HS FOOTBALL: Lakeland advanced to state playoffs, but Spataro's status uncertain; Sites and times announced for PIAA first round

Nov. 14—Part of what will define the 2022 high school football season will be the loss of star players to injury.

In Week 12, it was undefeated Lakeland's turn.

Quarterback Dominico Spataro, who is among the all-time leaders in Lackawanna Football Conference history for career passing yards and touchdowns, suffered a leg injury and did not return in the Chiefs' 20-14 win over Dunmore in the District 2 Class 2A championship game.

Lakeland (12-0) plays District 11 champion Executive Education Academy (7-3) in the PIAA first round Friday at 7 p.m. at Dunmore Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Before he left the game, the senior added to his legacy at Lakeland. Spataro threw for 187 yards and a touchdown and ran for 59 yards and two touchdowns with 17 minutes of game time remaining.

For his career, Spataro has 5,539 yards passing to rank fourth on the all-time list behind Riverside's Johnny Gilchrist (7,481), Lakeland's Evan Kraky (7,447), and Delaware Valley's Bryan Schor (6,518). He has averaged

153.9 yards passing per game in 36 appearances, but that number increases to 177.2 in his 30 starts.

He also threw the 69th touchdown pass of his career to also move to fourth on the list behind Kraky (93), Gilchrist (84), and Dunmore's Miller Holmes (75).

Spataro also has

1,926 yards and 34 touchdowns rushing in three seasons. His record as the starting quarterback moved to 27-3 and included two district championships.

The severity of his injury has yet to be determined.

His setback comes only a few weeks after Western Wayne lost leading rusher Luke Janiszewski to a leg injury against Lakeland, and of course, the season started with Scranton Prep losing London Montgomery to a torn ACL, who was last year's Times-Tribune Male Athlete of the Year and a Penn State commit.

DV dominance

Despite an 0-3 start and the first season with five losses since 2013, Delaware Valley won its seventh straight District 2 championship.

The Warriors (7-5) defeated Scranton, 24-21, in a matchup of LFC programs that moved down to Class 5A from Class 6A for this two-year cycle. They will play at Whitehall (7-5), the District 11 champion, on Friday at 7 p.m.

Delaware Valley hasn't lost a district postseason game since a 28-10 loss to Parkland as part of the District 2-11 Class 4A subregional the year before the PIAA moved to six classifications. The Warriors also have not lost to a District 2 team in the postseason since 2007 when they fell to Wyoming Valley West, 48-12.

Coach Keith Olsommer reached a milestone. The victory was the 174th of his career and tied him with former North Pocono and Scranton Prep coach Nick Donato for eighth place all time among LIAA coaches. Donato coached Olsommer when he was an all-state player at North Pocono.

Whitehall has a 3-0 record against Abington Heights but lost to Delaware Valley, 46-45, in 2012.

Lions roar

Lackawanna Trail continued the dominance of District 2 teams in the subregional round of the playoffs since the PIAA expanded to six classifications in 2016.

The Lions (8-4) defeated Jenkintown, 40-7, in the District 1-2 Class 1A subregional game to advance to the PIAA first round to play Northern Lehigh (11-1) tentatively set for Saturday at 1 p.m. at Dunmore Veterans Memorial Stadium, pending site approval.

It was the fourth win for Lackawanna Trail against a District 1 opponent. The Lions defeated Jenkintown, 43-6, in 2016, Bristol, 45-7, in 2018, and Morrisville, 55-20, in 2019.

Old Forge defeated District 1 opponents Delco Christian, 41-0, in 2017; Bristol, 48-0, in the 2020 subregional final; and Belmont Charter, a District 12 team, 55-14, in 2021.

Lackawanna Trail earned a rematch with Northern Lehigh. The two teams met in the PIAA Class 2A playoffs last season. Both programs moved down to Class 1A in this first year of a two-year cycle.

Northern Lehigh defeated the Lions, 35-14, last season. The Bulldogs also have wins over Lakeland, 10-7, in the 2003 PIAA Class 2A playoffs and Western Wayne, 49-41, in the 2014 Eastern Conference playoffs.

Cavaliers respond

Scranton Prep moved up to LFC Division I and, despite suffering three losses in the regular season for the first time since 2012, still captured the District 2 Class 3A championship.

The Cavaliers won their sixth district championship overall and their fifth since the PIAA moved to six classifications for the 2016 season.

Since coach Terry Gallagher took over the program in 2016, the Cavaliers have an overall record of 71-13. That includes going 12-1 in the district playoffs and winning those games by an average of 31.3 points per game. Scranton Prep reached the final six times and improved to 5-1, with its only loss coming in 2019 against Wyoming Area, which won the PIAA championship that season.

Scranton Prep (9-3) will host District 12 champion Neumann-Goretti (7-3) on Friday at Scranton Veterans Memorial Stadium.

During their playoff success, the Cavaliers have won their first-round PIAA game three times, with all of those victories being over District 4 opponents.

Neumann-Goretti, a Philadelphia Catholic League program, lost to Dunmore, 30-18, in the 2014 PIAA Class 2A playoffs.

Memorable sendoff

Valley View is sending head coach George Howanitz out in style.

Howanitz announced that 2022 would be his last season in the summer. The Cougars responded by winning the LFC Division I championship and have advanced to the District 2 Class 4A title game for the fifth time in the seven seasons since the PIAA moved to six classifications in 2016.

Valley View (10-2) will play at top-seeded Crestwood (11-1) on Friday for the championship.

It is the 18th time in program history that the Cougars have won at least 10 games. In Howanitz' career, Valley View has won at least 10 games six times. In their recent run of success, the Cougars have a record of 59-14 since 2017.

Valley View will be playing in a District 2 championship game for the 10th time in its history. The Cougars have won all four of their titles during Howanitz's tenure. He also earned the 116th game of his career.

Quick hits

—Tickets can only be purchased online for postseason games. For the Valley View at Crestwood game, use piaad2.org for Hometown Ticketing. For Delaware Valley at Whitehall, Neumann-Goretti at Scranton Prep, Executive Education vs. Lakeland, and Northern Lehigh vs. Lackawanna Trail, go to piaa.org/sports/tickets.

—Lakeland won its 12th game of the season for the ninth time in school history. Dunmore has won at least 12 games 10 times in its history, which is the most in the LIAA. Valley View has achieved it five times.

—Lackawanna Trail coach Steve Jervis won the 100th game of his career with the Lions which is first all time in program history. He has 123 wins overall, which includes his time at Tunkhannock, and is tied with former Scranton Central coach Emil "Moe" DeCantis and former Riverside and Pittston Area coach Steve Armillay for 17th on the LIAA all-time list.

— Lackawanna Football Conference teams have won 33 of the 41 District 2 team championships since the PIAA moved from four classifications to six for the 2016 season. Valley View and Crestwood play for the Class 4A title Friday.

2022 POSTSEASON SCHEDULE

FRIDAY'S GAMES

CLASS 5A

PIAA FIRST ROUND

2-1 Delaware Valley (7-5) at 11-1 Whitehall (7-5), 7 p.m.

CLASS 4A

DISTRICT 2 CHAMPIONSHIP

2-Valley View (10-2) at 1-Crestwood (11-1), 7 p.m.

CLASS 3A

PIAA FIRST ROUND

12-1 Neumann-Goretti (7-3) at 2-1 Scranton Prep (9-3), at Scranton Veterans Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.

CLASS 2A

PIAA FIRST ROUND

11-1 Executive Education (7-3) at 2-1 Lakeland (12-0), at Dunmore Veterans Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY'S GAME

CLASS 1A

PIAA FIRST ROUND

11-1 Northern Lehigh (11-1) vs. 2-1 Lackawanna Trail (8-4), at Dunmore Veterans Memorial Stadium, 1 p.m. pending site approval

Contact the writer: jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125; @sportsTT on Twitter