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‘When we found your words we devoured them’

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‘He knew it and did nothing’: Biden in Moosic blasts Trump’s ‘criminal’ virus response

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				First it was Susquehanna on Hanover Area&rsquo;s schedule. Then Nanticoke Area or maybe Lake-Lehman. Then it was Holy Redeemer. Then no season. Four days later, the Hawkeyes&rsquo; season was back.
				All that was followed by Redeemer again. Then no game. Then Twin Valley. Two days later, no game again. And, finally, a school few in the area even knew existed &mdash; Windber &mdash; popped up on the schedule.
				That sums up Week 2 for Hanover Area, which will finally have a genuine opponent to play when Windber makes a trip of nearly four hours to play the Hawkeyes at 2 p.m. Saturday.
				The reason Hanover Area kept switching opponents for this weekend is twofold.
				First, the school district canceled fall sports because of COVID-19 concerns. The school board rescinded the vote four days later, causing Hanover Area to miss its planned season opener with Wyoming Area, which filled the spot with Riverside.
				&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never seen the look of despair in kids&rsquo; faces like I did on that Thursday when we got shut down,&rdquo; said Hanover Area coach Rick Hummer, whose son Connor starts on both sides of the ball. &ldquo;Devastation could be the word. It even choked me up a little bit watching these kids.
				&ldquo;We were trying to do everything correct and you&rsquo;re told, &lsquo;No, you can&rsquo;t do it.&rsquo; We followed the rules, did everything we had to do. I felt bad for the seniors.&rdquo;
				Secondly, the Wyoming Valley Conference kept making revisions to the original 10-game schedule, coming up with a new 10-game schedule that was revised, a seven-game schedule that was scrapped and then ultimately an eight-game schedule that has undergone numerous alterations.
				Just when it looked like Redeemer would be Hanover Area&rsquo;s opponent this weekend, it shut down athletics for two weeks because of a positive COVID-19 test by someone who was in the high school. Redeemer was scheduled to resume sports activities Friday, with boys soccer playing Saturday morning.
				A few days past and Hanover Area thought it found an opponent in Twin Valley. Two days later, Twin Valley cancelled the game because of a COVID-19 issue, leaving the Hawkeyes without an opponent.
				Some negotiations took place Monday afternoon before Windber decided to make the long trip to Hanover Township.
				&ldquo;Hey, we&rsquo;ll do what we have to do to get a game in,&rdquo; said Hummer, whose Class 3A team picked up Class 6A Scranton later in the season to fill another void.
				Windber is a Class 2A program in Somerset County. The Ramblers are one of 12 football programs which make up District 5. By contrast, the WVC has 14 teams.
				Windber also lost its Week 2 opponent, Ferndale, but not due to COVID-19. Ferndale entered a two-year cooperative agreement with Conemaugh Valley just before the start of football practice, leaving a hole on the schedule.
				The game will also mark the first time a WVC team plays a District 5 team. It will also be the first day home game for the Hawkeyes since lights were installed in 2003.
				&ldquo;Just from breaking film down, we think we know what they&rsquo;re going to do,&rdquo; Hummer said. &ldquo;There not a big team, they&rsquo;re a 2A team. There not going to beat you on size, but they&rsquo;re going to beat you on quickness. They are fast; the whole team is fast. And they&rsquo;re super aggressive.
				&ldquo;They kind of remind me of when I played (in the early 1990s). Not everybody was huge, but everybody was flying around the ball, they were hitting each other. It was a different game back then.&rdquo;
				Hanover Area wasn&rsquo;t the only WVC team sitting out last weekend. The Tunkhannock at Dallas game and the Pittston Area at Redeemer game were postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests. The Tunkhannock at Dallas game was postponed just a few hours before kickoff because of a positive test in the Dallas School District.
				All but Redeemer are scheduled to play Friday night. Redeemer will finally get on the field next Friday at defending Class 3A state champion Wyoming Area.
				WEEK 2 AT A GLANCE
				Berwick (0-1) at Pittston Area (0-0)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: Berwick&rsquo;s Carmen DeFrancesco (161-101, 2nd year at Berwick; 24th overall); Pittston Area&rsquo;s Nick Barbieri (14-19, 4th year)
				Last Meeting: Berwick 46-0 in 2019
				First Meeting: Berwick 42-7 in 1985
				All-Time Series: Berwick 35-2
				Scouting Berwick: Berwick certainly missed West Point recruit Blane Cleaver, who is out indefinitely with a reported hamstring injury. Cleaver was all-WVC on defense last season and was supposed to take over at quarterback. Without him, the offensive sputtered through three quarters in a 29-21 upset loss to Lake-Lehman. The Dawgs got things going in the fourth quarter, albeit too late for comeback.
				Scouting Pittston Area: The Patriots make their season debut after last week&rsquo;s game with Holy Redeemer was postponed due to a COVID-19 case at Redeemer High School. They did get some work in by scrimmaging Hanover Area. While there is some experience back on the offensive line, the skill positions are rather young and may take some time to develop.
				What To Expect: Berwick&rsquo;s last surge vs. Lehman doesn&rsquo;t bode well for Pittston Area.
				Crestwood (1-0) at Tunkhannock (0-0)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: Crestwood&rsquo;s Ryan Arcangeli (8-5, 2nd year); Tunkhannock&rsquo;s Mike Marabell (8-13, 3rd year)
				Last Meeting: Crestwood 42-16 in 2019
				First Meeting: Tunkhannock 20-6 in 1982
				All-Time Series: Crestwood 11-9
				Scouting Crestwood: The Comets edged Hazleton Area 18-10 last Friday. The run defense was stout, allowing 48 yards on 18 carries. Crestwood allowed just 114 yards through the air. QB Ryan Petrosky was sharp, hitting on 12-of-14 passes for 172 yards. Sophomore RB Kaleb Benjamin was solid in his varsity debut, rushing for 78 yards and two TDs on 16 carries.
				Scouting Tunkhannock: The Tigers were ready to head to Dallas only to have the game axed due to a COVID-19 case in what was described as the &ldquo;Dallas community.&rdquo; Tunkhannock will toss the ball for sure with veteran QB Jack Chilson running the show. Crestwood, though, was one of three opponents last season to hold him without a TD pass. He has a good group of pass catchers to choose from.
				What To Expect: A tossup that has the makings of the best game of the night.
				Hazleton Area (0-1) at Wilkes-Barre Area (1-0)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: Hazleton Area&rsquo;s Dennis Buchman (0-1, 1st year); WBA&rsquo;s Ciro Cinti (79-78, 2nd year at WBA, 15th overall)
				Last Meeting: WBA 34-20 in 2019
				First Meeting: WBA 34-20 in 2019
				All-Time Series: WBA 1-0
				Scouting Hazleton Area: The Cougars were shut out in the second half of a 18-10 loss to Crestwood. They trailed 12-10 at halftime. QB Kellen Warner scored on a 1-yard run about midway through the first quarter for Hazleton Area&rsquo;s only touchdown. The running game never found a groove, averaging 2.7 yards per carry.
				Scouting WBA: The Wolfpack defeated Wyoming Valley West 9-8 on a field goal with nine seconds left. QB Kam Taylor rushed for 124 yards and the team&rsquo;s only touchdown. Overall, the offense was inconsistent. There were also four fumbles, two of which were lost. The defense was very solid. It gave up 199 yards with 54 of them coming on two jumpball passes. However, Valley West was missing a couple key contributors to its offense.
				What To Expect: WBA in a low-scoring game.
				Nanticoke Area (0-1) at Lake-Lehman (1-0)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: Nanticoke Area&rsquo;s Ron Bruza (41-63, 11th year); Lake-Lehman&rsquo;s Jerry Gilsky (72-43, 11th year)
				Last Meeting: Lehman 35-0 in 2019
				First Meeting: Nanticoke Area 38-20 in 1967
				All-Time Series: Tied 24-24
				Scouting Nanticoke Area: Nanticoke Area&rsquo;s task last week was daunting, playing the much bigger Williamsport Millionaires. The result was a 43-16 loss. Aidan Jaskulski scored a couple fourth-quarter touchdowns and finished with 113 yards. QB Mike Marcella tossed a touchdown pass, but by that time the Trojans were down 36-0.
				Scouting Lehman: Lehman upset Berwick 29-21, holding off a fourth-quarter rally attempt by the Dawgs. Versatile Ryan Eiden cut off the rally with a 19-yard TD run late in the game. He also caught six passes for 106 yards. QB Ethan Adams set the tone early with a couple of touchdown passes to Colby Kennedy. The veteran signal caller connected on 12-of-18 passes for 195 yards.
				What To Expect: Lehman should be able to have things in control by the third quarter,
				Williamsport (1-0) at Wyoming Area (1-0)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: Williamsport&rsquo;s Chuck Crews (45-54, 6th year at Williamsport; 10th overall); Wyoming Area&rsquo;s Randy Spencer (75-51, 12th year)
				Last Meeting: Wyoming Area 58-42 in 2017
				First Meeting: Wyoming Area 39-12 in 2000
				All-Time Series: Wyoming Area 4-2
				Scouting Williamsport: The Millionaires jumped on Nanticoke Area early for a 43-18 victory. TE/DE Nassir Jones was a force on both sides of the ball. He caught 100 yards in passes for two touchdowns. QB Frankie Monroe was solid throwing the ball, but he&rsquo;ll be challenged by a Wyoming Area secondary which shut down one of the best throwers in the state last Friday. A lot of vets on the Millionaires.
				Scouting Wyoming Area: Wyoming Area harassed Riverside QB Johnny Gilchrist all night, sacking one of the top throwers in the state five times and recording a pick-6. The Warriors defense also returned a fumble for a TD in the 30-6 win. RB Vincenzo Giambra produced the only two offensive touchdowns as the ground game wore down the Vikings.
				What To Expect: A very tricky game for the defending Class 3A champion Warriors.
				Wyo. Valley West (0-1) at Dallas (0-0)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: WVW&rsquo;s Jack Baranski (3-9, 2nd year); Dallas&rsquo; Rich Mannello (41-21, 6th year)
				Last Meeting: Dallas 49-0 in 2019
				First Meeting: Valley West 41-6 in 1967
				All-Time Series: Valley West 17-12
				Scouting Valley West: The Spartans hung on to a two-point lead until there were nine seconds left as Wilkes-Barre Area kicked a field goal for a 9-8 win. QB Donte Rhodes rushed for 111 yards and the team&rsquo;s only TD, but the attack missed RB Darius Redguard. He&rsquo;s expected back. A big hole of defense will be the absence of last year&rsquo;s leading tackler Jonathan Stochla. The linebacker was injured in the preseason and his return this season looks doubtful.
				Scouting Dallas: Just before the Mountaineers were to entertain Tunkhannock the game was postponed because of a positive COVID-19 test by someone in the Dallas community. Another positive test put this game in peril. While Dallas finished as the state runner-up in Class 4A, no one is completely sure what to expect with so many key contributors gone.
				What To Expect: A Dallas win, but the Mountaineers might struggle early.
				Northwest (1-0) at Montgomery (1-0)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: Northwest&rsquo;s Lon Hazlet (117-100, 6th year at Northwest; 22nd overall); Montgomery&rsquo;s Paul Bozella (18-27, 5th year)
				Last Meeting: Northwest 32-7 in 2019
				First Meeting: Montgomery 21-6 in 1982
				All-Time Series: Northwest 3-1
				Scouting Northwest: The Rangers made their Northern Tier League debut by trouncing Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech 36-6. The formula to victory was no secret &#8211; run bulldozer George May. He gained 173 yards and scored on runs of 8 and 72 yards. Northwest finished with three touchdown of 59 yards or more.
				Scouting Montgomery: The Red Raiders took advantage of two turnovers by an 18-player Bucktail team early on the way to a 43-15 win. QB Logan Almeida threw two long touchdown passes, the first giving Montgomery a 36-0 lead at the break. Kaide Drick led the running game, but he probably won&rsquo;t have as easy of a time against Northwest.
				What To Expect: A game pretty much like last year&rsquo;s meeting in the Eastern Conference A-2A championship contest.
				Windber (1-0) at Hanover Area (0-0)
				2 p.m. Saturday
				The Coaches: Windber&rsquo;s Matt Grohal (53-45, 10th year); Hanover Area&rsquo;s Rick Hummer (3-8, 2nd year)
				Last Meeting: never played
				First Meeting: never played
				All-Time Series: never played
				Scouting Windber: Windber is a Class 2A school in District 5. The Ramblers opened the season with a 50-7 win over Conemaugh Township. They kept the ball on the ground, running 41 times with sophomore John Shuster rushing for 177 yards and four TDs on 18 carries. Junior QB Aiden Gray didn&rsquo;t hit on any of his nine passes. Senior Aaron Willis had two interceptions while linebacker Blake Klosky had a team-high nine tackles.
				Scouting Hanover Area: Hanover Area had three other opponents scheduled for this slot only to have things fall through. Securing Windber was another stroke of luck for the Hawkeyes, who were very close to having the school board shut down all fall sports. While they missed out playing Week 1, they did secure a scrimmage with Pittston Area, which also lost its opener because of COVID-19 issues.
				What To Expect: Hanover Area has to be pumped for this one and that could be the difference.

Ball finally bounces right way for Hanover Area as it lands game with Windber