Football Game Preview: Hazleton Area Cougars vs. Pittston Patriots

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Previous 6 Games

10/11/24 - Home	20-14 W
08/25/23 - Home	28-7 W
08/26/22 - Away	47-15 W
09/17/21 - Home	21-14 W
10/02/20 - Away	21-0 W
10/02/15 - Away	47-0 W

Hazleton Area is a perfect 6-0 against Pittston since October of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Cougars will head out to face off against the Patriots at 7:00 p.m. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Hazleton Area has struggled recently with four losses in a row, while Pittston will arrive with five straight wins.

The home team had come away the winner the last six times Hazleton Area and Crestwood had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Cougars took a blow against the Comets on Friday, falling 42-15. The Cougars were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 35-0.

Meanwhile, Pittston earned a 31-24 victory over Wilkes-Barre on Friday.

Hazleton Area better keep an eye on Brody Spindler. He was instrumental in Pittston's win, rushing for 160 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Spindler also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, picking up a sack and making 11 total tackles (3.0 for loss). Lucas Lo Presto was in the mix as well, providing Pittston with two scores.

Pittston was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 206 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 168 rushing yards in five consecutive contests.

Pittston's win bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Hazleton Area, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-6.

Hazleton Area didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Pittston in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, but they still walked away with a 20-14 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.