Comets graduate Cayd Sespico (36) celebrates with teammates following a touchdown during the 92nd Annual Dream Game.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Abington Heights graduate Rocco Sarafinko blocks Wallenpaupack’s Mason Gonzalez from pursuing his route. 92nd Annual Dream Game.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Abington Heights graduate Gavin Anders lines up at his wide receiver position during the 92nd Annual Dream Game.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Cayd Sespico from Abington Heights fights off a block during the 92nd Annual Dream Game.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
PECKVILLE – The 92nd annual Scranton Lions Club Dream Game already shaped up as a special night for the Jervis family.
Tyler Jervis joined his father, Lackawanna Trail coach Steve Jervis, on the field for a halftime awards ceremony, then added to the occasion by capping a special performance by playing a pivotal role in a dramatic conclusion to the July 22 all-star game for recent graduates of Lackawanna Football Conference programs.
Tyler Jervis and Scranton Prep’s Mackey Lynett connected on a fourth-down touchdown pass and two-point conversion with 4.6 seconds remaining to help the City end a six-game losing streak in the series with a 36-35 victory in the game, which drew an announced crowd of 7,110 at Valley View’s John Henzes/Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The rest of the players in the game retreated to the locker room at halftime, with the City trying to figure out a way to overcome a potentially disastrous final minute of the second quarter and two-touchdown deficit.
Tyler Jervis, who orchestrated the comeback as the City’s only quarterback, remained on the field while Steve Jervis was being honored as the Lions Club Man of the Year.
Steve Jervis thanked his wife and sons for the supportive and active roles they have played in his successful coaching career that includes an active streak of four straight District 2 titles and a state final appearance.
“To be able to share a lot of the moments we’ve had as a family and on the football field is very special,” said Jervis, whose sons Stephen and Tyler have been prominent in Lackawanna Trail’s success. “I’m just so proud to be part of a family with these guys.”
Steve Jervis looked on from the pressbox while Tyler Jervis, primarily a running quarterback and all-star linebacker for the Lions, went to work in the passing game. He completed four passes of more than 30 yards in a 153-yard second half to finish 8-for-15 for 196 yards.
“To have my brother and my mom by my side standing out there listening to his speech, we had pride together,” Tyler Jervis said after finishing with a hand in 22 points on a touchdown run, two touchdown passes, and a pair of two-point conversion passes. “It definitely gave me motivation to go out here and win this game.”
Tyler Jervis, Lynett and Lackawanna Trail’s Isaac Ryon, the 2025 state Class A Player of the Year, made it happen.
After Jervis tied the score on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 1:06 left in the second quarter, the City used a kickoff return and an interception return for scores 14 seconds apart for the 28-14 lead.
Ryon ran for touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, then contributed one of the big plays in the winning drive. He finished with 155 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries and caught two passes for 67 yards, including a 37-yard pass from Jervis for a touchdown to cap the game’s opening drive.
The City and Jervis had to escape some predicaments in the final drive, and Ryon helped on one of the key plays of the eight-play, 80-yard drive after Lakeland’s David Naniewicz had scored from the 1 for a 35-28 County lead.
Jervis found Wallenpaupack’s Mason Gonzalez deep for 48 yards to the County 27.
Mid Valley’s Wyatt Youngblood intercepted a Jervis pass only to have the play wiped out by an illegal defense penalty for an alignment that is not allowed under the strict defensive guidelines in place for many all-star games.
“I was completely devastated,” Jervis said. “I thought I had lost the game.”
A sack pushed the City back to third-and-18, but Ryon found Lynett for 27 yards to the 8 on a halfback option pass.
The County defense put the City in fourth-and-goal at the 8 and provided a strong pass rush, but Jervis stood strong against a crunching hit and delivered the touchdown pass to Lynett in the back of the end zone.
After faking to Ryon, Jervis rolled out and hit Lynett in the front of the end zone – barely – for the winning score.
Lynett caught the ball with a foot in the end zone and was driven to the ground short of the goal line. The official closest to the play instantly ruled that the ball had broken the plane of the goal line at the time Lynett secured the catch.
Lackawanna Trail and Scranton Prep players were joined on the winning team by those from Dunmore, Montrose, North Pocono, Scranton, Susquehanna, Wallenpaupack and West Scranton and coach Joe Giorgio’s Holy Cross team.
