian Williams 3 pass from DeLuca (Kranson kick), 3:58
Second quarter
WA – Mruk 4 run (Braccini kick), 11:30
WA – BWilliams 53 pass from DeLuca (Kranson kick), 8:09
WA – Mruk 23 run (Kranson kick), 5:35
WA – Mruk 18 run (Kranson kick), 2:44
WA – Dimitri Depietro 7 pass from DeLuca (Jayden Rusyn kick), 0:09.2
Third quarter
WA – Manny Saldana 14 run (Auggie George kick), 0:41.0
Fourth quarter
WA – Adam Signan 9 pass from Blaise Sokach-Minnick (Josh Cumbo kick), 5:39
Team statistics`HA`WA
First downs`7`21
Rushes-yards`25-12`40-223
Passing yards`102`163
Total yards`114`386
Passing`5-16-2`9-15-0
Sacked-yards lost`2-16`0-0
Punts-avg.`3-27.0`1-31.0
Fumbles-lost`2-1`4-0
Penalties-yards`4-38`8-72
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — HA, Manny Saldana 5-27, Christian 7-12, Joseph Curcio 6-minus 2, Team 1-minus 2, Auggie George 1-minus 4, Aaron Hummer 5-minus 19. WA, Corey Mruk 17-127, Dominic DeLuca 5-32, Zajquay Williamson 2-14, Brian Williams 1-12, Dillon Williams 2-12, Enzo Scotto-Diluzio 6-12, Colby Gashi 1-10, Nick Elko 1-5, Jevani Sancho 2-1, Jacob Williams 1-0, Team 2-minus 2.
PASSING — HA, Hummer 5-15-1-102, Matthew Salwoski 1-0-1-0. WA, DeLuca 6-12-0-137, Blaise Sokach-Minnick 2-2-0-16, JWilliams 1-0-1-10.
RECEIVING — HA, Tanner Bednarski 3-35, Jared Kishbaugh 1-35, Bobby Sabecky 1-13. WA, BWilliams 4-96, Derek Ambrosino 1-34, Jake Busch 1-10, Adam Signan 1-9, Dimitri Depietro 1-7, Quadre Sessoms 1-7.
INTERCEPTIONS — HA, None. WA, JWilliams 1-10, Sessoms 1-minus 1.
MISSED FIELD GOALS – HA, George 34 (blocked). WA, None.
