LACKAWANNA TRAIL FOOTBALL: Ryon opens with consecutive 4-TD games

CLINTON TWP. — Isaac Ryon has the Lackawanna Trail football team off and running again.

The return of the all-state running back and District 2 scoring champion is one of the reasons the Lions opened the season ranked third in the state among Class A teams, according to PennLive.com.

Ryon picked up where he left off, taking the early district scoring lead with eight touchdowns and 52 points as the Lions started 2-0 with a pair of 35-point performances from the offense.

Lackawanna Trail 35, Tunkhannock 21

Ryon helped Lackawanna Trail break away from an early tie with three of his touchdowns in a span of 10:08 to end the first half and start the second half.

The Lions moved ahead to stay on Ryon’s 26-yard run early in the second quarter. Ryon pulled in a 44-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Jervis, then, after Colin Owens forced a fumble that Jervis recovered on the first play of the second half, Ryon broke a 42-yard touchdown run on the next play.

“The beginning of the year is always a strange time because you don’t always know if you are fully ready of not,” Owens said. “I think this game gave us a lot of things to work on. It highlighted our weaknesses, but also showed us our strengths.

“We have to take the good with the bad, realize that we are a good football team, but that we have to keep working.”

Owens was one of the team’s defensive leaders, but also one of the keys to a strong performance by the offensive line that helped break inside runs like the 44-yard Logan Edwards run for a touchdown on the first series.

“There were a lot of good things tonight,” said Ryon, who added a 3-yard run for the final Lions touchdown. “Our line played very well and our backs ran hard.”

The Lions rushed for 292 yards on 43 carries.

Tunkhannock’s Andrew Lupinski gave the defense trouble at times, but Owens, Ryon and Jervis helped the Lions overcome that.

Owens made seven tackles, including an eight-yard sack and a forced fumble, and assisted on three others. He also had a pass rush that induced an interception.

In addition to his fumble recovery, Jervis had five tackles, a sack and a broken-up pass.

Ryon and Lupinski took turns trading highlights in strong, all-around performances that kept the game close.

The Tigers tied the game 7-7 after one quarter and remained within 21-14 at halftime when Lupinski broke a 66-yard touchdown run after Ryon’s second score.

Lupinski rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns while playing quarterback and caught two passes while at receiver, his regular position. He also made six tackles.

Ryon carried 14 times for 155 yards, had both of the team’s catches for 49 yards, returned a kickoff 23 yards and kicked two extra points. His defensive effort consisted of an interception, a forced fumble, four tackles and two assists.

Brayden Martinez contributed five tackles, including one for a loss, to the Lackawanna Trail defensive effort. Sean Dwyer had an interception and Kaylis Douglas had a sack.

Lackawanna Trail 35, Western Wayne 3

Lackawanna Trail, also the defending District 2-11 Class A Subregional champion, won its second straight home game, avenging one of last season’s losses by winning the meeting of defending Lackawanna Football Conference champions.

Ryon helped the Lions, last season’s Division 3 champion, break away with touchdown runs of 52, 15 and 49 yards. He added a 29-yard score in the third quarter to make it 35-0 and invoke the Mercy Rule.

The Lions rushed for 317 yards on 39 carries.

Ryon led the way with 190 yards and four touchdowns on his 12 carries and had two more catches for 41 yards. He also ran for a two-pointer.

Jervis carried four times for 37 yards and a touchdown and passed for 47 more yards.

Joey Thomas went 3-for-3 on extra points.

Western Wayne, the Division 2 co-champion in 2024, scored in the fourth quarter on a 32-yard field goal.