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WILLIAMSPORT — Wyoming Area’s offense spun off in a different direction for the first time in the postseason and so did the football program for the first time in school history.
Quarterback Dominic DeLuca threw for a season-high 310 yards and four touchdowns as Wyoming Area defeated Montoursville 43-27 Saturday afternoon in a PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal game at Williamsport High School.
Wyoming Area (12-1) won its first state playoff game against a non-District 2 team in four tries in its history (the D2-3A title game is considered a state first-round). The Warriors will play D11 champion Tamaqua (12-2) in the semifinals.
“We’ve been there three times prior and this is the first one,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “I know the district championships are considered a state game, but as far as a legit state game this is it. This is history for us today and the kids did a great job.”
Wyoming Area moved to a state semifinal game for the first time by throwing the ball, quite a change from its two D2-3A wins. In those two games, DeLuca attempted just 14 passes, completing five for 93 yards and a touchdown.
On Saturday, DeLuca obliterated those numbers with an 11 of 19 performance.
DeLuca thought his arm my be used more with running back Darren Rodney in street clothes due to an injury. Rodney was a game-day decision, and Spencer believes he will be back next weekend.
“I did expect it,” DeLuca said, “but I also expected to run the ball. The running game wasn’t hitting for us, so we had to go to the air.”
DeLuca went to his favorite target, receiver Brian Williams, five times for 191 yards that included a 29-yard TD pass with 5:09 to play to put Wyoming Area ahead 36-27.
“We came into the week and I was coming off an ankle injury and wasn’t sure if I was going to play or not,” Williams said. “Being a big factor for my team today means a lot to me. This is our first state playoff game win actually in the program’s history.
“It means a lot to us, especially our coach.”
Despite running back Leo Haros and Williams hauling in touchdown passes in the first half, Wyoming Area went into the locker room trailing 21-13. More was working for D4 champion Montoursville, which used the final 40 seconds of the second quarter to score a go-ahead touchdown.
Things changed dramatically early in the third quarter. Montoursville went three-and-out with the second-half kickoff and on Wyoming Area’s first play of the third quarter DeLuca hit Williams on a short out pattern. Williams turned upfield and raced 72 yards for a touchdown as Wyoming Area tied the score 21-21.
Wyoming Area then forced another punt and on its first play, DeLuca connected with wideout Riley Rusyn on a 41-yard fly pattern down the right sideline.
“I feel like they were more in the box and waiting for us to come downhill at them,” DeLuca said. “All that play action killed them.”
Haros scored from 5 yards out four plays later and Rusyn turned a botched extra-point snap into a two-point conversion run, giving Wyoming Area a 29-21 lead.
Montoursville answered with a 15-play scoring drive and running back Rocco Piluzzi’s 3-yard TD run cut the deficit to 29-27 with 10:46 left in the fourth quarter. A two-run point conversion run by Piluzzi ended up a yard short with Wyoming Area defensive tackle Nick Elko applying the final hit.
That was the last Montoursville’s offense made any noise as Wyoming Area’s defense took control.
Wyoming Area defensive end Derek Ambrosino blindsided quarterback Hunter Shearer on Montoursville’s next possession. Shearer coughed up the ball right to linebacker FJ Braccini. The turnover led to Wyoming Area’s final points on a 2-yard run by DeLuca with 2:11 remaining.
Wyoming Area ended up outscoring Montoursville 30-6 in the second half.
“Schematically, defensively we didn’t do much differently,” Spencer said. “I think our kids focused in. We got off to a good start and they came roaring back there. At halftime, I think it was one of those moments you have to take stock and I think our kids did that.”
PIAA Class 3A Quarterfinals
Wyoming Area 43, Montoursville 27
Wyoming Area`7`6`16`14 — 43
Montoursville`0`21`0`6 — 27
First quarter
WA — Leo Haros 33 pass from Dominic DeLuca (Stanley Moderski kick), 5:47
Second quarter
MON — Rocco Piluzzi 27 run (Ian Blankenhorn kick), 11:52
MON — Calogero Signor 1 run (Blankenhorn kick), 7:49
WA — Brian Williams 7 pass from DeLuca (kick blocked), 0:40
MON — Jaxon Dalena 4 pass from Hunter Shearer (Blankenhorn kick), 0:03
Third quarter
WA — B.Williams 72 pass from DeLuca (Ambrosino from DeLuca), 10:04
WA — Haros 5 run (Riley Rusyn run), 4:42
Fourth quarter
MON — Piluzzi 3 run (run failed), 10:46
WA — B.Williams 29 pass from DeLuca (Moderski kick), 5:09
WA — DeLuca 2 run (Josh Cumbo kick), 2:11
Team statistics`WA`MON
First downs`14`22
Rushes-yards`29-95`38-141
Passing yards`310`160
Total yards`405`301
Passing`11-19-1`16-29-0
Sacked-yards lost`1-11`3-14
Punts-avg.`3-29.3`3-26.7
Fumbles-lost`0-0`5-2
Penalties-yards`7-65`6-38
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Wyo. Area, Haros 9-42, DeLuca 18-46, Dillon Williams 2-7. Montoursville, Pulizzi 15-76, Shearer 7-(minus-4), Dylan Moll 1-3, Logan Ott 8-46, Jake Reeder 4-19, Signor 2-13, team 1-(minus-2).
PASSING — Wyo. Area, DeLuca 11-19-1-310. Montoursville, Shearer 16-29-0-160.
RECEIVING — Wyo. Area, B.Williams 5-191, Haros 1-33, Derek Ambrosino 1-3, FJ Braccini 1-9, Rusyn 1-41, Caleb Graham 2-33. Montoursville, Moll 1-8, Dillon Young 5-66, Dalena 7-57, Cameron Wood 1-3, Ott 2-26.
INTERCEPTIONS — Montoursville, Dalena 1-0.
MISSED FGs — none.
