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H.S. football: Dallas built its way to tonight’s PIAA Class 4A championship game

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SOS attorney rebuts WB-Area claims about state complaint on new high school

<p>It&#8217;s never happened before.</p><p>In the history of the Wyoming Valley Conference, two teams from the league have never played for a state title in the same season.</p><p>That streak ends this week when the Dallas Mountaineers and the Wyoming Area Warriors go for championships in their respective classifications.</p><p>They are two teams that everyone in the Wyoming Valley should be pulling for this weekend. Whether you are an alumni of one of the two schools or not, let&#8217;s all get behind the Moutaineers and Warroirs.</p><p>Argents, Mohawks, Crusaders, Grenadiers, Cougars, Spartans, Wolfpack members and all the rest &#8211; yes, even Black Knights and Patriots &#8212; should have no problem changing allegiances in football for just a few days.</p><p>The Mountaineers will be up first, taking on Thomas Jefferson for the Class 4A title on Thursday in Hersheypark Stadium.</p><p>Both teams enter with 15-0 records, but this Dallas team has its origin in humble beginnings.</p><p>Four seasons ago, Dallas had 12 freshman on a team that would go 2-9, according to Sports Writer John Erzar&#8217;s story in today&#8217;s Times Leader. There are 11 of them left on the roster now, forming the nucleus of team on the brink of a championship.</p><p>&#8220;This is the fifth year and every class that came before this one is responsible for what&#8217;s happening right now. We&#8217;ve got to get that straight,&#8221; Dallas Coach Rich Mannello told Erzar. &#8220;We are not where we&#8217;re at in this football season without every class that came before them. &#8230;</p><p>&#8220;But this group in ninth grade, they held true to the process and embraced the process and went through that grind in the weight room.&#8221;</p><p>Wyoming Area gets it shot at state title glory on Saturday in the Class 3A game against Central Valley.</p><p>The Warriors enter the game 13-1, the lone blemish on their record coming at the hands of a perennial state power. That game was the most anticipated of the season for Wyoming Area fans this year&#8230; well, until Saturday&#8217;s game that is.</p><p>And while any trip to a state title game would be special, this one certainly holds something a little bit extra for the Warriors. It&#8217;s the first time a team from the school in any sport will be playing for a state title.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s just incredible, historic for our program to play for a state championship,&#8221; said Wyoming Area Coach Randy Spencer, who was also a player and assistant coach for the Warriors. &#8220;As great as that is and as big as that is, we&#8217;ve been talking all year with this group about just playing one more together.&#8221;</p><p>And just one more they will play together with the nothing less than a state title on the line.</p><p>So come Thursday and then again Saturday, let&#8217;s see all football fans in the region pull together and root the Mountaineers and Warriors on the victory.</p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>&#8211; Times Leader</em></p><style>
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Our View: No matter your allegiance, cheer for Dallas, Wyoming Area