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WEST PITTSTON — Besides scoring three touchdowns and being presented with the Coach George Curry MVP Trophy, Meyers running back Khabir Williams got something else out of the 66th UNICO All-Star Football Classic.

Those guys from rival GAR, Williams said, aren’t all that bad. And that included GAR fullback Mike Drozda, who carried away the trophy while Williams was distracted after the Pioneers’ 41-0 victory over the Miners on Saturday afternoon at Wyoming Area.

“I was like, ‘Where is it? Where did it go?’” said Williams, who finished with 92 yards from scrimmage.

The Miners were probably wondering where their offense went as well. Wyoming Valley West teammates — quarterback Aaron Austin and running Sean Judge — connected on a 31-yard pass on the second play of the game. They hooked up again for a 32-yard touchdown on the next play, only to have the score wiped out on a holding penalty.

After that, the Miners couldn’t sustain any offense the rest of the half while the Pioneers scored on all six of their possessions.

“Credit to them. They made some great plays,” said Dallas coach Rich Mannello, who ran the Miners team. “That touchdown coming off the board early for us obviously hurt the momentum. We just couldn’t overcome that.”

Williams put the Pioneers on the board at 8:10 of the first quarter with a 20-yard run aided by a downfield block by Lake-Lehman lineman Cole Spencer. The Pioneers scored on their next drive as a 49-yard pass from GAR’s Austin Yelland to Coughlin’s Melvin Robinson set up a 3-yard TD run by GAR’s Josh Goodwin.

“Everybody got a piece of everything. Everybody got some touches,” Williams said. “Even our lineman got a touch, (Ryan) Solt at the end. I was hoping he got a touchdown. The bond that we had, we got a good connection in just one week of practice.”

The Pioneers’ defense did its job as well.

Lehman’s Noah Gorski intercepted a pass on the Miners’ next possession — the first of four by the Pioneers — and returned it 38 yards to the Miners’ 36-yard line. Seven plays later, Meyers’ Willie Wallace threw a liner to Williams in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown and the rout was gaining steam.

Yelland and his GAR teammate Muhaideen Tajuddin made it 28-0 midway through the second quarter as they connected on a 25-yard touchdown. Shortly after Holy Redeemer’s Chad Fahey picked off another Miners’ pass, the Pioneers came up with the offensive play of the game.

Wallace took the snap and threw laterally to Yelland. Yelland then threw across the middle to Wallace, who gained 42 yards on the play thanks in part to a block by Williams.

“We ran a little flea flicker, we ran double pass, reverse,” said GAR coach Paul Wiedlich Jr., who ran the Pioneers. “It’s all about having fun with the kids, kind of exposing them. A lot of kids in their offensive schemes weren’t used like that. It’s about having fun.”

Wallace’s 42-yard reception led to a 11-yard TD pass from him to Yelland. The Pioneers’ last touchdown of the first half — a 40-yard run by Williams — was set up by an interception by Coughlin defensive lineman Nyheem Kenzakowski.

Right about then, things turned a bit ugly as two Miners and a Pioneer were ejected for some shoving. The UNICO game has been stopped early due to fights in the past, and the officiating crew didn’t tolerate any non-football contact on Saturday afternoon. Another Miner was ejected with a minute left in the game.

“We lost our composure, you saw that,” Mannello said. “But in the locker room at halftime, we regrouped them and got them squared away, which was more important to me at that point than the score.”

UNICO All-Star Football Classic

Pioneers 41, Miners 0

UNICO Pioneers`21`20`0`0`—`41

UNICO Miners`0`0`0`0`—`0

First quarter

UP — Khabir Williams 20 run (Michael Cinti kick), 8:10

UP — Justin Goodwin 3 run (Cinti kick), 4:54

UP — Williams 13 pass from Willie Wallace (Cinti kick), 0:40

Second quarter

UP — Muhaideen Tajuddin 25 pass from Austin Yelland (Cinti kick), 5:21

UP — Yelland 11 pass from Wallace (pass failed), 2:51

UP — Williams 40 run (Cinti kick), 1:47

Team statistics`PIO`MIN

First downs`20`6

Rushes-yards`43-219`16-75

Passing yards`224`85

Total yards`443`160

Passing`10-18-1`7-23-4

Sacked-yards lost`2-13`3-14

Punts-avg.`0-0`3-34

Fumbles-lost`0-0`0-0

Penalties-yards`5-35`8-105

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Pioneers, Mike Drozda 9-34, Williams 5-69, Yelland 7-44, Goodwin 17-75, Wallace 2-(minus-5), Ryan Solt 2-2. Miners, Brian Miles 3-30, Aaron Austin 7-54, Sean Judge 1-(minus-4), Steve Homza 1-(minus-2), Chris Melovitz 1-5, Justin Hutchins 2-0, Lance Blass 1-(minus-8).

PASSING — Pioneers, Wallace 6-10-0-100, Yelland 4-8-1-124. Miners, Austin 6-13-1-57, Homza 1-8-1-28, Stone Mannello 0-1-1-0, Blass 0-1-1-0.

RECEIVING — Pioneers, Melvin Robinson 3-99, Williams 2-23, Ezra Judge 2-24, Tajuddin 1-25, Wallace 1-42, Yelland 1-11. Miners, Sean Judge 2-40, Kyle Baranosky 1-13, Miles 2-1, Brandon Chafin 2-31.

INTERCEPTIONS — Pioneers, Robinson 1-21, Noah Gorski 1-38, Chad Fahey 1-0, Nyheem Kenzakowski 1-0. Miners, Logan Myers 1-0.

MISSED FGs — None.

Game MVP Khabir Williams, of Meyers, runs the ball for the Pioneers in the 66th UNICO All Star Classic in West Pittston on Saturday afternoon.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716UNICO_6.jpg.optimal.jpgGame MVP Khabir Williams, of Meyers, runs the ball for the Pioneers in the 66th UNICO All Star Classic in West Pittston on Saturday afternoon. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Nanticoke’s Justin Casey, right, congratulates Meyers’ Khabir Williams after receiving the Coach George Curry Most Valuable Player Award at the 66th UNICO All Star Classic.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716UNICO_10.jpg.optimal.jpgNanticoke’s Justin Casey, right, congratulates Meyers’ Khabir Williams after receiving the Coach George Curry Most Valuable Player Award at the 66th UNICO All Star Classic. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Referee Harry Kaskey does the coin toss with team captains.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716UNICO_1.jpg.optimal.jpgReferee Harry Kaskey does the coin toss with team captains. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Miners head coach Rich Mannello, of Dallas, instructs his team during a timeout.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716UNICO_3.jpg.optimal.jpgMiners head coach Rich Mannello, of Dallas, instructs his team during a timeout. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Wyoming Area’s Brian Miles returns the opening kickoff for the Miners.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716UNICO_4.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Area’s Brian Miles returns the opening kickoff for the Miners. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Hanover Area’s Christian Percy runs the ball for the Miners.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716UNICO_9.jpg.optimal.jpgHanover Area’s Christian Percy runs the ball for the Miners. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Hanover Area’s Brandon Brueckner of the Miners (19) deflects the ball away from Northwest’s Ezra Judge of the Pioneers in the end zone.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716UNICO_2.jpg.optimal.jpgHanover Area’s Brandon Brueckner of the Miners (19) deflects the ball away from Northwest’s Ezra Judge of the Pioneers in the end zone. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

UNICO Pioneers head coach Paul Wiedlich Jr. of GAR calls a play for quarterback Willie Wallace of Meyers.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716UNICO_7.jpg.optimal.jpgUNICO Pioneers head coach Paul Wiedlich Jr. of GAR calls a play for quarterback Willie Wallace of Meyers. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Coughlin’s Melvin Robinson runs after making a reception for the Pioneers.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716UNICO_8.jpg.optimal.jpgCoughlin’s Melvin Robinson runs after making a reception for the Pioneers. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Wyoming Valley West’s Sean Judge, right, celebrates with Miners teammate Kyle Baranosky of Hanover Area after scoring an apparent touchdown. The score was nullified by a holding penalty.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL112716UNICO_5.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Valley West’s Sean Judge, right, celebrates with Miners teammate Kyle Baranosky of Hanover Area after scoring an apparent touchdown. The score was nullified by a holding penalty. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader
Meyers’ Khabir Williams named game MVP

By John Erzar

[email protected]

Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @TLJohnErzar