By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
CLINTON TWP. – Lackawanna Trail scored on its first seven possessions and got touchdowns from seven different players Friday night, making the occasional big play by Holy Redeemer insignificant in a 60-27, non-league romp by the host Lions.
Lukas Gumble and Kody Cresswell each rushed for more than 100 yards while also being the only Lions to score twice on a night when they outrushed the Royals, 418-6.
Lackawanna Trail dominated up front, both in the running game that averaged more than nine yards per carry and with the rush that kept a dangerous Holy Redeemer passing game under near-constant pressure.
The Lions (4-1) opened a 20-0 lead in the first 8:53 and were not stopped for the only time in the game until after they had reached the Mercy Rule with a 47-7, third-quarter lead.
Holy Redeemer (1-4) came up with scores on a 64-yard pass, 71-yard fumble return and 80-yard kickoff return.
Justice Shoats scored on the pass and fumble return while Zach Perta provided the kickoff return. Those two were the receivers working with quarterback Jacob Hunter, whose constant scrambling allowed him to get off 26 passes while only being sacked twice.
End Miles Edwards, interior linemen Cole Choplosky and R.J. Schirg and frequent blitzing linebacker Hunter Patterson made sure Hunter was on the run most of the night.
Most of Lackawanna Trail’s offense came from runs, but the six pass attempts produced two touchdowns and the play that set up the first score.
Evan Litwin tipped a deep pass down the middle into the air, then pulled it in for a 35-yard gain to the 5 where Patterson scored on the next play just 2:20 into the game.
Gumble ran 59 yards on the next offensive play and Cresswell scored from the 10 two plays after that.
Lackawanna Trail started the next possession at the Holy Redeemer 45 and scored in 4 plays. Cresswell’s 19-yarder and Gumble’s 23-yarder set up Gumble’s 1-yard touchdown for the 20-0 lead.
Holy Redeemer got on the board on third-and-nine when Shoats ran under a Hunter pass on a fly pattern down the left sideline, then ran away from his closest pursuers for the 64-yard touchdown.
Lackawanna Trail expanded the lead from 20-7 to 34-7 during the second quarter.
Lisk found Litwin with a 13-yard touchdown pass to cap an 11-play drive that started in the first quarter. Cresswell and Gumble had runs to convert third and fourth downs during the drive.
Cresswell scored on a 16-yard run to surpass 100 yards in the first half.
Gumble, who finished with 122 yards on 6 carries, and Cresswell, who gained 120 yards on 11 carries, each carried just once in the second half.
That one carry for Gumble went for a 27-yard touchdown that sent the game into the Mercy Rule at 47-7 with 7:59 left in the third.
Before that, Lisk hit Johnny Halter for a 14-yard touchdown.
Lackawanna Trail was driving toward a possible eighth touchdown when Shoats stripped the ball away and took off for his 71-yard touchdown to make it 47-13 going to the fourth quarter.
Cole Rosengrant scored on a 20-yard run and Jacob Bartush took his only carry 29 yards for a touchdown for Lackawanna Trail in the fourth quarter.
Perta answered Rosengrant’s touchdown with an 80-yard kickoff return. Hunter found J.D. McDermott for 10 yards and the final score with 2:01 left.
MORE FRIDAY FOOTBALL COVERAGE
Wyoming Area-Crestwood: https://nepasportsnation.com/wyoming-area-blanks-crestwood/.
Friday night scoreboard: https://nepasportsnation.com/fridays-football-scoreboard-2/.
