WEST PITTSTON – Wyoming Area’s Anthony “Jake” Sobeski Stadium played host to the 69th annual UNICO All-Star Football Game Friday night.
Festivities surrounding the game for graduating players from the Wyoming Valley Conference included the presentation of checks to various community organizations and the awarding of a scholarship from funds the game raises each year.
The contest on the field, however, was one-sided.
With the Hazleton Area passing combination of Sparky Wolk to Jacob Hunsinger, David Smith and Damon Horton leading the way, the Miners routed the Pioneers, 38-0, in a game that was played under the Mercy Rule for the last 15:18.
It was a tough night for sentimental favorites.
The Pioneers team included 10 Wyoming Area seniors playing on their home field for the last time and the last group of players to ever represent the Meyers, GAR and Coughlin programs that are being combined into the Wilkes-Barre Area Wolfpack for next season.
The trouble started immediately for the Pioneers when Garrett Hopkins from Tunkhannock ran back the opening kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown.
Hunsinger, who received the George Curry Award as the game’s Most Valuable Player, caught a 15-yard pass from Wolk to make it 14-0 after one quarter.
Wolk passed for 95 yards, Hunsinger caught three passes for 70 yards and the Miners outgained the Pioneers, 288-128.
The lead reached 28-0 at halftime.
The Pioneers went without players from Berwick, who were originally selected to the team along with players from Wyoming Area, the Wilkes-Barre schools, Hanover Area, Northwest and Holy Redeemer.
Dimitri DePietro, Jacob Busch, Anthony Scalzo, Aleah Kranson, Pat Nelson, Michael Amato, Stephen Sokach-Minnick, Cameron Carr, Matt Wycoski and Jacob Mikolychik represented Wyoming Area.
Carr had a tackle and an assist and DePietro had two assists while Amato and Mikolychik each made one tackle.
DePietro threw an incomplete pass on one of the many trick plays attempted by the Pioneers. Busch was thrown for a loss on a reverse on another.
Kranson had the distance but missed wide left on a fourth-quarter field goal attempt.
