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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Nanticoke&#8217;s game plan has been pretty basic this season &#8212; hand the ball to either tailback Eric Jeffries or fullback Dawson Hughes. Then just keep repeating it.</p><p>The formula was successful once again as Jeffries ran for 248 yards and four touchdowns and Hughes added 99 more on the ground in a 45-6 victory over GAR in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 3A-A game.</p><p>The contest was the first this season at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium. Four games scheduled for the first two weeks were moved due to structural concerns with the tunnel leading from the locker rooms to the field.</p><p>Jeffries, a senior who transferred from Holy Redeemer after his sophomore year, posted his second 200-yard rushing performance of the season. Hughes fell a yard shy of a second consecutive 100-yard game.</p><p>&#8220;They&#8217;ve been doing it all year,&#8221; said Nanticoke coach Ron Bruza, whose team improved to 3-0. &#8220;They worked hard in the offseason. You just look at them, they run hard. The line did a nice job up front. We&#8217;re definitely happy with our performance tonight.&#8221;</p><p>As for GAR (0-3), its performance left plenty of room for improvement.</p><p>Aside from a 56-yard TD run by Anthony Blake, the Grenadiers did little offensive for a third consecutive game. They scored once in a 38-8 season-opening loss to Honesdale and were blanked 34-0 by Western Wayne last week.</p><p>There were other problems for GAR. Gerson Peralta, the team&#8217;s second starting quarterback this season, left in the third quarter with an injury. Special teams had issues as an errant punt snap led to a safety followed by a 54-yard touchdown return by Nanticoke&#8217;s Darren Boseman on the ensuing free kick.</p><p>Added up, it led to Nanticoke&#8217;s biggest victory over GAR since a 42-0 win in 1990.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re getting out-physicaled. We&#8217;re getting out-physicaled in all parts of the game,&#8221; GAR coach Paul Wiedlich Jr. said. &#8220;I&#8217;m not going to question our kids&#8217; efforts. Our kids are trying their best and everything. It just comes down out-physicaled and it&#8217;s catching up.&#8221;</p><p>Nanticoke scored on its first possession, pounding Jeffries and Hughes at the GAR defense until Jeffries scored on a 3-yard run at 6:43 of the first quarter. Jeffries scored on a 5-yard run in the second quarter and quarterback Matt Wrubel sneaked in from the 2-yard line just before halftime for a 22-0 lead.</p><p>Jeffries made it 29-0 midway through the third on a 72-yard touchdown run. The after Blake scored two plays later, Jeffries capped his four-TD night with a 6-yard run at 8:36 of the fourth quarter.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Nanticoke 45, GAR 6</strong></p><p><strong>Nanticoke`7`15`7`16`&#8212;`45</strong></p><p><strong>GAR`0`0`6`0`&#8212;`0</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>First quarter</strong></p><p>NAN &#8212; Eric Jeffries 3 run (Ricky Klepadlo kick), 6:43</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Second quarter</strong></p><p>NAN &#8212; Jeffries 4 run (Klepadlo kick), 4:59</p><p>NAN &#8212; Matt Wrubel 2 eun (Jeffries from Mark Walters), 1:21</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Third quarter</strong></p><p>NAN &#8212; Jeffries 72 run (Klepadlo kick), 5:25</p><p>GAR &#8212; Anthony Blake 56 run (pass failed), 4:59</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Fourth quarter</strong></p><p>GAR &#8212; Jeffries 6 run (Klepadlo kick), 8:36</p><p>NAN &#8212; Safety, GAR punt snap out of end zone, 2:15</p><p>NAN &#8212; Darren Boseman 54 kick return (Klepadlo kick), 2:04</p><p><strong>Team statistics`NAN`GAR</strong></p><p>First downs`17`5</p><p>Rushes-yards`48-354`31-108</p><p>Passing yards`0`67</p><p>Total yards`354`175</p><p>Passing`0-3-0`5-14-0</p><p>Sacked-yards lost`0-0`1-8</p><p>Punts-avg.`1-18`4-21.8</p><p>Fumbles-lost`3-1`2-0</p><p>Penalties-yards`4-26`12-97</p><p><strong>INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS</strong></p><p><strong>RUSHING</strong> &#8212; Nanticoke, Jeffries 25-248, Dawson Hughes 19-99, Wrubel 2-5, Colby Butczynski 1-(minus-5), Matt Bobeck 1-7. GAR, Malachai Williams 6-6, Gerson Peralta 7-2, Noah Taylor 1-1, Tyrone Qualls 6-38, Blake 5-63, Will Johnson 1-0, Ron Peguero 3-0, Justice Lomas 1-3, team 1-(minus-5).</p><p><strong>PASSING</strong> &#8212; Nanticoke, Wrubel 0-2-0-0, Butczynski 0-1-0-0. GAR, Peralta 2-4-0-49, Peguero 3-9-0-18, Williams 0-1-0-0.</p><p><strong>RECEIVING</strong> &#8212; Nanticoke, none. GAR, Tai-Wan Bradley 1-37, Williams 1-12, Qualls 2-8, Johnson 1-10.</p><p><strong>INTERCEPTIONS</strong> &#8212; none.</p><p><strong>MISSED FGs</strong> &#8212; none.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">GAR wide receiver Tai&#8217;Wan Bradley pulls in a pass for a big gain as Nanticoke defensive backs Trevor Grohowski and Dylan Szychowski (17) defend. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_nan_gar1_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>GAR wide receiver Tai&#8217;Wan Bradley pulls in a pass for a big gain as Nanticoke defensive backs Trevor Grohowski and Dylan Szychowski (17) defend. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_nan_gar2_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">GAR&#8217;s Malachai Williams carries the ball for a short gain as the Nanticoke defense makes the stop. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_nan_gar2_faa.jpg</photo1><caption1>GAR&#8217;s Malachai Williams carries the ball for a short gain as the Nanticoke defense makes the stop. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_nan_gar3_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Nanticoke running back Dawson Hughes tries to break free of GAR defensive back Tai&#8217;Wan Bradley for more yards. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_nan_gar3_faa.jpg</photo2><caption2>Nanticoke running back Dawson Hughes tries to break free of GAR defensive back Tai&#8217;Wan Bradley for more yards. </caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_nan_gar4_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Nanticoke running back Eric Jeffries dives forward on a second effort inside the red zone against GAR on Thursday at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_nan_gar4_faa.jpg</photo3><caption3>Nanticoke running back Eric Jeffries dives forward on a second effort inside the red zone against GAR on Thursday at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium. </caption3><photoCredit3>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_nan_gar5_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Nanticoke running back Eric Jeffries scores a two-point conversion in the second quarter in Thursday&#8217;s win over GAR. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_nan_gar5_faa.jpg</photo4><caption4>Nanticoke running back Eric Jeffries scores a two-point conversion in the second quarter in Thursday&#8217;s win over GAR. </caption4><photoCredit4>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By John Erzar</p><p>jerzar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @TLJohnErzar</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Nanticoke uses running game to rout GAR, improve to 3-0