Western Wayne’s Zane Janiszewski, left, and Lackawanna Trail’s Ray Melnikoff were the leading rushers in the Dream Game.
                                 Scott Mackinder | The Abington Journal

Western Wayne’s Zane Janiszewski, left, and Lackawanna Trail’s Ray Melnikoff were the leading rushers in the Dream Game.

Scott Mackinder | The Abington Journal

PECKVILLE — Five Abington Heights players, who missed out on their senior seasons when the school’s administration canceled fall contact sports in reaction to the pandemic, got to take the field together one last time.

The Comets – Julian Blanco, Chris Wickenheiser, Shaine Hughes, Will Stevens and Griffin McGinley – were part of the County’s 31-29 victory over the City in a highly entertaining 87th annual Scranton Lions Club Dream Game at Valley View’s John Henzes/Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The game featured 801 yards in total offense, including 55 rushing yards by Lackawanna Trail’s Ray Melnikoff to lead the City ground game.

Blanco started in the County secondary and made two tackles.

Wickenheiser assisted on one tackle.

Lackawanna Trail had three players on the City team. Ty Vokes, who assisted on one tackle, and Kyle Austin were the others.

Melnikoff, who started at tailback, was a big factor in the first half when he carried eight times for 50 yards. He only carried four more times in the second half when the City went to the air to rally from as many as 11 down to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter.

West Scranton’s Cayden Merrifield threw for 295 of his Dream Game record 362 yards in the second half.

Scranton Prep graduates caught two of Merrifield’s three touchdown passes while playing for their coach, Terry Gallagher, for the last time.

Ryan McAndrew, who had three catches for 63 yards, caught a 35-yard touchdown pass with 8:22 left in the half to open the scoring.

Vito Gianello caught an 85-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and had one other reception for four yards.

The game, presented this year by Northeast Rehab and Riverfront Sports, returned from its own one-year absence because of the pandemic. Featuring recent graduates of Lackawanna Football Conference teams, it drew a paid crowd of 7,467 to continue the event’s long history of charitable contributions toward sight preservation projects.

Lakeland’s Dave Piwowarczyk coached the County.

Zane Janiszewski from Western Wayne, a Bloomsburg University recruit, carried 23 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns to lead the County offense.

Players from Delaware Valley, Old Forge, Riverside, Valley View, Mid Valley, Carbondale and Honesdale joined the Abington Heights, Lakeland and Western Wayne players on the winning County team.

Players from Dunmore, North Pocono, Wallenpaupack, Scranton, Susquehanna and Montrose joined Scranton Prep, Lackawanna Trail and West Scranton players on the City roster.