Tyler Wolfe accounted for all three touchdowns while engineering a balanced Hazleton Area offense and rallying the Cougars to their first football victory of the season, 21-14, Friday night at Crispin Field in Berwick.
Both the Cougars and the host Bulldogs are 1-2 following the non-league game between Wyoming Valley Conference members.
Wolfe threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Cusatis midway through the second quarter to create a 14-14 halftime tie, then ran 6 yards for the game-winning score with 1:54 left in the third quarter.
Hazleton Area finished with 153 yards rushing and 151 yards passing.
Wolfe was responsible for all the passing, going 12-for-17.
Ryan Matyas led the ground game with 62 yards on 3 carries. Matthew Buchman added 53 yards on 14 carries.
Cusatis had a strong all-around game. He was the leading receiver with 6 catches for 63 yards, added 36 yards rushing on 5 carries and picked off a pass.
Qay’von Minor and Jim Beltre also made big contributions to a defense that held Berwick scoreless over the last three quarters. Minor had nine tackles. Beltre had two sacks.
Aiden Mason, who ran for more than 100 yards, gave Berwick a pair of leads with first-quarter touchdown runs.
In between, Wolfe threw a touchdown pass to Matyas.
MORE FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL COVERAGE
Dunmore/Lake-Lehman: https://nepasportsnation.com/ruggerio-defense-lead-bucks/.
Holy Cross-Hanover Area: https://nepasportsnation.com/tierney-leads-win-by-crusaders/.
Pittston Area-Wyoming Valley West: https://nepasportsnation.com/pittston-area-ends-slide/.
Scoreboard: https://nepasportsnation.com/fridays-district-2-scoreboard-4/.
