Williamsport started slow, then scored fast in Friday night’s football opener between highly regarded Wyoming Valley Conference teams.
The Millionaires erased an early deficit by running off four straight touchdowns in a span of 15:22 during the second and third quarters of a 33-13 victory at Crestwood.
Williamsport was perfect in its six games against WVC competition last season and Crestwood went unbeaten all the way to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 4A state quarterfinals.
Frankie Morrone found Jamaire Harden for a go-ahead, 67-yard touchdown in the second quarter and an 87-yarder midway through the third.
Crestwood took a 7-0 lead on a Kaleb Benjamin 2-yard run in the first minute of the second quarter.
Williamsport answered with its own 2-yard touchdown run by Nasir Hennigan, but a botched extra point left the Comets in front, 7-6.
Following the two long touchdown passes, Keith Freeman’s 5-yard run with 4:46 left in the third quarter gave the Millionaires a 26-7 lead.
Williamsport, the top-ranked Big School team in the Gaughan Auto Store Super Six Power Rankings on WVC and Lackawanna Football Conference teams, overcame bad field position and big plays erased by penalties to still win comfortably. Crestwood entered the game as the No. 3 Big School.
Ethan Shudak’s 8-yard run with 8:14 left pulled the Comets with 26-13, but the Millionaires countered with Hennigan’s second touchdown, a 3-yard run, less than three minutes later.
Hennigan’s running, Morrone’s passing and Harden’s receiving each accounted for more than 150 yards for the Millionaires.
MORE FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL COVERAGE
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North Pocono-Pittston Area: https://nepasportsnation.com/n-pocono-shuts-out-pittston-area/.
Scranton Prep-Nanticoke: https://nepasportsnation.com/montgomery-leads-rout-by-prep/.
Western Wayne-Dunmore: https://nepasportsnation.com/janiszewski-leads-wildcats-victory/.
Wyoming Area-Hazleton Area: https://nepasportsnation.com/warriors-run-over-cougars-35-7/.
Wyoming Valley West-West Scranton: https://nepasportsnation.com/valley-west-starts-fast-in-50-6-rout/.
District 2 scoreboard: https://nepasportsnation.com/district-2-football-scoreboard/.
