YATESVILLE – Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer says Corey Mruk has developed into a “feature back” this season.
The Warriors made sure to feature Mruk in their game plan Friday night.
The junior tailback pounded the Pittston Area defense for three first-half touchdowns while carrying 36 times for 239 yards and helping Wyoming Area run away with a 40-0 victory at Charley Trippi Stadium in the 54th meeting of the rivals.
Mruk went over 1,000 yards for the season during the game and came away with the Carmelo Falcone Award as the game’s Most Valuable Player.
“This is definitely an honor,” Mruk said while holding the trophy. “I had it in the back of my mind, thinking I’d just have to play as hard as I could and if I ended up winning, I won; if not, congratulations to whoever else wins it.”
Mruk had 24 of his carries for 153 yards in the first half.
“I never know how busy I’m going to be,” Mruk said. “It’s just how it plays out.”
Spencer said being able to run the football was part of the plan, although he didn’t necessarily go in planning to give it to his workhorse three dozen times.
“Corey is obviously such a solid, consistent player on both sides of the ball,” Spencer said. “He’s such an outstanding leader, a selfless player.
“For him to have that kind of night, I’m really excited. And, that doesn’t come by itself. The guys up front, the tight ends and the fullbacks were outstanding.”
Mruk opened the game with three straight carries for 22 yards to quickly move Wyoming Area into Pittston Area territory.
The first drive was stopped on downs, but Wyoming Area scored on its next five possessions for a 34-0 lead midway through the third quarter.
“I was so proud to see our guys come out, especially in our rivalry game, and be able to take that energy and defeat a quality Pittston Area team,” Spencer said after Wyoming Area avenged a last-second loss on its home field last year and improved to 29-25 in the series.
Mruk had seven of the 10 carries in the 74-yard drive to the first touchdown. He started it with a 16-yard run and capped it with a 1-yard touchdown with 3:33 left in the first quarter.
“This is the best blocking I ran behind all year,” he said. “The rivalry game brings the best out of everybody.
“We had our guys blocking the best and tackling the best they had all season.”
The Warriors will move into the District 2 Class 3A playoffs as the second seed in an eight-team field.
Mruk ran seven more times in the nine-play drive to his next 1-yard touchdown with 5:38 left in the half. Dominic DeLuca’s 12-yard pass to F.J. Braccini on fourth-and-three moved the ball to the Pittston Area 14.
The Warriors took control by adding two scores in the final 1:18 of the half.
Mruk ran four times for 39 yards as Wyoming Area rushed up the field to score on DeLuca’s 11-yard fade pass to Brian Williams in the left corner.
Dimitri Depietro forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Nasir Condry recovered and the Warriors scored again.
The key was a third-and-eight, hook-and-lateral that covered 39 yards. DeLuca passed to Depietro on the left side and his pitch sent Mruk racing down sideline to the 4. Mruk scored from there on the next play.
Cameron Carr’s fumble recovery set up Wyoming Area at the Pittston Area 48 for its first second-half possession. DeLuca threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Derek Ambrosino on fourth-and-seven.
Wyoming Area added one more score with 1:45 left on a 1-yard pass from Jacob Williams to Jimmy Miller.
