Dallas at Hazleton

Recap

DALLAS 37, HAZLETON AREA 7

Dallas seized command early and held that grip all night, handing Hazleton Area a 37-7 defeat in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 game Friday.

Hazleton struck first, converting a 4th-and-short situation into a 15-yard touchdown run by quarterback J.J. Lantigua, giving the Cougars a 7-0 lead. But that would be the only time the Cougars found the end zone.

From that point on, Dallas’ special teams and defense took over. Special teams delivered a shock wave when Dallas executed a successful on-side kick immediately after tying the score. Within plays, the Mountaineers capitalized on the turnover, retaking the lead via a quarterback keeper by Talan Geskey. The momentum swing proved decisive.

In the second quarter Dallas extended the lead further. Geskey used his legs again for a scoring run, and later connected with Logan Geskey on a 36-yard touchdown pass just before halftime. A field goal made it 23-7 at the break.

The third quarter featured another momentum shifter — Sam Kelley’s 62-yard punt return touchdown put the game out of reach. In the fourth, he capped things with a 21-yard touchdown run to complete his three-score night (two rushing, one punt return).

The Dallas defense was dominant: they held Hazleton to just 114 total yards, intercepted momentum, and kept Lantigua under constant pressure — limiting him to just 23 net rushing yards and forcing multiple plays on the move. Dallas finished with 298 total yards (227 rushing), showcased by their balanced and driven effort.

Dallas improves to 4-5 overall and 4-1 in league play. Hazleton Area falls to 1-8 overall and winless in league at 0-5. Dallas will close out the regular season at home in its rivalry matchup next week against Lake-Lehman, while Hazleton Area looks to rebound in its finale at home against Abington Heights.

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER

HAZ – J.J. Lantigua 15-yd run (Gianni Turse kick) – Hazleton Area 7-0

DAL – Sam Kelley 8-yd run (Kick failed) – Hazleton Area 7-6

2ND QUARTER

DAL – Talan Geskey 8-yd run (Brandon Miller kick) – Dallas 13-7

DAL – Logan Geskey 36-yd pass from T. Geskey (Miller kick) – Dallas 20-7

DAL – Miller 28-yd field goal – Dallas 23-7

3RD QUARTER

DAL – Kelley 62-yd punt return (Miller kick) – Dallas 30-7

4TH QUARTER

DAL – Kelley 21-yd run (Miller kick) – Dallas 37-7