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KINGTSON — Although Wyoming Valley West hung around with Parkland in the early going of Friday night’s contest, it wasn’t until the second quarter that the size and speed difference became apparent.
The Parkland roster is riddled with players over 6-feet tall, including seven out of 10 wide receivers and the quarterback, who comes in at 6-2. The Trojans were also fast and continuously pushed the pace of the game, at one point scoring four touchdowns at the end of the second half in less than five minutes.
With a size advantage, it was only a matter of time before the team from Parkland began to wear down Wyoming Valley West.
“They are big and physical upfront,” Valley West head coach Pat Keating said. “I don’t know if I’d say it was 100 percent us going down, but they have some play makers on that team for sure.”
Near the end of the second half of play is when that size advantage began to breakdown the Spartans.
After a play ended the night of quaterback Aaron Austin, the Wyoming Valley West coaching staff was forced to replace him with Sean Judge, who stands only 5-8. The move severly limited the Spartan’s offense, not allowing them to use Judge to burst through holes for big gains.
From that point on, the size and speed advantage for Parkland would continue to play a major role in their win.
Devante Cross, quarterback for Parkland, tossed for three touchdowns and ran for another two during the contest. The combination of size and speed left the Spartan’s defense a little out of sorts.
“The Cross kid is special,” Keating said. “He was the fastest kid on the field tonight and it really showed. When you have a great line like that, playmakers and a size advantage like they do across the perimeter, if he gets out in space it’s a headache.”
Although this wasn’t quite the ending that the Spartans were looking for in the playoffs, their fans showed their appreciation for the wild ride. The Spartans finished the regular season a perfect, 10-0, catapulting them into the playoffs with a lot of momentum. They first defeated Nazareth, 51-34, and then Liberty, 55-35, en route to the PIAA 4A Eastern Subregional championship game.
This year’s team tied the school record for most wins in a season. This was also the Spartan’s best finish to a season since 1997 when they went 12-1.