Tim Mangan and Brian McAndrew are shown wishing the Dunmore Bucks much success this football season from the Jersey Shore. They borrowed the beach towel from Tim’s wife, Carolyn, a teacher at Dunmore High School.
Members of the Holy Cross football team include, front row, from left: Casey Connolly, Dylan Michalek, Robert Murphy, Aaron Bogdanski, Josh Mies, Deion Lewis, Austin Shattin, Noah Sirianni, Matt Herne, Kevin Kizis, and Matt Nealon. Second Row: Connor Nealon, Nik Boniello, Mike Roberts, Jason Kopf, RJ Hernandez, Nick Klein, Tom Malone, Frank Scavo, Zach Zaluski. Third Row: Pat Pastore, JJ Backus, Sean Collins, Matt Warden, Bailey Simrell, Paul Marmo, Cory Miller, and Pat Kane. Josh Watters serves as head football coach.
By Steve Svetovich
Holy Cross Crusaders junior quarterback Cory Miller came off the bench and fired three touchdown passes to lead his team to its first home win since 2010, a 35-33 thriller over Susquehanna on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Monsignor Crotti Field in Dunmore.
The double overtime win snapped a 20-game home losing streak for the Crusaders, and it was the first win of the year for football coach Josh Watters and his Holy Cross Crusaders.
The Crusaders took advantage of a couple Susquehanna turnovers to take a 13-0 lead in the first quarter of the contest. On just the third play from scrimmage in the game, the diminutive junior Josh Mies intercepted a Susquehanna pass and bolted 42 yards for a Holy Cross touchdown. The point after touchdown (PAT) kick by the versatile Mies gave the Crusaders a quick 7-0 lead.
Two plays later, the Sabers fumbled and the Crusaders recovered at the Susquehanna 12. Soon after, Holy Cross’s signal caller, junior Deion Lewis, plunged into the end zone from the one on a sneak, and the Crusaders led, 13-0 with 8:25 left in the first quarter. A two-point conversion run attempt failed.
The Crusaders recovered a Susquehanna fumble late in the first quarter, but were then forced to punt. Susquehanna came back with a seven-play, 75-yard drive. Sabers’ junior quarterback Kyle Donovan scored on an eight-yard run to close the gap to 13-7 after the PAT.
Following a punt, the Sabers had the pigskin with 2:20 left in the first half. Then Nik Boniello intercepted a Sabers pass play and returned it to the Susquehanna 36. On the very next play, the cool-headed Miller hit Kevin Kizis for a 36-yard score. The extra point kick by Mies gave Holy Cross a 21-7 halftime lead.
The Sabers put together a long drive in the third quarter marching 66 yards on 10 plays, with Donovan scoring on a two-yard plunge. The extra point failed and the Crusaders had a 21-13 lead, with 3:04 left in the third quarter.
With less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter, junior Jarred Mills of the Sabers pounced on a Holy Cross fumble at the Crusaders 22. Six players later, Donovan scored on another two-yard sneak. A two-point conversion run by Mills tied the game, 21-21, with 2:26 left.
The game went into overtime and then came more heroics from both ends. Susquehanna got the ball first and scored on two plays. A five-yard run by Wes Richardson gave the Sabers the lead, 27-21. The extra point failed.
The Crusaders overtime possession began with three incompletions. However, with the game on the line and fourth-and-goal from the 10, the clutch Miller hit Bailey Simrell with a TD toss to tie the hard fought contest, 27-27. However, the extra point failed, and the thrilling game went into the second overtime.
A determined Miller came right back in the second overtime by hitting Kizis for a 10-yard score on the first play. Miller then ran into the end zone for the important two-point conversion and Holy Cross had a 35-27 lead.
The Sabers faced fourth and goal from the two in the second overtime. Then Donovan scored his fourth touchdown on a quarterback sneak to close the gap to 35-33. The Sabers attempted another sneak, but the strong Holy Cross front line held them.
The Crusaders celebrated with a hard earned 35-33 double overtime win at home.
Susquehanna totaled 286 rushing yards to the Crusaders 14 in the game. Mills ran for 146 yards on 26 carries for the Sabers. Holy Cross totaled 69 passing yards to none for the Sabers.
In the end, it was a never-say-die team effort led by the level headed play and clutch performance off the bench by quarterback Miller that won the game for the Crusaders.
The win gave Holy Cross a 1-2 record, but 1-0 in Division 3 of the Lackawanna Football Conference. Susquehanna dropped to 1-2 and 0-1 in Division 3.
By Steve Svetovich
Michael Dougherty of the Dunmore Bucks broke up a West Scranton two-point conversion attempt in the back of the end zone with no time left as the Bucks held on to a 27-25 win Friday, Sept. 18, at Scranton Memorial Stadium. It was Buck’s second straight win after losing their season opener to Scranton Prep, 21-0.
The fifth-ranked Bucks used a brutal running attack to score three second-half touchdowns on the Invaders.
West Scranton quarterback Matt Gaul, who completed 19-of-30 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns, led the Invaders on a 62-yard scoring drive in the final 1:28 only to have Dougherty break up the two-point conversion attempt.
Dougherty played a superb game defensively for the Bucks. He also had an interception and three pass breakups in the contest.
West took the first lead with 11:02 left in the second quarter when Gaul tossed a 27-yard score to Shyann Jackson who had to jump high in the air to snare the pigskin. The point after touchdown (PAT) made it 7-0.
Bucks back Garrett Murray scored on a one-yard plunge with 2:37 left in the second quarter. The PAT knotted the game, 7-7.
Dunmore drove the pigskin 53 yards on eight plays to move ahead, 13-7, with 6:50 left in the third quarter. Murray’s three yard burst capped the drive. The extra point failed. Then came the wild fourth quarter.
The Invaders came back with Tayon Brown’s 10-yard TD scamper, with 10:04 left in the game. A bad snap led to a failed extra point and the game was tied, 13-13.
The Bucks were ready for a showoff Murray had runs of 18 and 14 yards to set up a Colin Holmes 18-yard TD run, with 6:21 left to play. The PAT gave the Bucks a 20-13 lead.
With just over three minutes left, West receiver Sam Egan grabbed a high loft from Gaul to the Dunmore 22. Four plays later, Williams scored on a 10-yard pass from Gaul, with 2:24 left. Down 20-19, West opted for the two point attempt, but Dunmore’s Nick Shoemaker pressured Gaul who could not find an open receiver.
The Bucks seemed to seal the contest when Murray scampered into the end zone for a 42-yard touchdown run, with1:28 left in the fourth quarter. The PAT gave Dunmore a 27-19 lead. But Gaul came right back completing two passes to Jackson and one each to Donovan DePasquale and Egan.
That set up a superb catch by Williams from Gaul from 22 yards out as the clock expired. Williams made the catch in the end zone with three defenders around him.
The heroic Dougherty was then there to stop Gaul on the final two-point conversion attempt as Dunmore won, 27-25. Dunmore upped its record to 2-1 while West fell to 1-2.
Murray led Dunmore with 152 yards rushing and three scores on 15 carries. Holmes ran for 70 yards on 20 carries. Jackson caught nine passes for 107 yards for West. Egan caught five passes for 54 yards.
The Bucks rushed for 242 yards to West’s 61 in the contest and had no passing yards to West’s 192.