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‘For me it was very beautiful and very powerful’

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Rivalries are usually preserved for the final weekend of the high school football regular season. But with the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly putting a crimp in the schedule on a weekly basis, any week can be the last.
				That&rsquo;s the way Nanticoke Area and Hanover Area are approaching their rivalry game at 7 p.m. Friday night. It&rsquo;s plunked down in the middle of the schedule, but nobody really knows if Week 4 will end up the middle of the schedule.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of weird this year,&rdquo; Nanticoke Area coach Ron Bruza said. &ldquo;I usually have nine weeks to prepare for Hanover. I have only three.&rdquo;
				Also on tap is a battle of unbeaten Back Mountain rivals when Dallas (2-0) visits Lake-Lehman (3-0) at 7 p.m. Dallas will be looking for its seventh consecutive victory over the Black Knights and its 11 in the last 12 meetings.
				While Dallas vs. Lake-Lehman has been played annually since 1957 for the Old Shoe Trophy, Nanticoke Area vs. Hanover Area didn&rsquo;t have any moniker attached. It was basically just a rivalry between the boarding schools.
				That changed in 2018 when the game was dubbed the Sans Souci Struggle, giving a nod to the highway where Hanover Area High School is located that also serves as the main artery between the schools. And like the Old Shoe Game, there is a trophy.
				&ldquo;There is something to play for now,&rdquo; Hanover Area coach Rick Hummer said. &ldquo;It brings a little more to the game when you bring that home and the student body sees it.&rdquo;
				Nanticoke Area (0-3) and Hanover Area (0-2) are at the opposite end of the Wyoming Valley Conference standings compared to the Old Shoe Trophy combatants. The schools first played in their current form in 1967, but the neighbor rivalry dates back in some form or another to 1920.
				While neither team has a win, they are also on the only two in the WVC to have played all unbeaten opponents.
				Class 3A Nanticoke Area stepped way out of its element by playing Class 6A Williamsport in its opener, a veteran team which was only on the schedule because of numerous COVID-19 revisions. The Trojans also lost to Lake-Lehman and Crestwood.
				Hanover Area had its opener canceled because of a late start after a brief closure of all the school&rsquo;s athletic programs due to COVID-19 concerns. The Hawkeyes ventured into the unknown in their opener against Windber, a District 5 team willing to make a trip of over three hours to play. They fell to Lake-Lehman last Friday.
				The game also features alumni as coaches. Hummer was a Hanover Area receiver and linebacker in the early 1990s. Bruza was a Nanticoke Area fullback and linebacker in the late 1990s.
				&ldquo;We all know the tradition,&rdquo; Hummer said. &ldquo;I played at Hanover. Coach played at Nanticoke. We know the tradition. That&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s good about having people in the program that coached there. They know what it is. You remember all the old stuff we did against each other. You look forward every year.&rdquo;
				The current Trojans and Hawkeyes will be focused on 48 minutes of football Friday, but Hummer believes the memories will last a lifetime.
				&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think these kids understand,&rdquo; Hummer said. &ldquo;I see some of the guys I played with. We sit there and say &lsquo;Remember this, remember that. I remember that play.&rsquo; They don&rsquo;t realize that some of their friends are going to be those guys.&rdquo;
				Bruza agreed and saw a humorous side to how memories of the game live on.
				&ldquo;I saw friends who say it was the best years of their lives. I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;You&rsquo;re 40 years old. You haven&rsquo;t done anything since you&rsquo;ve been 18,&rsquo; &rdquo; Bruza joked.
				WEEK 4 AT A GLANCE
				Dallas (2-0) at Lake-Lehman (3-0)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: Dallas&rsquo; Rich Mannello (43-21, 6th year); Lake-Lehman&rsquo;s Jerry Gilsky (74-43, 11th year)
				Last Meeting: Dallas 45-6 in 2019
				First Meeting: Lehman 13-6 in 1957
				All-Time Series: Dallas 48-12-2
				Scouting Dallas: The Mountaineers won their 14th consecutive regular-season game with a 34-13 win over Wilkes-Barre Area, but it was costly. RB Jake DelGaudio suffered a nasty ankle injury. Rocco Ormando did a solid job in relief, but overall the offense was inconsistent. The defense scored via interception and fumble return, but had some issues vs. the WBA running attack.
				Scouting Lehman: The Black Knights overwhelmed Hanover Area 42-6. The defense hasn&rsquo;t allowed a score since the opener as Hanover Area&rsquo;s only TD came via kickoff return. QB Ethan Adams threw five touchdown passes, one shy of his career high for a game. Jacob Monko grabbed three of those scores and produced Lehman&rsquo;s second 100-yard receiving game of the season.
				What To Expect: Lehman has lost the last six Old Shoe games. That could end.
				Hazleton Area (1-2) at Pittston Area (0-2)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: Hazleton Area&rsquo;s Dennis Buchman (1-2, 1st year); Pittston Area&rsquo;s Nick Barbieri (14-21, 4th year)
				Last Meeting: Hazleton Area 47-0 in 2015
				First Meeting: Hazleton Area 31-0 in 1992
				All-Time Series: Hazleton Area 15-8
				Scouting Hazleton Area: The Cougars spotted Tunkhannock an early touchdown and then dominated for a 34-7 win. Senior Kevin Meluskey had an outstanding game, picking off two passes, rushing for a touchdown and catching a pass for another score. The rushing attack remains inconsistent, but QB Kellen Warner picked up the slack with a career-high 340 passing yards.
				Scouting Pittston Area: A week after battling Berwick tough, the Patriots were in position for a victory only to give up a late touchdown in a 26-24 loss to Wyoming Valley West. They&rsquo;ve now lost four in a row dating back to last season. A bright spot was RB Bryheem Patterson, who rushed for 148 yards, the most by a Patriot since the 2018 season.
				What To Expect: A close game with Hazleton Area winning.
				Holy Redeemer (0-1) at Crestwood (3-0)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: Redeemer&rsquo;s Tyson Kelley (0-10, 2nd year); Crestwood&rsquo;s Ryan Arcangeli (10-5, 2nd year)
				Last Meeting: Crestwood 54-12 in 2009
				First Meeting: Crestwood 57-7 in 2007
				All-Time Series: Crestwood 3-0
				Scouting Redeemer: The Royals got on the field after sports were stopped briefly because of a COVID-19 case in the school. Their task was daunting, playing Wyoming Area. They fell behind 41-0 after the first quarter, but battled and lost 55-20. A positive was RB Christian Leon rushing for 54 yards. In six of nine games in 2019, Redeemer as a team failed to reach that many rushing yards.
				Scouting Crestwood: With starting QB Ryan Petrosky out with an injury, Crestwood turned to a pair of sophomores to direct the offense. Noah Schultz and Brendan Dennis each threw a TD pass in a 49-7 rout of Nanticoke Area. Schultz also rushed for 74 yards and two touchdowns. Marcus Vieney returned a fumble for a touchdown, continuing to make big plays on defense.
				What To Expect: Crestwood by a score similar to the last meeting.
				Nanticoke Area (0-3) at Hanover Area (0-2)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: Nanticoke Area&rsquo;s Ron Bruza (41-65, 11th year); Hanover Area&rsquo;s Rick Hummer (3-10, 2nd year)
				Last Meeting: Nanticoke Area 39-20 in 2019
				First Meeting: Nanticoke Area 20-6 in 1967
				All-Time Series: Nanticoke Area 27-24-1
				Scouting Nanticoke Area: Nanticoke Area&rsquo;s struggles continued with a 49-7 loss to Crestwood. All but six of the Trojans&rsquo; 28 points have come in the fourth quarter and with the opponent well in control. The defense hasn&rsquo;t been able to stop opponents either on the ground or in the air. However, the schedule has been brutal with the three opponents a combined 9-0.
				Scouting Hanover Area: The Hawkeyes fell victim to Lake-Lehman&rsquo;s aerial assault, giving up five TD passes in a 49-7 loss. They opened the season with a 42-25 loss to Windber. The offense doesn&rsquo;t have enough pop, at least just yet, to get into high-scoring games. The running attack had totaled 100 yards and less than 2 yards per carry. The passing game is averaging just 98 yards.
				What To Expect: Hanover Area to defeat its neighborhood rival.
				Wilkes-Barre Area (2-1) at Williamsport (3-0)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: WBA&rsquo;s Ciro Cinti (80-79, 2nd year at WBA, 15th overall); Williamsport&rsquo;s Chuck Crews (47-54, 6th year at Williamsport; 10th overall)
				Last Meeting: WBA 28-7 in 2019
				First Meeting: WBA 28-7 in 2019
				All-Time Series: WBA 1-0
				Scouting WBA: The Wolfpack lost 34-13 to Dallas as five turnovers &#8211; including two returned for touchdowns &#8211; swung the momentum numerous times. QB Kam Taylor, though, missed the game with an injury and his availability is unknown. RB Noah Taylor bulled his way to 120 yards and the team&rsquo;s only offensive touchdown. Returner Elijah Jordan took a punt to the end zone, his second return TD this year.
				Scouting Williamsport: The Millionaires not only defeated Berwick 26-7 but frustrated the Dawgs so much that two of them were tossed from the game. QB Frankie Morrone continues to hit on most of his throws. TE Nassir Jones came up huge once again and is among the best in the WVC. There were some issues defensively with Berwick&rsquo;s triple-option attack, but not enough to raise any red flags.
				What To Expect: Williamsport will face a very aggressive defense, but should prevail.
				Wyoming Area (2-1) Tunkhannock (0-2)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: Wyoming Area&rsquo;s Randy Spencer (76-52, 12th year); Tunkhannock&rsquo;s Mike Marabell (8-15, 3rd year)
				Last Meeting: Wyoming Area 49-10 in 2019
				First Meeting: Wyoming Area 6-0 in 1967
				All-Time Series: Wyoming Area 22-4
				Scouting Wyoming Area: The Warriors jumped to a 41-0 lead in the first quarter and then turned the game over to the reserves in a 55-20 victory over Holy Redeemer. RBs Vincenzo Giambra and Drew Mruk each scored two TDs. The passing game didn&rsquo;t gain any yardage, but it was unnecessary with the running attack more than enough. The defense created four turnovers.
				Scouting Tunkhannock: The Tigers were known for their strong passing attack last season, but things have been a tick off thus far. Opponents have picked off six passes through two games and Hazleton Area made a pair in defeating Tunkhannock 34-7 last Friday. The Tigers also got a dose of their own medicine as Hazleton Area threw for 340 yards and three TDs.
				What To Expect: If Wyoming Area quiets Tunkhannock&rsquo;s passing attack, a win is very likely.
				South Williamsport (1-1) at Northwest (3-0)
				7 p.m. Friday
				The Coaches: South Williamsport&rsquo;s Chris Eiswerth (81-58, 10th year at South Williamsport, 13th overall); Northwest&rsquo;s Lon Hazlet (119-100, 6th year at Northwest; 22nd overall)
				Last Meeting: never played
				First Meeting: never played
				All-Time Series: never played
				Scouting So. Williamsport: Like Northwest, the Mounties are new to the Northern Tier League after playing bigger schools in the Heartland Conference. South Williamsport posted six consecutive winning seasons from 2012-2017, including playing in the PIAA Class A state semifinals in 2014. The Mounties enter off a 33-13 win vs. Montgomery where RB Zach Miller ran for 256 yards and four TDs.
				Scouting Northwest: Northwest continued to dominate the Northern Tier League as the Rangers walloped an undermanned Bucktail team 42-6. One report said Bucktail had only 16 players dressed. Anyway, QB Carter Hontz threw three touchdown passes and RB George May continued to knock over the opposition for three touchdowns.
				What To Expect: On paper, it looks like a toss-up.

H.S. football: Two rivalries highlight Week 4 Wyoming Valley Conference schedule