Scranton Prep at Scranton

Recap

SCRANTON PREP 43, SCRANTON 0

At Memorial Stadium, in a football game that Scranton Prep dominated from beginning to end in all three phases, the Cavaliers ran roughshod over the previously unbeaten Scranton Knights, 43-0.

The tenor for the contest was set on the game’s opening kickoff when the Knights mishandled Tyler Bianchi’s bouncing boot. Prep took over on the Scranton 23-yard line. Four running plays later, bruising Prep tailback Will McPartland busted through the center of the Scranton line from 5-yards away to put Prep ahead 7-0 less than two minutes into the game. Those would be the only points Prep would need as their defense held Scranton to just 115 total yards on the night.

After a Scranton drive lost 8 yards, the Knights were forced to punt. Prep then went 57 yards on 8 plays, once again all on the ground. Louis Paris, the burly senior quarterback, snuck over from the 1 to put the Cavaliers ahead 14-0 with 4:51 left to play in the opening stanza.

Once again the Knights were forced to punt the football away. The results were eerily similar. Prep took over from their own 41-yard line. Fullback Reese Tanner began the drive with a 20-yard jaunt on a trap play. Wingback Treyvon Dickey added his own 10-yard scamper. The drive was capped when Paris dashed to the left corner of the end zone form 29 yards out, but not before running over two Knight tacklers inside the 5. The Cavaliers had extended their lead to 21-0 and the first quarter had still not yet finished.

Scranton, aided by two damaging penalties against Prep, one a roughing the passer personal foul and the other defensive pass interference, was able to move the ball inside the red zone to the Prep 14 where their drive stalled when a pass fell incomplete on 4^th and 3.

After a Jordan Talarico punt pinned the Knights deep in their territory, Prep once again stopped three consecutive Scranton running plays short of a first down. The snap to the punter sailed out of the end zone for a safety. With 4:29 left in the half, Prep led 23-0.

Prep accepted the free kick at their own 45-yard line. It took the Cavaliers 8 plays to find the end zone once again. The key play in the drive was an 18-yard dart to A.J. Croom along the left sideline which put the Cavaliers in business at the Scranton 11-yard line. Paris tossed his only touchdown of the night as the senior hooked up with big-play receiver Brady Holmes for the score. Bianchi added the extra point and Prep led 30-0 at intermission.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, a 74-yard touchdown return by Holmes was negated by a holding penalty. Not to be denied, the Cavaliers took the ball at the Scranton 35-yard line and used 7 plays to reach the end zone. Paris hit junior tight end Sean McCormack on a 25-yard screen pass on 4^th and 6, a play that set Prep up at the Scranton 6-yard line. Reese Tanner would eventually score from a yard out with 8:16 left in the third frame. After Bianchi’s kick, the mercy rule went into effect as Prep led 37-0.

Once again, the Knights were able to make their way into the red zone, and once again they were denied as Jalonte Weeks came up 2 yards shy of a first down on a 4^th down pass. Prep then went 93 yards on just 4 plays. Sophomore speedster Anthony Prince jetted down the left sideline from 47-yards away for Prep’s final points, making it 43-0 as both teams cleared their benches.

Prep outgained Scranton 371-115, including an advantage of 312 rushing yards to just 51 for the Knights.

Scranton Prep (4-1, 3-0) will be at home on Friday night to meet divisional foe Wallenpaupack. Scranton (4-1, 0-1) will also have a LFC Division I tussle on their hands as they take on Valley View at Memorial Stadium.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Quarter

SP – Will McPartland 5-yd run (Tyler Bianchi kick) – Scranton Prep 7-0

SP – Louis Paris 1-yd run (Bianchi kick) – Scranton Prep 14-0

SP – Paris 29-yd run (Bianchi kick) – Scranton Prep 21-0

2nd Quarter

SP – Safety (Punt out of end zone) – Scranton Prep 23-0

SP – Brady Holmes 11-yd pass from Parish (Bianchi kick) – Scranton Prep 30-0

3rd Quarter

SP – Reese Tanner 1-yd run (Bianchi kick) – Scranton Prep 37-0

SP – Anthony Prince 53-yd run (Kick failed) – Scranton Prep 43-0

4th Quarter

Non