Fullback Danny Meuser and tailback Lenny Kelley each ran for more than 100 yards while combining for six first-half touchdowns Friday night when top-seeded Dallas ran visiting Abington Heights out of the District 2 Class 4A playoffs with a 56-14 quarterfinal rout.
Dallas is District 2’s only unbeaten team in any class and is the third-ranked Class 4A team in the state behind a ground game that has used a strong offensive line to have its two rushing leaders each average more than 10 yards per carry for the entire season.
The Mountaineers gave the Comets a demonstration of that ground strength while doing all their scoring in the first half.
Meuser carried seven times for 119 yards and four touchdowns. Kelley ran 10 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
“I thought we did a nice job running the football and we were opportunistic with the throwing game, too,” Dallas coach Rich Mannello told the Times Leader.
The Mountaineers struck quickly.
Kelley gave them a 14-0 lead in the first 4:42 on touchdown runs of 3 and 40 yards.
Meuser ran 58 yards, then Michael Starbuck hit Matt Maransky with a 35-yard touchdown for a 28-0 lead after one quarter. Starbuck finished 7-for-10 for 124 yards.
Team receiving leader Corey Perkins spent time at quarterback for Abington Heights during the game and connected on his only four pass attempts of the season for 54 yards. Perkins found Dante DeRiggi for a 15-yard touchdown with 10:37 left in the half to cut the deficit to 28-7.
Meuser made sure the Mountaineers ended any suspense by halftime. He scored on 6, 5 and 22 yards runs in the second quarter and Xander Shaner recovered a fumble in the end zone for the other Dallas score.
Michael Pusateri had a 1-yard run for Abington Heights midway through the third quarter for the only scoring of the second half.
Pusateri also led the team defensively with six tackles and three assists.
Chris Wickenheiser was the leading receiver with four carries for 57 yards.
Julian Blanco led the Abington Heights ground game with 71 yards on 13 carries.
The Comets finished 3-8. They worked their way into the last playoff berth in Class 4A by going 3-2 in the second half of the season after starting 0-5.
