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By SCOTT FERTAL; Times Leader Sports Writer
Friday, November 21, 1997     Page: 1B

What a difference a year has made for the Lake-Lehman football team.
   
At this time last year, the Black Knights had already handed in their gear
and begun preparing for their next season.
    This year, however, the Knights are just getting started.
   
Fresh off their first District 2 championship, the Knights are set to
embark on a journey they hope will land them in Altoona and a shot at the PIAA
Class AA state championship.
   
Standing in their path is undefeated South Williamsport, which knocked off
defending AA state champion Mount Carmel to win the District 4 title.
   
The Knights (8-4) and Mounties (12-0) will square off at 7 tonight at
Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium in a PIAA Class AA state quarterfinal.
   
“Any time you’re still playing at this time of the season is a plus,” said
Lake-Lehman coach Rich Gorgone. “We’re district champs, and no one can take
that away. But the kids want to go on.
   
“I think our league got us ready for this point,” he said. “Week in and
week out, we’ve played good teams in our league. I don’t think we’ll see
anything now that we haven’t seen in our league.”
   
The Wyoming Valley Conference Division II has sent three teams to the state
finals (Hanover Area in 1990 and ’91 and Dallas in ’92). Two times (Hanover
Area in ’90 and Dallas in ’92) the WVC team brought home the gold.
   
“Our league really gets you ready,” Gorgone said. “We face sharp coaches
and solid teams every week. There’s a lot of good AA teams in the state, and
we’re down to the final four in the eastern part of the state.”
   
While the Knights are making their first appearance in the state playoffs,
the Mounties and coach Rich Zalonis have some experience, losing the 1993
Class A final to Duquesne, 24-21.
   
Despite Lake-Lehman’s somewhat unimpressive, yet deceptive 8-4 mark,
Zalonis knows his team will need to be on top of its game against the Knights.
   
“(Lake-Lehman) is a very good football team,” Zalonis said. “The record is
very misleading. They’re well-coached and have outstanding skill players.
There’s a lot of things about this team that concerns me.”
   
And that goes likewise for Gorgone.
   
“(South Williamsport) is a very good team defensively,” Gorgone said.
“That’s our main concern. They’re not 12-0 because they’re average.
   
Much like Montrose, which the Knights defeated 21-20 in overtime to win the
District 2 title, the Mounties love to keep the ball on the ground.
   
“We need to control the football,” Zalonis said. “One of the reasons why we
run the Wing-T is that we feature more than one running back.”
   
Yet, if need be, the Mounties can put the ball in the air.
   
“They’re more balanced offensively than Montrose,” Gorgone said. “Montrose
was strictly a running team. South Williamsport will throw the ball.”
   
The Knights, too, would like to control the ball, but will attack a little
differently than the Mounties.
   
“We have to keep a good balance on offense,” Gorgone said. “We can’t run on
every down or pass on every down. We’ve been able to do that this year. We’ve
moved the ball on everyone except for Wyoming Area this year.
   
“At this point, you’ve got to play sound football,” Zalonis said. “You’ve
got to play good defense and limit your mistakes.”
   
More on the playoffs –
   
Page 5B
   
PIAA F OOTBALL P LAYOFFS