by Chris Kucharski owner of Northeastpafootball.com and PAFootballNews.com
Ramon Fields set the table all night for Jake McCarthy and McCarthy cashed in.
Scranton’s all-time leading rusher scored four touchdowns and ran for 179 yards as the Knights defeated previously unbeaten Scranton Prep 43-19 on a rare Thursday night game at Scranton Memorial Stadium.
Fields returned the opening kickoff 51 yards to set the Knights up at the Prep 35 yard line and McCarthy headed to end zone on the very next play for a quick 7-0 lead.
Scranton Prep had their chances throughout the first half but ended up going 1 for 4 in the red zone which included two missed field goals and an interception limiting the Cavaliers to only 7 first half points.
The second Knights touchdown would be set up another play by Fields who ran 40 yards to get Scranton into the red zone. McCarthy would finish off the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run. and then would add a two point conversion for a 15-0 Scranton lead.
Turnovers were a problem for both teams as they combined for five in the first half.
Prep would take advantage of one of those turnovers as Kevin Sompel took a reverse for a 6-yard touchdown.
The Cavaliers would get the ball back but Fields picked off Nick Solfanelli and returned it 40 yards to set up McCarthy’s third touchdown of the game on a 40-yard run and a 22-7 halftime lead.
Prep would start the second half with a 81-yard drive that ended with a Solfanelli 6-yard touchdown pass to Justin Belardi. After a Scranton penalty on the conversion, the Cavaliers attempted a two-point conversion but the pass was incomplete and it would remain a two-score game 22-13.
On the ensuing kickoff, Scranton failed to recover the ball and the Cavaliers would take the extra possession to the Knights 6 yard line, but another Prep turnover, this time on a bad pitch would set Scranton up for their next score.
After a first down, the Knights were faced with a 3rd and 7. It appeared the Cavaliers got a stop after Anthony Tooson’s completed pass to John Marichak appeared short, but Marichak broke free from two Prep tacklers and raced 65 yards for a Scranton touchdown.
The Cavaliers didn’t fold. They put together a long drive that ended with a Sompel 25-yard TD pass from Solfanelli. But then the Knights let McCarthy take over on the next drive, eventually scoring on a 14-yard run, his fourth of the game. And Fields would finish off the scoring with a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Soflanelli threw for 319 yards in the loss but did have three interceptions for Scranton Prep.
