Hazleton at Dallas

Recap

DALLAS 48, HAZLETON 12

Gavin Lewis and the Dallas Mountaineers kept finding ways to score in an outrageous second-quarter performance Friday night.

In a championship battle between the top two teams in Division 1 of the Wyoming Valley Conference, Dallas scored six touchdowns in 6½ minutes during the second quarter to open a 42-point lead on the way to a 48-12 rout of visiting Hazleton Area.

With the win, Dallas finishes unbeaten in the division for the second straight year. The Mountaineers had already clinched no worse than a tie for first place in the division, but getting to that point was not always easy in a season that started with three straight losses outside the division.

Facing second-place Hazleton Area, which had a chance to force a tie at the top of the division, Dallas scored the game’s first six touchdowns to set up a second half which was played in its entirety under the running clock of the Mercy Rule.

The game was scoreless for nearly 16 minutes before Brady Zapoticky connected with Logan Geskey for a 46-yard touchdown.

Then, the fun started for the Mountaineers.

Nate Malarkey recovered a fumble on the kickoff and Gavin Lewis scored on a 10-yard run on the next play.

Two touchdowns, 13 seconds and a 14-0 lead with 7:57 remaining in the half.

Special teams factored in again on the first of two Dylan Geskey blocked punts that produced touchdowns. Lewis fell on the loose ball in the end zone to make it 21-0.

Three plays later, Sam Kelley returned an interception 57 yards for a touchdown.

Hazleton Area could not handle the ensuing kickoff and, in the scramble to get the ball, Kenny Martin recovered in the end zone with 4:04 still remaining in the half.

The offense got back in the scoring action with Lewis pulling in a 29-yard pass from Zapoticky.

Hazleton Area finally stopped the streak on a 69-yard run by Xavier Heck in the closing seconds of the second quarter to cut the deficit to 42-6 at halftime.

Dylan Geskey scooped up his own blocked punt early in the third quarter and fell forward into the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown return.

Hazleton Area’s Heck then broke a 53-yard touchdown run for the final score. He finished with 140 yards on 10 carries to lead a Hazleton Area offense otherwise disrupted by injuries.

Dallas finished 5-0 in the division, two games ahead of the pack. The Mountaineers take their six-game winning streak to rival Lake-Lehman next week for the Old Shoe Game, a non-league meeting of 6-3 teams.

Hazleton Area, which finished 3-2 in the division, is at Abington Heights in a game between 5-4 teams.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Quarter

None

2nd Quarter

DAL — Logan Geskey 46-yd pass from Brady Zapoticky (Rowan Laubach kick) – Dallas 7-0

DAL — Gavin Lewis 10-yd run (Laubach kick) – Dallas 14-0

DAL — G.Lewis 0-yd block punt return (Laubach kick) – Dallas 21-0

DAL — Sam Kelley 57-yd interception return (Laubach kick) – Dallas 28-0

DAL — Kenny Martin 0-yd fumble return (Laubach kick) – Dallas 35-0

DAL — G.Lewis 29-yd pass from Zapoticky (Laubach kick) – Dallas 42-0

HAZ — Xavier Heck 69-yd run (Kick failed) – Dallas 42-6

3rd Quarter

DAL — Dylan Geskey 2-yd block punt return (Kick failed) – Dallas 48-6

HAZ — Heck 53-yd run (Run failed) – Dallas 48-12

4th Quarter

None