H.S. Football: Spindler’s bruising night powers Patriots past Dallas in OT

DALLAS TWP. — Never a doubt.

If Pittston Area could just find a way into a decision of whether to try to extend the game or go for the win in overtime, coach Paul Russick was committed.

The Patriots were going for it and Brody Spindler was going to get the ball — again.

Spindler capped the busiest night of his high school football career with the fourth-down touchdown and game-winning, two-point conversion in overtime to lift Pittston Area to a 36-35 victory over two-time, defending champion Dallas Friday for the early Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 football lead.

The Patriots won their third straight to improve to 2-0 in the division and 4-1 overall. The Mountaineers had their 12-game division winning streak halted and fell to 1-1 and 1-4.

The lasting image of one of the biggest Pittston Area football victories in decades will be of Spindler’s legs pumping as he pushed or dragged growing piles of Dallas defenders for extra yards.

Spindler forced overtime with the first of his pair of two-point conversion runs. He carried 33 times for 196 yards and two touchdowns and was in on 10 tackles.

A two-way lineman at times in a four-year career, Spindler is entrenched at inside linebacker and had spent most of this season at fullback with occasional forays at tailback. With the game plan to attack Dallas via a power running game Friday, Spindler started out rotating between fullback and tailback.

As the game wore on and Spindler became more of a factor, the ratio of time at tailback increased.

By the time the game was being decided, the decision of who to carry the ball was even easier for Russick than the idea of going for two points and a win after Dallas scored first.

Spindler lined up either deep in the backfield, behind shotgun quarterback Paulie Ferentino, or, as he did on the game’s three biggest offensive plays, in the middle of a straight-T formation as Ferentino went under center.

“There was never a doubt from the minute we got to overtime,” Russick said. “When you’ve got somebody of Brody’s caliber and you need a few yards, it’s hard to not go with him.”

Showing the power that makes him a championship wrestler in the winter, the 5-foot-11, 220-pound Spindler did almost all of his work between the tackles. He took a series of one- or two-play breaks throughout the grueling contest, then went right back to work.

“I’m very tired and very sore,” he said while pointing out that he wanted the ball “as many times as humanly possible.”

Spindler and Lucas LoPresto combined to lead the Patriots to the victory.

On a night when Dallas cornerback Logan Geskey kept LoPresto in check while intercepting two passes, Pittston Area found other ways to get production from its all-star receiver.

LoPresto accounted for the three Pittston Area second-half touchdowns on a 20-yard reverse, a splendid, 57-yard interception return and a 35-yard, double pass to Billy Dessoye after taking a lateral.

Following a scoreless first quarter, Pittston Area held the ball 9:24 of the 12 minutes in the second quarter but still found itself behind 14-7 at halftime.

Tyce Mason scored from 24 yards for the first of his three touchdown receptions from Talan Geskey to get Dallas started.

After Spindler ran 19 yards for a score on fourth-and-two, the Mountaineers took the halftime lead on a 71-yard punt return by Sam Kelley.

Pittston Area’s first two scoring drives each covered 80 yards. They were produced by runs on 21 of 22 plays, including a dozen Spindler carries.

LoPresto’s interception return set Pittston Area into the fourth quarter with a 20-14 lead.

Geskey and Mason connected two more times to put Dallas in control, but Pittston Area patiently marched for the tying score.

Nine straight runs covered the first half of the 70-yard scoring drive before LoPresto hit Dessoye. Spindler’s conversion tied it with 4:18 left.

Dallas got the ball first in overtime and went ahead on Talan Geskey’s 1-yard run and Brandon Miller’s fifth straight PAT.

It was all Spindler from there with five straight rugged carries, including the conversion run.

“I got stopped at about the 1, but I just kept driving my feet,” Spindler said.

When Spindler was done, Pittston Area had doubled its win total from a year ago.

“I would say we’re a thousand times better than we were last year in every aspect,” he said.

Pittston Area 36, Dallas 35

Pittston Area`0`7`13`8`8 — 36

Dallas`0`14`0`14`7 — 35

Second quarter

DAL – Tyce Mason 34 pass from Talan Geskey (Brandon Miller kick), 11:44

PA – Brody Spindler 19 run (Cole Baldwin kick), 4:22

DAL – Sam Kelley 71 punt return (Miller kick), 1:17

Third quarter

PA – Lucas LoPresto 20 run (Baldwin kick), 7:30

DAL – Pitcavage 3 run (Miller kick), 10:25

PA – LoPresto 57 interception return (kick failed), 4:26

Fourth quarter

DAL – Mason 4 pass from TGeskey (Miller kick), 11:25

DAL – Mason 13 pass from TGeskey (Miller kick), 9:13

PA – Billy Dessoye 35 pass from LoPresto (Spindler run), 4:18

Overtime

DAL – TGeskey 1 run (Miller kick)

PA – Spindler 1 run (Spindler run)

Team Statistics`PA`DAL

First downs`18`16

Rushes-yards`53-315`39-200

Passing yards`57`82

Total yards`372`282

Passing`5-13-3`6-16-1

Sacked-yards lost`0-0`1-7

Punts-avg.`3-24.7`3-37.7

Fumbles-lost`1-1`1-0

Penalties-yards`10-85`6-50

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — PA – Spindler 33-196, Kayden Bailey 13-58, LoPresto 5-56, Deondre Miller 1-11, PFerentino 1-minus 6. DAL – TGeskey 27-149, Trevor Slavinski 2-46, Mark Saracinaj 6-9, Nico Wilk 2-2, Team 1-minus 1, Kelley 1-minus 5.

PASSING — PA, PFerentino 4-12-3-22, LoPresto 1-1-0-35. DAL, TGeskey 6-16-1-82.

RECEIVING – PA, LoPresto 3-19, Dessoye 13-5, John Jadus 1-3. DAL, Mason 4-76, Kelley 2-6.

INTERCEPTIONS — PA, LoPresto 1-57. DAL – Geskey 2-19, Slavinski 1-17.

MISSED FIELD GOALS – None.