Delaware Valley at Scranton Prep

Recap

SCRANTON PREP 49, DELAWARE VALLEY 44

In a truly wild Lackawanna Football Conference Division I contest at Dunmore High School, Scranton Prep scored 42 unanswered points, erasing a 31-7 3^rd quarter deficit, and then held off a wild Delaware Valley rally in the game’s final minutes to notch their first victory of the season, 49-44. The game featured over 900 yards of offense and an incredible virtuoso performance by Will McPartland, Scranton Prep’s senior quarterback, who was making his first start of the season after returning from an ACL injury suffered in last year’s state playoff loss to Northwestern Lehigh. McPartland rushed for 168 yards and 5 touchdowns and threw for 237 more, including two touchdown passes in the game’s second half.

With McPartland calling the signals for the first time, Prep marched 80 yards in 6 plays on their first possession of the evening. The drive featured two McPartland aerials to tight end Sean McCormack that covered 39 yards. McPartland scored his first touchdown of the night on a designed quarterback run from 14 yards away. Tyler Bianchi’s first successful point try of the night made it 7-0 Prep with 8:57 left in the opening quarter.

It appeared as though the Cavaliers were heading for their second touchdown of the night on their very next possession. On 3^rd and 3 from the Warrior 18, a direct snap to Braedon McPartland was fumbled, giving the Warriors possession on their own 22. From there, Delaware Valley would score 31 consecutive points. On the next snap, tailback Mike Iuzzolino raced 78 yards to the end zone through the middle of the Prep defense. Reagan Decker’s PAT tied the score with 2:03 left in the first stanza.

After forcing a Prep punt, the Warriors went to work from the Prep 41. With a 1^st and goal at the Prep 5, the Warriors would come up short of the end zone, giving the ball back to Prep at their own 1-yard line. On the second play of the drive, McPartland fumbled a snap from center, handing the ball back to the Warriors at the 3. Three plays later, quarterback Colin McGarvey snuck in from the one. The Warriors led 14-7 with 7:59 left to play before halftime.

After another Prep drive ended in a punt, Delaware Valley went 51 yards in five plays, all on the ground. Once again, it was McGarvey, this time taking off into the teeth of the Prep defense, eluding tacklers on his way to an 18-yard touchdown. The extra point made it 21-7 Warriors with 5:11 left in the second period.

Prep’s next possession ended in a turnover when McPartland’s pass ricocheted off the hands of Liam Haggerty into the arms of Drew Dabnet. Taking over at their own 47, the Warriors marched to the Prep 5. With just 2 seconds left in the half, Coach Keith Olsommer sent out Decker, who blasted a 22-yard field goal to make the halftime score 24-7 Warriors.

The second half began with more fireworks as Iuzzolino notched his second long touchdown run of the contest on the drive’s very first play, covering 71 yards in the blink of an eye to make the Delaware Valley advantage a seemingly insurmountable 31-7.

Prep took over on their own 23 and faced a 4^th and 1 after three plays netted 9 yards. On 4^th and 1, Prep coach Terry Gallagher rolled the dice and went for the first down deep in his own territory. Another bad center exchange gave the Warriors the ball on the Prep 32. After Prep’s Kaleb Pagnotti dropped McGarvey in his own backfield for an 8-yard loss, the Warriors were forced to attempt a 51-yard field goal. Decker’s attempt was wide and short and Prep had dodged a bullet.

Still, the Cavaliers were forced to punt again. This time, the Prep defense rose to the occasion, forcing the Warriors to punt. Prep’s A.J. Croom picked up a bouncing punt from Decker at the 5-yard line and sprinted 60 yards down the right sideline, putting the Cavaliers in business at the Delaware Valley 35. After a pass interference penalty against the Warriors on 4^th down extended the Prep drive, McPartland hit Jack Mendola in the right corner of the end zone from 15 yards away. Bianchi’s PAT made it 31-14 with 4:56 left in the third quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, the wheels began to fall off the Warrior wagon. Zach Scoblick, kicking off to spell a hobbled Tyler Bianchi, attempted to squib the ball through the Warrior return team. His kick bounced off one of the players on the front wall and Scoblick pounced on the ball at the Warrior 39. Two plays later, McPartland raced 30 yards for the score, and the Delaware Valley lead had been whittled to 10 with 4:06 still left to play in the third.

On their next possession, Delaware Valley saw Iuzzolino stumble after taking the handoff and then fumble the football. Prep recovered at the Warrior 42. Seconds later, Will McPartland dropped off a pass in the flat to his brother, Braeden, who scooted the distance down the right sideline. Miraculously, the score was 31-28 with 3:46 still showing on the 3^rd quarter clock.

Delaware Valley was able to manage one first down on their next possession, before being forced to punt, giving Prep the ball back at their own 13. On 3^rd and 13, the brothers McPartland connected again for a 22 yard gain, giving the Prep offense some breathing room at their own 32. Will McPartland carried for 8 and then Braeden for 11 to the Warrior 49. On 2^nd and 10 from that very same spot, McPartland launched a pass down the middle of the field that was hauled in by a leaping Liam Haggerty at the Warrior 3-yard line. An errant snap from center sailed over McPartland’s head to move the ball back to the 14 on 2^nd down. A personal foul penalty on the next play put the ball at the Warrior 5. Will McPartland then blasted off tackle and into the end zone and the Cavaliers led 35-31 with 8:07 left in the contest.

Astonishingly, the Warriors would fumble away the football on their very next snap from center, and Prep was in business again at the Warrior 34-yard line. Braeden McPartland had the big play of that drive when he scooted 17 yards to the Delaware Valley 5. Brother Will did the rest on two carries, the second coming from 2 yards away. With 4:53 left, Prep held a 42-31 edge.

Another turnover was to follow. On 1^st and 10 from midfield after the Warriors had gained 10 yards on the drive, McGarvey’s deep pass was picked off by Prep’s Jack Mendola, who made a juggling catch at the 6-yard line. Two Anthony Prince carried moved the ball out to the 15 where Prep faced a 3^rd and 1. McPartland then burst through the Warrior line on a quarterback sneak and raced 85 yards to paydirt. Prep had scored 42 unanswered points and led 49-31.

But the Warriors did not go quietly. Taking over at their own 45, three plays moved the ball to the Prep 31. There, McGarvey hit Trey Newton who made a sliding catch in the end zone, cutting the Prep lead to 49-38 with 1:15 left in the contest.

The Warriors then lined up for an onside kick which they managed to recover at the Prep 50. It took them 8 plays to reach the end zone again, with McGarvey finding Newton from 14 yards out. The two-point conversion attempt came up short, and it was 49-44 with just 11 seconds left to play.

One more time, the Warriors lined up for the onside kick, but this time the Cavaliers were able to cover the football and had come away with a wild and improbable 49-44 victory.

Now 1-3, Prep will face another division opponent next weekend when they host Scranton High School at Dunmore. Delaware Valley, still searching for their elusive first win, will head to Wallenpaupack to face the 2-2 Buckhorns.

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER

SP – Will McPartland 14-yd run (Tyler Bianchi kick) – Scranton Prep 7-0

DV – Mike Iuzzolino 78-yd run (Reagan Decker kick) – Tied 7-7

2ND QUARTER

DV – Colin McGarvey 1-yd run (Decker kick) – Delaware Valley 14-7

DV – McGarvey 18-yd run (Decker kick) – Delaware Valley 21-7

DV – Decker 22-yd field goal – Delaware Valley 24-7

3RD QUARTER

DV – Iuzzolino 71-yd run (Decker kick) – Delaware Valley 31-7

SP – Jack Mendola 15-yd pass from W. McPartland (Bianchi kick) – Delaware Valley 31-14

SP – W. McPartland 30-yd run (Bianchi kick) – Delaware Valley 31-21

SP – Braednon McPartland 42-yd pass from W. McPartland (Bianchi kick) – Delaware Valley 31-28

4TH QUARTER

SP – W.McPartland 5-yd run (Bianchi kick) – Scranton Prep 35-31

SP – W.McPartland 2-yd run (Bianchi kick) – Scranton Prep 42-31

SP – W.McPartland 85-yd run (Bianchi kick) – Scranton Prep 49-31

DV – Trey Newton 31-yd pass from McGarvey (Decker kick) – Scranton Prep 49-38

DV – Newton 14-yd pass from McGarvey (Pass failed) – Scranton Prep 49-44