H.S. Football: Crestwood run game takes control vs. Tunkhannock

WRIGHT TWP. — After having suffered a pair of setbacks to start the season, a more casual observer might have wondered if the Crestwood Comets were up for the challenge presented by Tunkhannock’s stout defensive front.

Others, however, might observe that someone maybe forgot to tell Crestwood about said challenge.

The Comets rushed for 394 yards as team, paced by 157 yards from Jake Jeckell and 112 yards from Jaden Shedlock as Crestwood bulldozed it’s way to it’s first win of the season over the Tigers to the score of 46-7 Friday night at Crestwood High School.

“Last week when the final second ticked off, all it was is they were ticked off,” said Crestwood head coach Ryan Arcangeli of his squad. “We let two slip away, but they were so focused from the end of the horn last week to the end of the horn this week.”

With the obvious size advantage presented by Tunkhannock on display from the start, the Comets seemed as unfazed as they were focused.

Starting the game at their own 25-yard line Crestwood methodically drove 75 yards in 12 plays, taking to the ground game repeatedly. Shedlock would cap the action with a designed run from his quarterback spot, bursting into the endzone from seven yards out and an early 6-0 lead.

The Comets put two more scores on the board in the second quarter behind a pair of touchdowns from Gio Barna, the second of which coming on the first touchdown pass of the day from Shedlock with thirty-four seconds left in the half and a 19-0 lead.

From there, the gameplan followed suite as Crestwood continued to lean heavily into the run game, picking up positive yardage time after time as the offense crashed headlong into the face of the Tigers defensive front.

“We are who we are, we’re not going to fool anybody about our size,” said Arcangeli. “We had to find a way to get around that, our lineman had to dig deep. Their (Tunkhannock’s) front four is tough as nails. I’ll give our offensive line the credit, they kept coming at ‘em.”

The Comets put the game out of reach in the third with a 20-point outburst, the damage starting after a short punt from Tunkhannock gave Crestwood excellent field position at the Tiger 25-yard line.

Jeckell and Shedlock would take turns scampering down the field before Shedlock’s second touchdown pass, putting the ball where only his receiver Jack Rodgers could get his hands on it in the back of the end zone for a 10-yard score.

Crestwood’s next possession would last a mere two plays before Jeckell broke into Tunkhannock’s secondary and blazed a trail for a 36-yard touchdown run, effectively sealing the win.

Crestwood 46, Tunkhannock 7