The Pittston Patriots are taking a road trip to square off against the Wallenpaupack Area Buckhorns at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Pittston knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past six matchups -- so hopefully Wallenpaupack Area likes a good challenge.
Pittston will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Hazleton Area, who they had gone 0-6 against in their six prior meetings. The Patriots claimed a resounding 49-13 win over the Cougars. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 136th, while the Cougars are ranked 415th) , the win on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Pittston's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Lucas Lo Presto led the charge by picking up 123 receiving yards, while also punching in two touchdowns on the ground. Kayden Bailey was another key back, rushing for 85 yards and one TD.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Pittston was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 250 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 168 rushing yards in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Wallenpaupack Area ended up a good deal behind Abington Heights on Friday and lost 31-14. The defeat continues a trend for the Buckhorns in their meetings with the Comets: they've now lost four in a row.
Pittston will have to contain Ed Kiesendahl as he made an impact in Wallenpaupack Area's last game. He rushed for 142 yards and a pair of scores. Kiesendahl has become a key player for Wallenpaupack Area: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least 80 rushing yards, but 0-4 otherwise.
Wallenpaupack Area didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Kiesendahl and Logan Caruso.
Pittston's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 48.0 points over those games. As for Wallenpaupack Area, their loss dropped their record down to 3-5.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Pittston has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 230.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Wallenpaupack Area struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 197.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Pittston couldn't quite get it done against Wallenpaupack Area when the teams last played back in October of 2024 as they fell 22-10. Can the Patriots avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
