Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton Area are an even 3-3 against one another since September of 2019, but not for long. The Wilkes-Barre Wolfpack will head out to take on the Hazleton Area Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Wilkes-Barre took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They claimed a resounding 35-2 win over West Scranton at home. The Wolfpack pushed the score to 27-0 by the end of the third, a deficit the Invaders had little chance of recovering from.
DAVON UNDERWOOD was his usual excellent self, rushing for 157 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries, while also picking up 65 receiving yards and a touchdown. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 73-yard run. LOGAN SINCAVAGE made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Wilkes-Barre was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 224 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved they're rushing yard total in three consecutive matchups.
Wilkes-Barre's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of TREYVON GEMBITSKI and SINCAVAGE.
Meanwhile, Hazleton Area had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Spartans 34-7 at home. That looming 34-7 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Cougars yet this season.
Ashton Karlick was a one-man wrecking crew for Hazleton Area as he rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry. That's the most rushing yards Karlick has posted since back in October of 2023.
The victory snapped Wilkes-Barre's losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 2-3 record. As for Hazleton Area, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's match: Wilkes-Barre has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 365.4 total yards per game. It's a different story for Hazleton Area, though, as they've been averaging only 214.6. Will Wilkes-Barre be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will Hazleton Area flip the script?
Wilkes-Barre strolled past Hazleton Area when the teams last played back in September of 2023 by a score of 27-8. Does Wilkes-Barre have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hazleton Area turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
