TUNKHANNOCK – Tunkhannock turned a football game – and perhaps its entire season outlook – around and the Tigers did so in a hurry.
The Tigers head to Honesdale Friday night with a winning record and the chance to build some momentum in their efforts to continue an upswing that appeared to start last season in Mike Marabell’s debut as head coach.
With quarterback Jack Chilson remaining calm while running the speeded-up, no-huddle offense and several of his teammates making clutch contributions, the Tigers scored four touchdowns in the final 9:08 to erase a 25-point, fourth-quarter deficit Sept. 6 in an inspiring, 35-32 win over visiting Pittston Area.
The Tigers entered the season with just 12 wins in the past eight years. Of those, three came last season.
Tunkhannock has a chance to duplicate last season’s win total before even reaching the midway point of the season when it plays at winless Honesdale.
The Tigers got to that position by winning a game that appeared lost.
“They never quit,” Marabell said. “They were determined to come back.”
When Dylan Lukachko ran for a Pittston Area touchdown and 32-7 lead with 10:17 remaining, Pittston Area was in control of more than just the scoreboard. Its statistical advantages to that point were 23-9 in first downs, 135-44 in rushing yards, 279-91 in passing yards and 414-135 in total offense.
“We played a horrible three quarters of football,” Tunkhannock coach Mike Marabell said. “To fight through that mess and come back, I’m so proud.”
Chilson led the way.
When the clock did not stop for out-of-bounds plays and incompletions, he got the offense back to the line and ready to run the next play without sacrificing efficiency. In the four-touchdown possessions during the comeback, Tunkhannock ran 25 plays in 5:39, an average of one every 13.6 seconds.
Tunkhannock drove 85, 84 and 73 yards for scores and when it recovered an on-side kick in Pittston Area territory, it got to the end zone in just two plays.
Chilson was 12-for-18 for 193 yards and a touchdown passing while adding a 23-yard touchdown run on an option keeper in just those four drives. He finished 25-for-42 for 284 yards.
“We’ve embraced this offense since the beginning,” Chilson said of the wide-open attack that was already somewhat on display before it hit peak efficiency in the comeback. “The line gave me a ton of time.”
Chilson also joined in on the other side of the ball long enough to provide what may have been the game’s biggest play.
Ty Konen came up with the game-clinching interception off a Matt Prebola deflection with 49 seconds left, but the Tigers probably never had a lead to protect without Chilson’s play.
Between the third and fourth touchdowns of Tunkhannock’s comeback, Pittston Area drove to fourth-and-seven at the Tigers 27.
There, the Patriots appeared to have completed a pass for what would have been a first down with just 2:19 remaining. Chilson, however, arrived just in time to make a hit that popped the ball loose.
With his offensive workload, Tunkhannock coaches try not to risk Chilson by overworking him on defense, but they called on him when needed and he delivered the necessary hit.
“It helps being a quarterback to be able to read where they’re going there,” Chilson said.
From the time of Lukachko’s touchdown to Konen’s interception, the Tigers led the Patriots 12-2 in first downs and 242-58 in total offense while forcing two turnovers.
Gavin D’Amato ran seven yards on the first play after Lukachko’s touchdown, but the comeback picked up energy when Chilson hit passes on the next four plays, bookended by completions of 34 and 24 yards to Jake Frisco.
Alex Daly scored from the 1 with 9:08 left to make it 32-14.
Pittston Area’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the touchdown put the kickoff in Patriots territory and the on-side kick bounced all the way to the 15 in the ensuing scramble before the Tigers covered it.
Gavin D’Amato scored from the 8 for the second touchdown in 31 seconds, cutting the deficit to 32-21.
The Tunkhannock defense forced a three-and-out, leading to the biggest offensive predicament of the comeback.
Marabell chose to go for fourth-and-10 from his 16 rather than give up the ball midway through the fourth quarter while still needing two scores.
The move paid off when Riley Jones made a tough catch in the middle for 18 yards.
By driving 84 yards in 11 plays in less than two minutes, the Tigers closed within 32-28 on Chilson’s second touchdown run of the game.
Following the fourth-down stop in their own end, the Tigers moved 73 yards in 1:14.
Jhamal Zacharias showed off his power running ability and his hands while turning catches into gains of 21 and 12 yards.
Nathan Lord broke a slant pass into a 36-yard gain to the 4.
On third-and-goal, Chilson rolled right and backpedaled to nearly the 20 under pressure before sending a pass to the end zone where Frisco reached high to pull in the game-winner. The catch was the 11th of the night for Frisco for 123 yards.
The comeback allowed Tunkhannock to overcome 332 yards and three touchdowns passing by Pittston Area’s Mike Nocito.
