Wyoming Area’s Michael Crane (23) returns a fumble for a touchdown as Gage Speece (12) and James Hizynski (11) follow him to the end zone.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area’s Kevin Wiedl tackles Nanticoke Area quarterback Jaylin Collins (2) for a loss Friday night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area’s Aaron Crossley races to the end zone as Nanticoke Area’s Ayden Kolet pursues.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area’s James Hizynski (11) and Riley Knaub (86) tackle Nanticoke Area’s Jaylin Collins in the closing minutes of the first half Friday night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area sophomore running back Lidge Kellum (2) gains yardage against Nanticoke Area on Friday night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area’s Aaron Crossley (5) and James Hizynski (11) converge to recover a fumble.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
NANTICOKE — The pile of Nanticoke Area defenders put up a roadblock, apparently stopping a running play for minimal gain to the point where just about everyone in the stadium figured the play was stopped.
Only Aaron Crossley kept pushing it.
And pushing.
And pushing, until that pile had dissipated and he was the only one left standing.
In the end zone.
That 9-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter Friday exemplified both the will and power of Crossley and the Warriors, who muscled their way past Nanticoke Area during a 26-13 victory that suddenly left Wyoming Area at .500 and full of hope.
“It feels great, after losing those games we didn’t really want to lose,” said Crossley, who finished with 129 rushing yards on his three-touchdown night to help the Warriors snap a two-game losing streak and move past last week’s 49-7 loss to Crestwood to even up their record at 2-2 on the season. “We still have work to do, though.”
Apparently, the bullish running back doesn’t know how to stop working.
Or quit.
With the Warriors holding a 6-0 lead thanks to Michael Crane’s fumble recovery and 23-yard return in the first quarter, Crossley turned a straight-ahead running play destined to go nowhere into a bulldozing 9-yard scoring surge by pushing a gang of defenders backwards, giving Wyoming Area a 12-0 lead and while leaving the crowd at Nanticoke Area High School amazed.
“Coming up, growing up and playing football, I’ve always been a runner who wasn’t very agile,” Crossley said. “So I just kept going, moving my legs and they kept sliding off.”
Still, Nanticoke Area kept sticking around.
Zach Fox slipped away for an 81-yard touchdown run to pull the Trojans within 12-7 right after Crossley’s first touchdown run and Ashton Brozusky powered for an 11-yard touchdown run on a fullback dive as Nanticoke Area closed within 18-13 in the final seconds of the third quarter.
But Crossley had answers for each Nanticoke Area score.
Crossley’s 15-yard touchdown run around left end sent Wyoming Area into halftime with an 18-7 lead.
“Based on previous history, we didn’t expect this kind of game with Nanticoke,” Crossley said. “But everybody we play now, the game’s going to be tough. We just have to play every one like it’s Week 9 against Southern Columbia.”
And when Nanticoke Area’s second score threatened to take the game down to the wire, Crossley toughened up again with a victory-sealing 21-yard touchdown run with 9:08 on the game clock.
“Aaron’s a leader,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “He’s an outstanding football player. He’s very strong. He’s a willful runner. He does a great job of playing through to the whistle. If we’re going to go anywhere, he’s going to have to lead us.
“He did a great job tonight.”
Wyoming Area 26, Nanticoke Area 13
Wyoming Area`6`12`0`8 — 26
Nanticoke Area`0`7`6`0 — 13
First quarter
WA — Michael Crane 23 fumble return (kick failed), 4:04
Second quarter
WA — Aaron Crossley 9 run (run failed), 7:39
NAN — Zach Fox 81 run (Sophia Lukowski kick), 6:31
WA — Crossley 15 run (pass failed), 4:34
Third quarter
NAN — Ashton Brozusky 11 run (run failed), 0:09
Fourth quarter
WA — Crossley 21 run (James Hizynski from Brady Jones), 9:08
Team statistics`WA`CRE
First downs`11`9
Rushes-yards`37-210`41-214
Passing yards`35`59
Total yards`245`273
Passing`3-12-1`3-7-1
Sacked-yards lost`0-0`3-25
Punts-avg.`3-38`3-34
Fumbles-lost`4-0`3-1
Penalties-yards`9-45`7-50
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — WA, Aaron Crossley 19-129, Lidge Kellum 6-60, Michael Crane 7-17, Joe Marranca 2-5, TEAM 3- (minus 1). NAN, Zach Fox 19-152, Jaylin Collins 10-47, Mykal Julian 6-39, Ashton Brozusky 3-12, Lucas Stachowiak 1- (minus 2), TEAM 2- (minus 34).
PASSING — WA, Brady Jones 2-9-1-32, Damian Lefkoski 1-3-0-3. NAN, Collins 2-5-1-30, Fox 1-1-0-29, TEAM 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING — WA, Kevin Weidl 1-18, Marranca 1-14, Crane 1-3. NAN, Ayden Kolet 1-29, Julian 1-20, Seth Raymer 1-10.
INTERCEPTIONS — WA, Weidl 1-4. NAN, John Kus 1-2.
MISSED FGs — WA, Liam Burke, 32-Short.
