YATESVILLE — After discussing with their team the need to react appropriately when things do not go right, the Berwick coaching staff had only one logical response when Aiden Mason lost a fumble on the opening kickoff.
Berwick gave the ball to Mason on its first offensive play and more often than any other ballcarrier or receiver the rest of the night.
The confidence paid off as Mason led a balanced attack that produced 498 yards total offense and scored on its first five possessions in a 46-0 rout over host Pittston Area at Charlie Trippi Stadium.
“That’s what we decided to do,” first-year Bulldogs coach Carmen DeFrancesco said. “He’s a good football player. He’s a heads-up kid.
“We said as a coaching staff, ‘Let’s go to him right away.’ And he responded.”
Mason led the Bulldogs with 134 yards on 10 carries. He ripped off a 37-yard run in the first quarter, another in the second quarter and then a 27-yarder on his only carry of the second half.
Five Berwick players ran for at least 27 yards and three caught multiple passes while accounting for at least 36 yards.
After managing just seven first-half points last week at Abington Heights, the offense was much more effective.
“We just ironed out some of the wrinkles from last week,” DeFrancesco said. “ … Once we got in that rhythm and we started to get some confidence, it was just so much smoother than it was last week.”
The Bulldogs passed just once in a 10-play, 80-yard drive on their first possession.
“We got that run established quickly,” DeFrancesco said.
First, Berwick’s defense started a shutout effort by dealing with Pittston Area’s biggest threat within the first minute of the game.
The Patriots started at the 20 after Ed Murdock’s fumble recovery, moved just three yards and had a field goal attempt hook just left.
Ryan Laubach accounted for three touchdowns as starting quarterback and again wreaked havoc from his outside linebacker position. He had two sacks, two other tackles and a pass rush after making three tackles for losses and forcing a fumble in the opener.
Laubach was 7-for-9 for 146 yards passing with two touchdowns, all in the first half, and ran 24 yards for a touchdown.
Two other players were responsible for two scores.
Dallas Schecterly outdueled two defenders on both his touchdown receptions, a 36-yarder from Laubach and an 18-yarder from Blane Cleaver.
Cleaver now has accounted for touchdowns three different ways in two games. He ran 36 yards for the final touchdown and had an interception return for a score last week.
Berwick 46, Pittston Area 0
Berwick`13`20`6`7`—`46
Pittston Area`0`0`0`0`—`0
First quarter
B – Blake Maurer 3 run (kick failed), 6:47
B – Dallas Schechterly 36 pass from Ryan Laubach (Brett Hinkle kick), 3:15
Second quarter
B – Aiden Mason 3 run (Hinkle kick), 11:45
B – Teagan Wilk 42 pass from Ryan Laubach (kick failed), 7:33
B – Laubach 24 run (Hinkle kick), 2:30
Third quarter
B – Schecterly 18 pass from Blaine Cleaver (bad snap), 7:57
Fourth quarter
B – Cleaver 36 run (Hinkle kick), 11:46
Team statistics`B`PA
First downs`22`8
Rushes-yards`40-327`19-(-7)
Passing yards`171`160
Total yards`498`15
Passing`9-13-1`11-25-2
Sacked-yards lost`1-6`3-38
Punts-avg.`1-36.0`5-34.0
Fumbles-lost`3-1`1-0
Penalties-yards`5-40.0`3-25.0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — BER, Aiden Mason 10-134, Blane Cleaver 2-65, Ryan Laubach 6-43, Teagan Wilk 4-32, Alejandro Lopez 5-27, Logan Smith 6-13, Stas Hughes 2-8, Blake Maurer 3-8, Eric Montes 1-6, Peyton Williams 1-minus 6. PA, Dylan Lukachko 9-13, Symons 3-7, Franny George 2-3, Alex Hoban 1-0, Team 1-minus 2, Andrew Krawczyk 1-minus 13, Mike Nocito 2-minus 25.
PASSING — BER, Laubach 6-8-1-126, Cleaver 2-3-0-25, Team 0-1-0-0. PA, Nocito 9-20-3-144, Pisano 1-4-0-16.
RECEIVING — BER, Wilk 3-74, Shawn Sheptock 3-36, Dallas Schecterly 2-54, Antonio Barratta 1-7. PA, Lukachko 3-19, Krawczyk 2-50, George 2-20, Alex Anastasi 2-18, Brennan Higgins 1-37, Joe Slusark 1-16.
INTERCEPTIONS — BER, Preston Robbins 1-15, Sheptock 1-3. PA, Lukachko 1-2.
MISSED FIELD GOALS – BER, None. PA, Anthony Thomas (34).
