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Robert Vaughn, ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,’ dead at 83

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Dallas School District teachers to strike Monday

<p>Adversity has seemed to follow the GAR Grenadiers all season. It won&#8217;t be leaving Friday night, either.</p><p>GAR (6-5) has arguably the biggest task of any Wyoming Valley Conference football team still playing as it faces Scranton Prep (10-1) for the District 2 Class 3A championship at 7 p.m. at Scranton Memorial Stadium.</p><p>After a slow start, few expected the Grenadiers to be playing for the championship. Prep, on the other hand, was penciled into the title contest way back in August based on the number of starters returning to the defending D2-3A champion.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re going to get on the bus, we&#8217;re going to drive up the Scranton and we&#8217;re going to play them,&#8221; GAR coach Paul Wiedlich Jr. said. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to prepare the kids the best we can. Our kids made great strides throughout the season to get back in the District 2 championship (game). It&#8217;s a credit to our seniors and a credit to our underclassmen who really stepped up for this senior class.&#8221;</p><p>Everybody needed to pitch in to keep GAR playing two weeks after the regular season ended.</p><p>After dominating Honesdale 49-7 in its opener, GAR trailed Western Wayne by a point late in the fourth quarter before falling 20-11. A pair of three-point losses followed to Nanticoke and Lake-Lehman, two teams also seeking spots in the D2-3A playoffs. (Both eventually made it to the district playoffs).</p><p>Week 4 brought a 26-19 win against Pittston Area, but also ended the season for versatile skill player Gerson Peralta, who suffered a gruesome broken leg. Two weeks later, quarterback Tashawn Qualls was sidelined for the season with a rib injury suffered in a loss to Wyoming Area. Then came another three-point loss, this one to Northwest, to put GAR at 3-5 with two games remaining. By that time, the line was shuffled around due to two players being dismissed from the team.</p><p>The Grenadiers, though, won those games and then avenged the Lehman loss in the D2-3A semifinals with a 21-13 victory. Even that win wasn&#8217;t easy. Lehman dominated time of possession, running 73 plays to GAR&#8217;s 36, which also included two kneel-downs by the Grenadiers to end the game.</p><p>But when it was time to shine, GAR did. Austin Yelland returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown and hooked up on a 66-yard catch-and-run with Muhaideen Tajuddin. Running back Josh Goodwin added a 71-yard TD run.</p><p>Prior to Yelland&#8217;s pick-six, GAR fumbled at the Lehman 1-yard line and had a drive stall at the Lehman 11.</p><p>&#8220;We put ourselves in a bind,&#8221; Wiedlich said. &#8220;I think we should have scored prior to that. We had opportunities. Austin jumping that route; he did what he was told. That&#8217;s why we watch tape, that&#8217;s why the kids watch tape. He was in the right place at the right time and made the right read.&#8221;</p><p>Prep&#8217;s adversity this season has been minor in comparison. Of course, that could be expected from a 10-1 team.</p><p>Prep opened the season with a 21-14 loss to Abington Heights in a game which it dominated. Abington had 11 yards on its first 12 plays before a six-minute span of the second quarter changed everything. The Comets struck for all three of their touchdowns in that segment on an 81-yard pass, 73-yard interception return and a 58-yard run.</p><p>&#8220;Scranton Prep should have beaten Abington last week,&#8221; Coughlin coach Ciro Cinti said the following week after his Crusaders lost 23-2 to the Cavaliers. &#8220;They beat them in every facet except the scoreboard. Abington had three plays on them.&#8221;</p><p>The Cavaliers bounced back to win nine in a row to finish the regular season. They shut out three opponents and allowed just 39 points in those nine games before defeating Nanticoke 48-14 in the D2-3A semifinals.</p><p>The 10-game winning streak came mainly from the running of 1,000-yard back Ricky Morgan and quarterback Jake Ryan, who also throws the ball well to a deep group of receivers. Morgan was banged up in the regular-season finale against North Pocono. Junior Matt Gilmartin took over the main running duties and has given a glimpse into 2017 with a pair of 100-yard games.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Alex Roberto (68) comes from behind quarterback Austin Yelland for the sack during GAR practice at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, November 9  11/9/16. Sean McKeag | Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111016GARpractice1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Alex Roberto (68) comes from behind quarterback Austin Yelland for the sack during GAR practice at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, November 9  11/9/16. Sean McKeag | Times Leader</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111016GARpractice2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Players from the GAR football team huddle during practice at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, November 9. 11/9/16. Sean McKeag | Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111016GARpractice2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Players from the GAR football team huddle during practice at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, November 9. 11/9/16. Sean McKeag | Times Leader</caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111016GARpractice3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">GAR Assistant Coach Steve Butler talks to quarterback Austin Yelland during practice at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, November 9. 11/9/16. Sean McKeag | Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111016GARpractice3.jpg</photo2><caption2>GAR Assistant Coach Steve Butler talks to quarterback Austin Yelland during practice at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, November 9. 11/9/16. Sean McKeag | Times Leader</caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111016GARpractice2CMYK.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">GAR players huddle during practice at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium on Wednesday. The Grenadiers prepare to take on defending Class 3A champions, Scranton Prep, on Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111016GARpractice2CMYK.jpg</photo3><caption3>GAR players huddle during practice at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium on Wednesday. The Grenadiers prepare to take on defending Class 3A champions, Scranton Prep, on Friday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By John Erzar</p><p>jerzar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>GAR (6-5) AT SCRANTON PREP (10-1)</strong></p><p><strong>D2-3A Championship</strong></p><p><strong>7 p.m. Friday</strong></p><p><strong>Tickets:</strong> $6 adults; $4 students</p><p><strong>What&#8217;s At Stake:</strong> Winner advances to the PIAA Class 3A state playoffs and will play the District 4 champion, either Danville (7-4) or Montoursville (9-2).</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @TLJohnErzar</p></shirttailMeta></div>

GAR bringing adversity into Class 3A title game vs. Scranton Prep