Recap
HS FOOTBALL: Wallenpaupack tops Honesdale in Wayne-Pike Shrine Bowl
Wallenpaupack Area 14, Honesdale 6
Honesdale, PA — HONESDALE — Wallenpaupack's defense kept it in the game until its offense could get going in the second half and the Buckhorns rallied past No. 6-ranked Honesdale, 14-6, in the 32nd Wayne-Pike Shrine Bowl on Friday night at the Honesdale High School Sports Complex.
Logan Caruso rushed for 119 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries with 98 of his yards coming after halftime. The junior was named Wallenpaupack's Offensive Most Valuable Player.
"We just kept working and going at it 110 percent, no matter what the circumstances," Caruso said. "The linemen, I can't give them enough credit. They've put so much work in, they're amazing. Our running backs, we all run hard."
Senior Conan Kier was chosen as the Buckhorns' Offensive Lineman of the Game, while senior linebacker George Rafferty was selected as his team's Defensive Player of the Game.
Kier helped open holes for Wallenpaupack (2-1) to run for 193 yards and total 221 yards. Rafferty helped the Buckhorns defense limit the Hornets to 164 total yards and made a key fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter.
"Our defense, those kids are tough," Wallenpaupack first-year coach Matt Nawrocki said. "They don't know when they're out of it and they don't care to know when they're out of it. They keep battling, and that really held up for us because the offense took a while to get going tonight. That really was the game there. We were on the ropes a little bit, but the defense just kept standing tough. So proud of those guys."
After a scoreless first half, Honesdale (2-1) finally broke through on the opening drive of the second half. The Hornets drove 58 yards in eight plays with quarterback Aiden Collins hitting Kobe White with a 26-yard touchdown pass. However, Wallenpaupack's Xaiden Shock blocked the extra point to keep it 6-0 with 8:43 left in the third quarter.
Collins finished 5 for 10 passing for 87 yards and one touchdown and was named Honesdale's Offensive MVP.
Evan Funk was chosen the Hornets' Offensive Lineman of the Game and Anthony Passaro was his team's Defensive Player of the Game.
It took the Buckhorns just one play to swing the momentum.
Senior Conan Kier was chosen as the Buckhorns' Offensive Lineman of the Game, while senior linebacker George Rafferty was selected as his team's Defensive Player of the Game.
Kier helped open holes for Wallenpaupack (2-1) to run for 193 yards and total 221 yards. Rafferty helped the Buckhorns defense limit the Hornets to 164 total yards and made a key fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter.
"Our defense, those kids are tough," Wallenpaupack first-year coach Matt Nawrocki said. "They don't know when they're out of it and they don't care to know when they're out of it. They keep battling, and that really held up for us because the offense took a while to get going tonight. That really was the game there. We were on the ropes a little bit, but the defense just kept standing tough. So proud of those guys."
After a scoreless first half, Honesdale (2-1) finally broke through on the opening drive of the second half. The Hornets drove 58 yards in eight plays with quarterback Aiden Collins hitting Kobe White with a 26-yard touchdown pass. However, Wallenpaupack's Xaiden Shock blocked the extra point to keep it 6-0 with 8:43 left in the third quarter.
Collins finished 5 for 10 passing for 87 yards and one touchdown and was named Honesdale's Offensive MVP.
Evan Funk was chosen the Hornets' Offensive Lineman of the Game and Anthony Passaro was his team's Defensive Player of the Game.
It took the Buckhorns just one play to swing the momentum.
"They won up front," Russick said. "There's not beating around that."
Scott Walsh
Reporter / copy editor