CLARKS SUMMIT — Abington Heights’ offense started to click, but North Pocono made several big plays in a 41-14 win over the Comets in a Lackawanna League Division 1 football game Sept. 14.

Trojans quarterback Donny Blaine scored the first of his three touchdowns on a 9-yard run to give North Pocono as North Pocono took a 7-0 lead with 5:19 left in the first quarter. The drive was fueled by a 13-yard completion from Blaine to Gabe Hribal and a 17-yard run by Dan Walsh.

The Trojans struck again on the first play on their next possession when Blaine connected with Dale Moore for a 54-yard touchdown.

Abington Heights scored the first points of its season when Comets quarterback George Tinsley found Corey Perkins for a 4-yard touchdown, to cap an 8-play, 70-yard drive, with 11:56 remaining in the second quarter.

“I thought we had a very good week of practice,” Abington Heights head coach Joe Repshis said. “The attitudes of the players have been very good and we’re continuing to work to improve.”

The Comets had a quality chance for another score just before halftime, but North Pocono came up with a goal line stand to end Abington Heights’ 19-play, 79-yard drive, at the 1-yard line with less than a minute left in the half.

“Momentum at any level is huge, especially at the high school level, but we didn’t go into halftime hanging our heads,” Repshis said. “We knew we had to come out in the second half and continue to try to make plays.”

However, North Pocono (3-1) dominated on both sides of the ball in the third quarter.

The Trojans scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the second half and stretched their lead to 34-7 with less than a minute remaining in the third.

Jacob Owens started the second-half scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run, Blaine followed with a 1-yard plunge, and Owens scored on a 1-yard run.

Abington Heights (0-4) scored another touchdown through the air when Perkins, who was on the receiving end of 143 or Tinsley’s 156 yards, hauled in a 38-yard pass for a touchdown with 7:04 left in the fourth quarter.

“They are two very talented football players and veteran guys in the program,” Repshis said. “We’re looking for them to step up and make plays for us and they have.”

Owens added an exclamation point to the Trojans’ win with a 65-yard touchdown on the first play of North Pocono’s next drive.

Tinsley
https://www.theabingtonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_ABJ-Tinsley-1.jpg.optimal.jpgTinsley

By Robert Tomkavage

rtomkavage@timesleader.com

Reach Robert Tomkavage at 570-704-3941 or on Twitter @rtomkavage.