Charlie Thompson led the offense from the backfield and Jacob Martinez led the defense from up front.
Together, Thompson and Martinez paved the way for Scranton to defeat host Honesdale, 15-6, in a non-league game between Lackawanna Football Conference teams.
Thompson carried 20 times for 209 yards and scored the touchdown that put the Knights (2-3) ahead to stay midway through the first quarter.
Martinez had three sacks, including one for a safety that helped clinch the win by pushing the lead from seven to nine points with less than four minutes remaining.
Thompson also returned 3 punts for 41 yards and had another potential score wiped out when it was ruled that he fumbled from about the 1 and the ball went out of bounds through the side of the end zone for a touchback.
Martinez, from his right guard position, was one of the key blockers for a ground game that picked up 336 yards on 53 carries. As the left defensive tackle, he made seven tackles, six of them for losses, and forced a fumble while assisting on another tackle. He also rushed the passer into an incompletion.
The game got off to a sloppy start with each team losing a fumble in the first 50 seconds and a third turnover occurring just 1:25 into the game.
Scranton lost a fumble on its second offensive play, then Honesdale gave the ball right back on its first with Martinez forcing the fumble that Thompson recovered.
Thompson ran 35 yards on the play where he lost the fumble for a touchback.
Scranton held Honesdale and took over at the Hornets 44 following a punt.
On third-and-12 from the 46, Arvel Chandler found Donato Stepney for 39 yards to the 7.
A Honesdale penalty and Thompson run moved the ball to within a foot of the goal line. Thompson scored from there for a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
Scranton appeared to have a chance to add to its lead right before the half, but instead they gave must of it away.
Two penalties and a sack forced Honesdale into second-and-40 from its 6 with 1:39 left in the half.
The Hornets (2-3) punted the ball out to midfield, but an illegal block penalty on the Knights moved them back.
Then, Isaac Carmody intercepted for Honesdale and returned it 22 yards to the Scranton 23.
On the first play, Aiden Collins threw a lateral swing pass to Johnny Kauffman. Kauffman stopped and threw deep to the left corner to Tyler Winters, who did not have a defender in sight while pulling in the 23-yard touchdown.
The extra point failed, leaving Scranton with a 7-6 halftime lead.
Stepney, who finished with 73 yards on 10 carries, ran 22 yards for a third-quarter touchdown, but a mishandled snap left the lead at 13-6 until Martinez’s safety.
The ninth sack of the game by Scranton finished off the Hornets, who were then unsuccessful on an on-side attempt on the free kick.
MORE FRIDAY FOOTBALL COVERAGE
Berwick-Williamsport: https://nepasportsnation.com/kishbaugh-lifts-dawgs-in-overtime/.
Hazleton Area-Dallas: https://nepasportsnation.com/hazleton-area-rallies-to-ot-victory/.
Lackawanna Trail-Holy Redeemer: https://nepasportsnation.com/seven-lions-produce-tds-in-victory/.
Lake-Lehman/Hanover Area: https://nepasportsnation.com/black-knights-return-in-style/.
Valley View-West Scranton: https://nepasportsnation.com/valley-view-races-to-48-points-in-rout/.
Wyoming Area-Crestwood: https://nepasportsnation.com/wyoming-area-blanks-crestwood/.
Scoreboard: https://nepasportsnation.com/fridays-football-scoreboard-2/.
