SUSQUEHANNA — Lackawanna Trail was building momentum with its offense scoring more points in each game of a three-game winning streak before the Lions had to cancel their most recent scheduled game Oct. 1 at Montrose to take precautions under COVID-19 protocols.

The Lions are 4-1 on the season, including 1-0 in Lackawanna Football Conference Division 4 where they appear to be on another collision course with Old Forge to likely decide the division title at home Oct. 29. Going into the seventh weekend of the season, an Oct. 9 afternoon game at Holy Cross, Lackawanna Trail leads the ratings race for the top seed in the four-team District 2 Class 2A playoffs.

The result of an Oct. 15 home game with Dunmore could go a long way toward determining which team gets to host a potential district championship game meeting between the Bucks and Lions. Riverside and Susquehanna, two teams Lackawanna Trail has already beaten, are also part of the Class 2A playoff field.

“I’m very appreciative of our kids’ efforts, they always play hard,” Lions coach Steve Jervis said after a win at Susquehanna in the division opener.

A look back at Lackawanna Trail’s September games, in chronological order:

Lakeland 27, Lackawanna Trail 14

Dominico Spataro passed for 156 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 68 yards and the other two scores and also provided a clutch interception to lead Lakeland to the Sept. 3 victory at Lackawanna Trail.

Spataro’s interception took away a Lackawanna Trail scoring threat in the second half and he returned it 41 yards to set up a Lakeland touchdown.

Hunter Patterson ran for 124 yards and a touchdown to lead the Lions. Kody Cresswell added a late touchdown.

Lackawanna Trail 34, Riverside 0

Lackawanna Trail posted its second shutout in three games to begin the season by holding Riverside to fewer than 100 yards total offense.

Kody Cresswell scored twice in the last four minutes of the half for a 14-0 lead. He caught a 21-yard pass from Owen Lisk and ran 9 yards for the other score.

Stephen Jervis threw 16 yards to Johnny Halter and Lisk threw 29 yards to Evan Litwin for third-quarter touchdowns.

Lukas Gumble’s 7-yard run in the fourth quarter completed the scoring.

The game was moved back a day and played on a Saturday afternoon with Riverside coming off a COVID-related cancellation from the previous week.

Lackawanna Trail 42, Susquehanna 7

Hunter Patterson and Kody Cresswell each ran for more than 100 yards as Lackawanna Trail strung together a series of big plays to win the LFC Division 4 opener on the road.

Susquehanna scored on the game-opening drive and built a 29:08-18:52 advantage in time of possession, but Lackawanna Trail gained at least 17 yards on eight of its 33 offensive plays.

“I think offensively we kind of helped ourselves out a little bit where the last couple weeks, we relied on our defense,” Lions coach Steve Jervis said.

The Lions also got a 79-yard punt return from Evan Litwin for one of his two scores.

“I saw my blockers on the right side and I just followed them all the way to the house,” Litwin said.

The Lions came up with a defensive stop at the 20 while leading, 14-7, in the second quarter, then drove 80 yards in just seven plays.

Patterson started it with a 32-yard run. Cresswell, who had a 25-yard run in the drive, finished it with a 2-yard touchdown.

Patterson finished with 108 yards and a touchdown on five carries. Cresswell ran for 105 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries.

“They did catch us playing a little slow there, so we tightened things down, played a lot faster and hit a lot harder,” Cresswell said.

Litwin’s other touchdown was on a 19-yard pass from Stephen Jervis.

Lackawanna Trail 60, Holy Redeemer 27

The biggest offensive outburst to date came Sept. 24 at home when Lackawanna Trail outrushed Holy Redeemer, 418-6, and got touchdowns from seven different players.

The Lions had a pair of 100-yard rushers for the second straight game. This time it was Lukas Gumble and Kody Cresswell, who also scored two touchdowns each.

Lackawanna Trail led 20-0 after just 8:53 and led 47-7 in the third quarter before being stopped for the only time in the game.

Gumble ran six times for 122 yards and Cresswell ran 11 times for 120 yards.

Holy Redeemer had three touchdowns of at least 64 yards.

Runs by Hunter Patterson, Cole Rosengrant and Jacob Bartush and Owen Lisk passes to Evan Litwin and Johnny Halter produced the other touchdowns.