CLINTON TWP. — Lackawanna Trail used a bruising rushing attack and a few timely passes to overwhelm Northwest 34-14 in a non-conference game Friday night.
Lions quarterback Nathan Rolka, who accounted for three touchdowns, ran 12 yards for a score to open the scoring with 6:31 left in the first quarter. Noah Coleman, who led the Lions with 95 yards on 10 carries, accounted for 36 on the drive.
“It was a big win because we’re pretty familiar with Northwest,” Rolka said. “We’ve played them three years in a row and they’re always a really tough opponent.”
Lackawanna Trail (1-0) totaled 334 rushing yards and struck for the second time when Cody Moyle scored on an 8-yard run with 11:12 remaining in the second quarter.
“Our running style in tough and physical,” Rolka added. “We call it Trail football. We don’t always have the biggest kids, but we have kids who play the game hard.”
The Lions’ special team unit helped set up the team’s next touchdown when Josh Brown forced a fumble and Jordan Edwards fell on the loose ball.
Rolka connected with Coleman for a 36-yard touchdown on a seam pattern down the middle of the field on the next play just eight seconds later.
“They have our number and beat us in every facet of the game tonight,” Northwest coach Lon Hazlet said. “They were faster and they were physical. We need to go back to the drawing board; it certainly wasn’t a good showing by the Rangers this evening.”
Northwest punter Jack Wessler pinned Trail inside the 5-yard line twice in the last five minutes of the second quarter to halt the Lions’ momentum.
Trail continued its dominance on the ground to start the second half when Rolka scored on a 6-yard run to cap a 4-play, 63-yard drive with 9:30 left in the third quarter. Ray Melnikoff gashed the Rangers defense for 37 yards on the first play of the possession.
Northwest (0-1) found the end zone when David Piestrak hit Connor Hazlet for a 59-yard touchdown down the sideline with 7:34 left in the third quarter. Hazlet shook off a tackler and went the distance after making the catch.
Trail’s Jeffrey Resto put the Lions back in command with a 5-yard touchdown with 2:39 left in the third quarter.
Piestrak added another touchdown for the Rangers on a 1-yard run with 7:02 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Lackawanna Trail 34, Northwest 14
Northwest`0`0`7`7 — 14
Lack. Trail`6`15`13`0 — 34
First quarter
LT — Nate Rolka 12 run (Rolka kick failed), 6:31
Second quarter
LT — Cody Moyle 8 run (Resto run), 11:12
LT — Rolka 36 pass to Noah Coleman (Rolka kick), 10:55
Third quarter
LT — Rolka 6 run (Rolka kick), 9:32
NW — David Piestrak 59 pass to Connor Hazlet (Jack Wessler kick), 7:34
LT — Jeffrey Resto 5 run (Rolka kick failed), 2:39
Fourth quarter
NW — Piestrak 1 run (Wessler kick), 7:02
Team statistics`NWT`LT
First downs`9`15
Rushes-yards`26-97`42-334
Passing yards`92`49
Total yards`189`383
Passing`4-14-0`2-3-0
Sacked-yards lost`2-2`1-4
Punts-avg.`4-42.5`1-39
Fumbles-lost`0-0`1-15
Penalties-yards`5-35`8-60
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — NW, Tyler Stevens 5-33, George May 8-29, Piestrak 12-25, Hazlet 1-10. LT, Coleman 10-95, Ray Melnikoff 8-73, Moyle 9-71, Resto 7-43, Rolka 6-40, Jordan Edwards 2-12,
PASSING — NW, Piestrak 4-14-0-92. LT, Rolka 2-3-0-49.
RECEIVING — NW, Hazlet 1-59, Stevens 2-18, Bryce Koser 1-15. HOM, Coleman 1-36, Melnikoff 1-13.
INTERCEPTIONS — None
MISSED FGs — None