By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
One champion was decided and two more, though for all intents and purposes the races appear to be over, were technically only partially decided last week.
What the final week of the regular season brings for the one and only time this season is a true regular-season championship game.
Pittston Area hosts Wyoming Area in the 58th meeting of the rivals in the past 56 years. The two extra meetings were the result of playoff rematches, but there’s no need to wait for the playoffs this season to add to the meaning of the game.
Instead of just being a season-ending game that rivals any other rivalry in District 2 (are you paying attention over there at The Rick’s Picks?), the Patriots and Warriors will play for the outright Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 title Friday night.
No scoreboard watching needed. No waiting for additional results to end possibilities of sharing the title.
Both teams are 5-0 in the division and the winner will stand alone at 6-0. Because the WVC finally went back to true divisions with round-robin schedules of everyone playing everyone else in the division, there will be no disputing the champion.
The WVC already had one clear champion determined last week. Crestwood wound up with the best record in WVC Division 1 at 5-1.
In a division where the top teams knocked each other off throughout the year, the Comets needed help from Wilkes-Barre Area simultaneously roughing up Dallas for their 56-21 rout of Berwick to be a title-producer.
Because this is a weekly feature of making – and, to a lesser extent, recapping – predictions, I must point out that while some of my colleagues saw Crestwood’s title coming, I did not. I can’t claim to have made any prediction along those lines when assessing the races as a whole in the preseason or at the midway point.
Believe it or not, though, we don’t mind being wrong here sometimes. It keeps the season interesting and Crestwood, with the help of the WVC’s new approach to scheduling, has proven to be a worthy champion.
Two that I did predict were a bit easier to assess.
Lakeland and Old Forge clinched at least a tie for their Lackawanna Football Conference division titles last week in the head-to-head battles that were close to what the Wyoming Area-Pittston Area matchup has going for it. The difference was those teams won games where the last two unbeatens in their divisions squared off, but they only clinched ties for first place because they need one more win to complete perfect runs through those divisions.
After having the Chiefs and Blue Devils as the pick in the preseason and at midseason, nothing has happened to change that.
But, the continuation of that assessment is not a mystery. I’m going to guess that readers already know who the predicted winner will be as they go to lock up titles.
As for the regular season’s one true championship game, that will lead off the predictions, with home teams in bold italics:
OUTRIGHT CHAMPIONS, PART 1
To join Crestwood as WVC champion, Pittston Area will need to end a four-game winning streak in the series that Wyoming Area has dominated in recent seasons. The Warriors have won seven of the last eight to take a 32-25 lead in the series. In a series that was all square after the teams had met twice and again after 4, 6, 16, 18, 26, 28, 38 and 40 meetings, the resurgence at Pittston Area could provide a boost to get back to competitiveness shown in the earlier years. It may be time for change.
Pittston Area 28, Wyoming Area 22
OUTRIGHT CHAMPIONS, PART 2
Lakeland and Old Forge handled the hard parts – perhaps even harder than anticipated – last week. The Chiefs, the only unbeaten team in District 2, need one more win to make their LFC Division 2 outright title official when they play at Mid Valley. Old Forge, likewise, has to go to Carbondale to complete its run through LFC Division 3. Don’t expect Lakeland to need a second-half comeback or Old Forge to need a late field goal this time.
Lakeland 59, Mid Valley 0
Old Forge 42, Carbondale 9
MORE COMPLICATED
Four of the five division championship races have already been assessed. The other could produce an outright champion or it might end up being the only split championship. In 2021, Scranton Prep went to Valley View in the final week for a game matching this year’s Wyoming Area-Pittston Area finale, two teams unbeaten in the division, squaring off at the end for the championship. Scranton Prep defeated Valley View, 17-10, for the LFC Division 2 title at the same time Delaware Valley was beating North Pocono, 12-6, in a similar game to decide LFC Division 1. Since then, the LFC switched from four to three divisions, with Scranton Prep and Valley View moving up. They are not unbeaten in the division this time, but they are once again part of a first-place tie as the Cavaliers make another trip to Peckville Friday night. Delaware Valley still holds a share of that lead as well as it prepares to host Abington Heights. If Delaware Valley wins, the Scranton Prep-Valley View winner will share the title with the Warriors. If Delaware Valley loses, the Cavaliers and Cougars will be playing for an outright title. Scranton Prep and Valley View will be a little too busy on the field for a lot of scoreboard watching.
Valley View 24, Scranton Prep 21
Delaware Valley 31, Abington Heights 14
MORE RIVALS
As hinted at earlier, Rick Notari of The Rick’s Picks on NEPAFootball.com would tell you that Old Forge-Riverside is District 2’s best football rivalry. Nearby, the Pittston Area and Wyoming Area fans would probably argue that. In the Back Mountain, Dallas and Lake-Lehman have their own tradition in the Old Shoe Game. In this year’s matchup, however, the shoe may not be a good fit for the debate with Dallas a title contender and Lake-Lehman, the smaller school, going through some struggles.
Dallas 49, Lake-Lehman 0
EARLY START
Nanticoke and Hanover Area have their own rivalry, the San Souci Struggle. It will stand out for at least one reason, as the one and only Thursday night game on this season’s schedule in District 2. Otherwise, though, Hanover Area is struggling to the finish line after getting its only win on Opening Night.
Nanticoke 41, Hanover Area 3
MORE RIVALS
Dunmore and West Scranton are once again in the same division, allowing for the resumption of what was once a Thanksgiving Day rivalry game. Two of Wayne County’s three teams meet when Western Wayne goes to Honesdale. There are many fans in the two districts that hope for the emerging Wilkes-Barre Area program to develop its biggest traditional rivalry with the team across the river at Wyoming Valley West.
Dunmore 33, West Scranton 20
Western Wayne 25, Honesdale 15
Wilkes-Barre Area 38, Wyoming Valley West 6
THE FINALE
The last regular-season game on the District 2 schedule will be important to the two teams involved. Holy Redeemer will try to get to the four-win mark for the first time in school history in the Saturday night game played at King’s College. In a season when the very existence of the program seemed to be in serious jeopardy, Montrose is also seeking a fourth win and a .500 finish. The Meteors are seeing progress as they try to continue working their way back through an independent schedule.
Montrose 32, Holy Redeemer 26
THE REST
Berwick and Scranton will be among teams trying to bounce back as they prepare for the postseason. The tests are considerably different. Berwick goes to Hazleton Area after having its title shot ruined last week by the blowout loss to Crestwood. Scranton, which started 6-0, will try to stop a three-game losing streak during a trip to Wallenpaupack.
Hazleton Area 33, Berwick 23
Scranton 29, Wallenpaupack 10
Crestwood 48, North Pocono 7
Riverside 59, Holy Cross 0
Williamsport 54, Tunkhannock 14
Susquehanna 21, Lackawanna Trail 20
KEEPING SCORE
The teams discussed here have their own goals and I have mine. There are two for this predictions column – beating out The Rick’s Picks in our friendly competition with our partners at NEPAFootball.com and topping the 80-percent mark. In the Week 7 games, I finally passed Rick for the first time all season, although that lead remains at a single game after we each went 17-2 (89.5 percent) last week. That record improved my picks to 63-9 (87.5 percent) for the four weeks that make up the second half of the season so far. That run has finally pushed the season record above 80 percent at 129-31 (80.6 percent). Rick’s record is right at the 80-percent mark at 128-32. See where Rick and I differ and read what Rick has to say in this week’s predictions at: 2022 The Rick’s Picks – Week 10 | NEPA Football.
