Lackawanna Trail enters preparation for the upcoming football season fortified with returnees from a subregional championship team and graduates of an unbeaten junior high team.
Senior Hunter Patterson, junior Max Kimmel and sophomore Cooper Patterson are each among the top returning two-way players in their classes in Lackawanna Football Conference Division 3.
After finishing third in the six-team division a year ago, the Lions are positioned to enter the season as the favorite to win the division as well as repeat as District 1-2 Class A Subregional champion. The Lions put together a late four-game winning streak that included beating LFC Division 3 champion Old Forge, 24-21, in overtime to avenge a regular-season loss and capture the District 2 title.
The Lions return both a group of multi-year starters and those who established themselves quickly as first-year varsity players a year ago.
“The big message is, ‘you don’t want to have too many highs, you don’t want to have too many lows’, it’s just kind of getting better every day,” Lions coach Steve Jervis said of the approach to dealing with high expectations that could even have Lackawanna Trail back in consideration among the top Class A teams in the entire state. “We definitely have some pieces this year. We have some really good football players with a lot of quality experience.
“And, I think we have a nice mix of some upperclassmen and some underclassmen. I think how well we jell together, that team chemistry and how much we play for each other is going to be one of our keys to success.”
Lackawanna Trail’s wing-T ground attack is well fortified, beginning with third-year starters Lukas Gumble and Hunter Patterson, who combined for 2,856 yards and 36 touchdowns rushing in the past two seasons. Both are returning division all-stars.
Gumble, the halfback, ran for 931 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Hunter Patterson is at fullback.
Speedster Demetrius Douglass started the second half of the season and ran for 445 yards and five touchdowns.
Kimmel played wingback early before moving to wide receiver when Douglass joined the backfield. Kimmel turned his eight catches into a team-high 219 yards and four touchdowns while also running for 301 yards.
Isaac Ryon, an all-star defensive back as a freshman, also saw some playing time in the offensive backfield and could get more this season. Logan Edwards provides depth at fullback.
Stephen Jervis, the coach’s son, is back at quarterback after throwing for 585 yards and nine touchdowns. He has three of his top four receivers back in Kimmel, Hunter Patterson and Gumble.
“Offensively, the big thing this year is we have the potential to be pretty balanced,” coach Jervis said. “Obviously, with our style, we focus on the run game a lot. But, we have some real quality receivers as well and having experience back at the quarterback position, I think that is going to help us as well.”
The Lions also have plenty of experience up front.
Two-way returnees Alex Castellano and Cooper Patterson were both division all-stars last season.
Gary Shaw is back at center. Sophomore Colin Owens appears ready to join Cooper Patterson at guard.
Castellano is entering his third year as a starter at tackle where Brian Gow also returns. Lucas Evans, 6-foot-2, 265-pound sophomore, could be ready to share time with Gow to help keep the many two-way players on the team fresh.
The experience and size in the interior line allows for Kolbee Soltis to make the move from guard to tight end where he may share duties with senior Ryan Wilbur and sophomore Blake Stage.
Cooper Patterson is back at one defensive end with Shaw, Stage, Owens also seeing time at one of the two end spots.
Castellano returns in the interior line. Evans is also there with Gow, Will Kilmer and freshman Anthony Paolucci creating the possibility of another rotation in the line.
Hunter Patterson and Soltis are set for their third year at inside linebackers. Gumble returns at outside linebacker with Douglass.
Edwards and freshman Tyler Jervis give the team depth at linebacker.
Cornerback Kimmel and free safety Ryon are back in the secondary along with the other cornerback, Cole Rosengrant. Junior Wyatt Laytos and sophomore Sean Dwyer are also available.
Ryon kicked the game-winning field goal in the district final with Old Forge.
The Lions, a .500 team before their late winning streak, finished 8-5 last season.
