Wyoming Area went into this football season with high expectations and the Warriors are threatening to exceed them.
Going into this weekend, Wyoming Area was two wins away from the first perfect season in coach Randy Spencer’s 11-year career. And, they had seldom been tested along the way.
Here are a few numbers that explain the team’s dominance:
· Wyoming Area had not allowed a touchdown in the first quarter and had scored in the first quarter of every game, totaling 135 points.
· The Warriors have outscored opponents 219-14 in the first half.
· Wyoming Area’s average of 42.3 points scored per game and 6.9 points allowed are both the best in District 2.
· Once the Warriors have opened the scoring in the first quarter of every game, they have remained ahead the rest of the way for all but 2:59 of the season in which GAR managed to force a 7-7 tie in the second quarter.
· The Warriors have played more than 89 minutes – more than one-quarter of their season – under the Mercy Rule with second-half leads of 35 or more points.
A look back at the Wyoming Area season, going into this past Friday’s game at Crestwood:
At Mid Valley
48-7 Win
The Warriors immediately showed off a depth uncommon to Small School football, using nine runners and getting tackles from 31 different players in the Opening Night rout.
Wyoming Area found out the depth could be needed early when it lost Wyoming Valley West transfer and Division I prospect Sammy Solomon to an injury in the first quarter. Through eight games, Solomon has not returned from the leg injury.
The defensive front was just fine, holding Mid Valley to 27 yards rushing and 40 yards total offense. The Warriors held returning 1,000-yard rusher Joe Chylak to minus-6 yards on 13 carries.
COUGHLIN
42-0 Win
Dominic DeLuca was 4-for-6 passing with all four of his completions going for first-half touchdowns.
The Warriors turned three Coughlin turnovers into touchdowns while opening leads of 28-0 after one quarter and 42-0 at halftime.
NORTHWEST
55-0 Win
Wyoming Area opened its second straight 42-0 halftime lead.
Freshman Leo Haros opened the scoring with a 52-yard punt return and Derek Ambrosino scored on an interception return.
Dominic DeLuca, who was responsible for three touchdowns, and Corey Mruk each ran for more than 100 yards.
Nanticoke
35-7 Win
Corey Mruk led a defensive effort in which Wyoming Area stopped Nanticoke without a score on 10 snaps inside the 10 while protecting a seven-point, second-quarter lead.
The Warriors then took control, outgaining the Trojans, 233-81, in the second half.
At GAR
41-7 Win
GAR’s Justice Lomas broke a 61-yard run in the second quarter to make the Grenadiers the only team to be in a tie other than 0-0 with Wyoming Area this season.
Darren Rodney scored two touchdowns before halftime to put the Warriors back ahead and the Wyoming Area defense limited GAR to 53 yards on all its other plays combined.
At Lake-Lehman
29-7 Win
Lake-Lehman, the top threat to the Warriors in the Wyoming Valley Conference Class 3A/A Division, gave Wyoming Area its closest game of the season, remaining within 6-0 through halftime.
Wyoming Area’s defense forced five second-half turnovers, four in the third quarter, to break the game open.
MEYERS
45-6 Win
Corey Mruk carried 18 times for 192 yards and four touchdowns while also adding a two-point conversion run before being done for the night with 4:57 still remaining in the third quarter.
Mruk scored on runs of 5 yards in the first quarter, 52 and 30 yards in the second and 7 yards in the third.
Dominic DeLuca went 5-for-7 passing for 153 yards and a touchdown.
Cameron Carr had two sacks and another tackle for a loss while also rushing the passer into three more incompletions and another quick pass that went for a loss of yardage.
At Holy Redeemer
43-7
Wyoming Area hit 30 in the first quarter and led 43-0 at halftime of the game that was not only played under the Mercy Rule for the entire second half, but was also shortened by eight minutes because of the extent of the mismatch.
