Pocono Mountain West at Scranton

Recap

POCONO MOUNTAIN WEST 38, SCRANTON 19

At Scranton Memorial Stadium, Pocono Mountain West spoiled the season debut for Coach Steve Shumbres and the Scranton Knights by using a powerful ground attack and some early big plays to record a 38-19 victory over the Knights.

Scranton took the opening kickoff and moved deep into West territory before Brady Behr stepped in front of an errant Brody Coyle pass and returned it 97 yards to pay dirt. With the game less than three minutes old, the Knights trailed West 7-0. Later in the first quarter, the Panthers mounted a sustained drive that resulted in quarterback Jerel Sims’s 2-yard plunge that put West up 14-0 at the conclusion of the opening quarter.

The Knights cut that deficit in half following their own drive as Reece Whitman scooted across the goal line from 4 yards out. The extra point made it 14-7 West with 10:34 remaining before halftime.

It didn’t take long for the Panthers to answer the score as Sims and Behr hooked up on a 63-yard scoring toss on the first play from scrimmage on the next West drive. The Panther lead grew to 28-7 later in the quarter when Christian Stiehler, the Panthers’ burly sophomore fullback scampered 38 yards for the score with 3:54 left before half to make it 28-7. After a Scranton turnover, the Panthers were able to add 3 more points before halftime as Colin Lawrence connected on a 27-yard field goal with just three seconds remaining before halftime. The Panthers went to the locker room with a 31-7 lead.

After neither team scored in the third quarter, Scranton used two consecutive scoring drives to put a scare into the Panthers, both led by senior signal caller, Brody Coyle. With 8:54 left in the game, Coyle found Brandon Dempsey for a 24-yard scoring aerial, though the extra point was unsuccessful, making the score 31-13. On the very next drive, Coyle scrambled in from 12 yards away with just over seven minutes remaining in the contest. The point after was blocked, leaving the Knights with a 31-19 deficit.

The Panthers ground out much of the rest of the clock, scoring their final touchdown when Stiehler, who rushed for 140 yards in the contest, carried over from 8 yards away. The extra point concluded the scoring at 38-19.

The Knights will look to get their first win next week when they travel to Kingston to face WVC foe, Wyoming Valley West.

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER

PMW – Brady Behr 97-yd interception return (Colby Lawrence kick) – Pocono Mt. West 7-0

PMW – Jerel Sims 2-yd run (Lawrence kick) – Pocono Mt. West 14-0

2ND QUARTER

SCR – Reece Whitman 4-yd run (Marci Dieu kick) – Pocono Mt. West 14-7

PMW – Behr 63-yd pass from Sims (Lawrence kick) – Pocono Mt. West 21-7

PMW – Christian Stiehler 38-yd run (Lawrence kick) – Pocono Mt. West 28-7

PMW – Lawrence 27-yd field goal  – Pocono Mt. West 31-7

3RD QUARTER

None

4TH QUARTER

SCR – Brandon Dempsey 24-yd pass from Brody Coyle (Pass failed) – Pocono Mt. West 31-13

SCR – Coyle 12-yd run (Kick failed) – Pocono Mt. West 31-19

PMW – Stiehler 8-yd run (Lawrence kick) – Pocono Mt. West 38-19