OLYPHANT – Valley View and Lakeland ended Lackawanna Football Conference title streaks by Scranton Prep and Dunmore last season and will try to make it two in a row.
A repeat at the top of the conference is not likely with Delaware Valley returning to the favorite’s role after having its streak of four straight Division 1 titles ended by Wallenpaupack last season.
The LFC appears to shape up as a series of two-team races.
When those division titles are sorted out, the conference will try to continue its recent control over District 2 championships where it has won 17 of 18 titles in the past three seasons and 23 of 26 over a five-year stretch.
North Pocono may be the only team that can challenge Delaware Valley in Division 1. Scranton Prep is likely to remain the top threat, unless West Scranton rises up, to Valley View in Division 2.
The two small school races could be toss-ups. Lakeland stopped Dunmore’s streak of six straight perfect seasons in divisional play and those two are likely to battle again in Division 3. Old Forge and Lackawanna Trail split a year ago with the Blue Devils winning Division 4, but the Lions putting together the best postseason by an LFC team.
Delaware Valley, Wallenpaupack, Valley View, Scranton Prep, Dunmore and Lackawanna Trail won District 2 titles from Class 6A down to A.
DIVISION 1
Former Penn State tight end Keith Olsommer has built a powerhouse at Delaware Valley.
The Warriors will look for their fifth title in six years after going just 2-2 in the division last season.
Zach Scillia, who passed for 1,397 yards and 16 touchdowns, and Josh Balcarcel, who rushed for 1,248 yards and 13 touchdowns, are among the eight offensive starters returning at Delaware Valley. Jawon Foushee also returns after catching 38 passes for 539 yards.
Linebacker Jason Henderson and defensive back Preston Machado were 1-2 on the team in tackles last season as sophomores.
North Pocono also defeated Delaware Valley last season.
The Trojans, coached by Wyoming Area graduate Greg Dolhon, have to replace eight starters on offense. End Robert VanBrunt, lineman Dustin Moss and tailback/linebacker Jacob Owens are all two-way returning starters.
“We lost some kids and need to gain experience,” Dolhon said during LFC Media Day earlier this month. “We have a great challenge ahead of us.”
Abington Heights will look to two of the key performers on its championship basketball team as it tries to recover from a winless season in the division and just two wins overall.
Corey Perkins caught 52 passes for 898 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Mike Malone, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end/defensive end, added 15 catches.
Scranton returns six starters on each side of the ball and a veteran group of receivers as it tries to bounce back from going 1-10 in Steve Shumbres’ first season as head coach.
“We’re just trying to improve,” Shumbres said.
Wallenpaupack graduated 23 seniors from a team that won two titles.
“We’re going to have a hard time replacing that,” Buckhorns coach Mark Watson said. “We’ll have the smallest team we’ve ever had, in the low 30s.”
Anthony Dalessio returns after catching 31 passes for 476 yards. All-star center Brandon King is the top returning lineman.
DIVISION 2
Valley View denied Scranton Prep a fourth straight division title last season and the Cougars go into this season as the favorite to repeat.
Janassah Boone returns after running and passing for 2,048 yards and 33 touchdowns last season. He engineered an offense that averaged more than 37 points per game while the Cougars were winning their first 13.
The Cougars also return their second-, third- and fourth-leading tacklers in Ryan Turlip, Jordan Conserette and Cain Bennett while trying to replace their top rusher, receiver and tackler.
Scranton Prep extended its streak of district titles to four on the way to the state Class 3A semifinals.
“We’re a high-expectation program and we’re looking forward to another good season,” Cavaliers coach Terry Gallagher said.
Leading tackler and second-leading rusher Tucker Johnson is back along with tight end/linebacker Brendan Colleran and defensive back/offensive athlete Carter Odell.
West Scranton won seven games a year ago and returns 1,000-yard rusher Kevin Williams and promising quarterback Cayden Merrifield.
Walker Carney, a 6-foot-4, 280-pounder, will be in his fourth year starting in the line at Honesdale, which suffered significant graduation losses. The Hornets won only three times last season, but those included Division 1 champion Wallenpaupack and West Scranton.
Western Wayne dropped five of its last six after starting 5-1 last season. Three-year quarterback Matt Valanda and all-star linebacker Zach McAllister are expected to lead the Wildcats, who graduated their most productive offensive players.
DIVISION 3
New coaches will take over two of the conference’s most successful long-term programs.
David Piwowarczyk takes over at Lakeland for Jeff Wasilchak, who won 179 games coaching Lackawanna Trail and the Chiefs.
Piwowarczyk will need to replace more than half the team’s starters, but the Chiefs have some of the division’s top weapons.
C.J. Dippre, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound junior quarterback/defensive end, threw for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. Giovanni Spataro already has two 1,000-yard seasons and has run for 2,655 yards halfway through his high school career. Robbie Thomas is a three-year starter in the line.
Cross Douglas and Dippre combined for 25 tackles for losses.
Kevin McHale ran Dunmore’s team last season while former Wyoming Area coach Jack Henzes, the second-winningest coach in state history, was sidelined on a medical leave. Henzes has since retired and McHale is now the head coach.
The Bucks return top two rushers Rayshaun Dawkins and Cristian Buckley and quarterback Steve Borgia, but have work to do in rebuilding the line around guard Seamus Cadden.
Senior Anthony Lima, a three-year starter in the line, and junior quarterback John Gilchrist lead a veteran team that makes Riverside a threat to move into the title race.
Mid Valley returns eight starters on defense and six on offense, giving it a chance to also close the gap on the top of the division.
Carbondale returns Seth Arthur, a four-year starter in the defensive line who is also one of the four veteran offensive linemen protecting returning quarterback Ray Ofner. The Chargers have to replace much of the rest of the lineup, including the other skill position players.
DIVISION 4
Lackawanna Trail won the District 2 Class A championship and advanced all the way to the state final, but it was Old Forge that won the division by going 4-0 and winning the first of its two meetings with the Lions.
Two-way all-stars Ray Melnikoff and Mark Dunckle return from a Lackawanna Trail team that set a school record for wins by going 14-2.
Melnikoff, a fullback, was the leading rusher and receiver as well as the second-leading tackler for the Lions. He had four of his five 100-yard rushing games in the postseason and ran for at least 80 yards in each of the other two playoff games.
Dunckle, a 5-10, 230-pound senior, could be the division’s top lineman.
“You kind of lean heavily, especially early in the season, on those five returning starters on offense and those five returning starters on defense to kind of set the tone to play at a certain level and practice at a certain level,” said Lions coach Steve Jervis, who started his head coaching career at Tunkhannock. “But, there’s going to be times when we’re really going to count on that sophomore group coming up to fill some vital roles.”
Melnikoff and Jeffrey Resto combined for more than 2,000 yards rushing while also starting as linebackers.
Josh Brown, the team’s leading tackler, is also back to lead a strong linebacking corps.
Nico Berrios, who has trained at quarterback behind departed four-year starter Nathan Rolka, moves over from wide receiver to run the offense. He also moves from starting cornerback to free safety.
Richard Rodenbach returns in the offensive line and will likely add defensive duties.
Jervis expects several players from the sophomore class to fill about half the open positions.
Lackawanna Trail and Old Forge join Wyoming Valley Conference member Northwest in what should be a heated three-way race for the two spots in the District 2 Class A championship game.
“I think Lackawanna Trail has a really good front row seat for the game, so it will be between us and Northwest to be facing them,” Old Forge coach Mike Schuback said.
Senior captain Kevin Pepsin and junior Colin Holzman return to lead veteran groups in the Old Forge offensive backfield and linebacker corps.
The top four rushers and three of the four linebackers return from the division champions. Pepsin led the team in rushing while Holzman led in total tackles and finished second in tackles for losses.
“We have a great experienced backfield in Holzman and Pepsin,” Schuback said. “It’s their second year together and obviously they’re a year bigger, faster and stronger and actually hungrier than what they were least year – knowing what they have to deal with.”
Dante Lucarelli and Jonathan Nicholoff are the other veteran leaders returning from a team that went 8-3 overall, losing only to district A and 2A champions Lackawanna Trail and Dunmore and 3A finalist Lakeland.
Lucarelli passed for 1,389 yards and a 19-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio while completing more than 57 percent of his attempts. His top three targets, however, have all graduated.
Nicholoff is a two-way starter in the line.
Susquehanna won seven games and reached the District 2 Class 2A title game last year, but unexpectedly lost what may have been its two most dynamic athletes. Jahmarea “Peanut” Wansley moved back out of the school district after only getting to play the second half of last season. Gavin Baker, an all-star defensive end as a sophomore, suffered a torn meniscus that will cost him as much as the first half of the season.
Wansley and Baker were the top two candidates to take over at quarterback of the triple-option offense. Instead, that job will now go to Garrett Decker, a junior linebacker who led the team in tackles as a freshman and sophomore.
Montrose added students from Mountain View along with renewing its cooperative sponsorship with Elk Lake following an 0-10 season. New coach Bill Sandly still has a small and inexperienced roster that will mean some freshmen in the starting lineup.
Holy Cross suspended its football program for at least the season. The late July decision left several teams around District 2 with one less game.
