Scranton Prep opened the season ranked among the state’s top football teams, but a difficult schedule, a key injury absence and the challenges of replacing players lost to graduation combined to lead to an 0-2 start by the Cavaliers.
Pennlive.com listed Scranton Prep, the four-time defending District 2 champion, as the No. 5 Class 3A team in the state in its preseason rankings.
Will McPartland, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season, did not play in the first two games while he continues to recover from a knee injury suffered at the end of last season.
Valley View 14, Scranton Prep 10
Last year’s top two teams from Division 1 squared off in the only Lackawanna Football Conference game played during the opening weekend of the season.
The host Cougars held the defending champions scoreless in the second half to end the Cavaliers’ 10-game LFC Division 1 winning streak and a streak of 17 straight victories within District 2.
Scranton Prep, which reached the Valley View 2 after holding the ball for 15 plays on the game’s first possession, got its only touchdown when Mackey Lynett recovered an errant Valley View punt snap in the end zone with 25 seconds left in the first quarter.
Valley View answered on the next play with a 48-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Brown to Gabe Davis.
Tyler Bianchi’s 24-yard field goal on the next possession gave Scranton Prep a 10-7 halftime lead.
A muffed punt by the Cavaliers helped set up Tyler Muchal’s 18-yard run for the game-winning score in the third quarter.
Anthony Price led the Scranton Prep offense with 67 yards on 13 carries.
Loyola Blakefield (Md.) 45, Scranton Prep 13
Loyola Blakefield, one of Maryland’s top-ranked teams, avenged a loss to Scranton Prep in last season’s first meeting between the teams.
The Dons scored 21 points in each of the first two quarters to open a 42-6 halftime lead and play the entire second half of the game at Dunmore under the Mercy Rule.
Carlos Spencer threw four first-half touchdown passes, two of them to Notre Dame commit Khary Adams.
Owen Jeffers passed 4 yards to Braeden McPartland for a touchdown that pulled Scranton Prep within 7-6 in the first quarter.
Price, who finished with 88 yards on 10 carries, set up the score with a 46-yard run.
Sophomore quarterback Oliver Swingle, who took over when Jeffers was injured, went 5-for-6 passing on a fourth-quarter scoring drive that he capped with an 8-yard touchdown run.
