Two weeks ago, Abington Heights and Valley View started the season with losses.
But things changed.
Both rebounded with wins in the last two weekends to create a showdown Friday at John Henzes/Veterans Memorial Stadium.
No. 8 Abington Heights (2-1) plays at No. 6 Valley View (2-1) in a Lackawanna Football Conference Division I game to highlight the Week 4 schedule. Last season, the Cougars beat Abington Heights, 35-14, with 28 points scored in the second half.
“We are super excited, especially after last year’s game,” Abington Heights quarterback Nick Bradley said. “I think this will be a very physical game. I feel like we have come together as a team. Being able to run the ball has really helped us the last two weeks and our line is doing a great job.”
Abington Heights recovered from a 33-14 loss to East Stroudsburg South with a win over West Scranton and a victory over Dallas last week, pulling away with an explosive second half.
Bradley threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns as last year’s All-Region player got his season on track. He has 356 yards passing and six touchdowns in three games, and 2,771 yards and 30 touchdowns in his career.
Shawn Theodore, a converted quarterback, caught five passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, and Gavin Anders had three catches for 60 yards in the win.
Theodore hauled in a 36-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, and Bradley finished the game with a 1-yard touchdown run to help Abington Heights pull away from a 16-13 game.
Dominic Vergnetti had his second straight productive game running the ball. He had 103 yards against Dallas to build off his 71 yards and two touchdowns against West Scranton in Week 2. Vergnetti also leads the Comets defense with 22 total tackles.
Gavin Padula and Anders each have 17 tackles, while Shane Brower has 15 tackles and an interception for Abington Heights. In the past two weeks, the Comets gave up 130 yards per game, with Cayd Sespico, Anthony Chillari, AJ Abda and Asiel Richards combining for 43 tackles.
“As a lineman, I focus on their line, and their defensive line is disciplined,” Valley View lineman Tommy Fiorelli said. “They slant and cause a lot of havoc. That is their strong point.
“The one thing that we need is to be aggressive. If we are aggressive and know what to do, we can have a great game.”
Valley View started the season with a 33-0 loss to top-ranked Scranton Prep. The Cougars also suffered injuries to key players in that game, but turned things around with a 28-13 win over Crestwood and a late-game rally in a thrilling, 25-20 win over Wilkes-Barre Area.
Nick Kucharski had 115 yards rushing against Crestwood, while Preston Reed had 115 yards and a touchdown against Wilkes-Barre Area to revitalize the Cougars running game. Last season, the Cougars ran for 351 yards against Abington Heights.
Casey Malsberger filled in for injured starting quarterback Zach Cwalinski to lead Valley View past Crestwood. Cwalinski returned against Wilkes-Barre Area and had 111 yards rushing and 58 yards passing, accounting for three touchdowns.
Linebacker Gianni Marino has 31 tackles this season, with 11 against Scranton Prep and Crestwood. He sealed the win over Wilkes-Barre Area with an interception.
Brady Skeen had the momentum-shifting interception that helped the Cougars rally in the fourth quarter against Wilkes-Barre Area. He has 23 tackles this season. Kucharski has 20 tackles and an interception, and sophomore linebacker Jeffrey Wasilchak has 19 tackles.
“After the first game against Scranton Prep, coach (Scot) Wasilchak told us we had two options: We could pack it in or could make a statement that we aren’t done and we are just starting the season,” Fiorelli said. “I think the last two weeks proved that we can be a winning team.”
————
GAME OF THE WEEK
8-ABINGTON HEIGHTS (2-1) at 6-VALLEY VIEW (2-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: John Henzes/Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Last: Valley View, 35-14 (2023).
THE BUZZ
Valley View has nine straight wins in the series and leads all-time, 32-20-2. Valley View RB Nick Kucharski ran for 66 yards and a TD as part of a 351-yard rushing effort by the Cougars in the win over Abington Heights last season. Abington Heights QB Nick Bradley threw for 147 yards and a TD against Valley View last season. Abington Heights beat Dallas, 30-13, and Valley View beat Wilkes-Barre Area, 25-20, last week.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
GAVIN ANDERS
Abington Heights, WR-DB
He hauled in three passes for 60 yards and added an interception to help the Comets defeat Dallas, 30-13, last week. He has four receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown this season.
PRESTON REED
Valley View, FB
He is a bruising inside runner who had 115 yards and the go-ahead touchdown with 2:24 left in a 25-20 win over Wilkes-Barre Area. He has 191 yards and two touchdowns this season.
SCOUTING REPORT
Abington Heights: The Comets have an explosive offense led by strong-armed QB Nick Bradley. He has 356 yards passing and six touchdowns and 107 yards rushing and two touchdowns. RB Dominic Vergnetti leads the team with 196 yards rushing behind a veteran and physical offensive line. The defense recovered from a Week 1 loss to East Stroudsburg South to shut out West Scranton and limit Dallas to 13 points. DB Gavin Anders had an interception last week against Dallas.
Valley View: Starting QB Zach Cwalinski returned to the lineup and showed his dual-threat ability with 111 yards rushing and a touchdown and 58 yards passing and two touchdowns in a win over Wilkes-Barre Area. FB Preston Reed is a physical runner inside, and RB Nick Kucharski gives the Cougars a jolt of speed in the backfield. The defense came up big as Brady Skeen and Gianni Marino each had interceptions in the final 3 minutes last week. The Cougars also limited Wilkes-Barre Area to 3.8 yards per carry.
