CLARKS SUMMIT — Abington Heights forced turnovers on the first special teams play and the first defensive series, then turned the game over to a dominant effort by its offensive line.
The Comets controlled all three parts of the game throughout all four quarters Aug. 31 to pound visiting West Scranton, 42-0, in a non-league football game between Lackawanna Football Conference teams.
Abington Heights used a balanced attack to open a 28-0 lead in the first 14½ minutes, then attempted just one more pass the rest of the way as a steady ground game kept the Comets in control. They built a 35-0 lead at halftime, ensuring the entire second half would be played under the running clock of the Mercy Rule.
“We want to be able to be balanced offensively,” said Comets coach Joe Repshis, whose team relied on its passing attack to produce seven wins last season. “Being able to run the ball effectively keeps the ball out of your opponent’s hands and also allows you to be effect throwing the ball.”
Abington Heights held possession for 29 minutes, 10 more than West Scranton.
Dominic Vergnetti ran for two touchdowns in the first 3:14 for a 14-0 lead. He finished with a team-high 76 yards on 12 carries.
The Comets had seven players run for at least 13 yards while totaling 208 yards on 37 carries, their highest rushing yardage total since the last time they played the Invaders, late in the 2021 season.
The offensive line of Asiel Richards, Brandon Lezinski, Myles Knott, Liam Fick and A.J. Abda made sure there was room to run no matter who was the ballcarrier. The Comets gained 145 of their rushing yards on 18 first-half carries.
Tight end Cayd Sespico joined the interior offensive line in opening holes, caught a touchdown pass and led the defense from his end position. Sespico had two sacks, made two other tackles for losses, forced a fumble, batted down a pass and assisted another tackle.
Just about everything went right for the Comets early.
West Scranton fumbed the opening kickoff and Jaydin Anglin recovered at the 28.
Nick Bradley found Shane Brower with an 8-yard pass and Vergnetti scored from the 20 on the next play.
Vergnetti needed only to slip one tackle, inside the 10, to reach the end zone for a 7-0 lead after just 20 seconds.
Sespico assisted Vergnetti in stopping West Scranton’s first offensive play for no gain, then batted down a second-down pass.
Brower’s third-down interception put the Comets at the Invaders 37.
“The turnover on the kickoff and then being able to come right back in the next series and get an interception and put 14 points on the board early gives a whole lot of momentum and confidence that I believe carries through the remaining part of the game,” Repshis said.
Abington Heights had a 16-4 advantage in first downs and forced three turnovers, two of them on kickoffs, without committing any.
The Comets scored on all five first-half possessions.
The longest scoring drive was a 67-yarder in seven plays for a 21-0 lead with 2:53 left in the first quarter.
Bradley passed to Gavin Anders for 10 yards on the first play and Thatcher Loss ran 22 yards on the next.
Shawn Theodore used his six-inch height advantage to pull in Bradley’s high throw into the left side of the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown.
Vergnetti carried four straight times in a drive that produced Bradley’s 7-yard touchdown toss to Sespico on a third-and-seven screen pass.
Anthony Severs, the second-leading rusher in the game, picked up 32 yards on four carries in a drive that led to Anglin’s 18-yard touchdown.
Jack Farrell made it 5-for-5 on extra points for the 35-point halftime lead.
The Comets added their last touchdown on an 11-play drive that carried from the third quarter into the fourth. The drive featured 10 runs, including Ethan Opiel’s 4-yard touchdown.
Rodman Azar’s kick accounted for the last point.
The Comets (1-1) made the most of a huge advantage in field position. Their average drive started at the Invaders 43. That better than every drive by West Scranton, which began, on average, from its 28.
West Scranton did not take a snap in Abington Heights territory until the game’s last two plays began at the 49 and 43, the closest they came to scoring.
