Archbald, PA — BY SAM FREMIN [email protected] PECKVILLE — Though they change, emotions can be a constant presence in someone's life. Zach Cwalinski is no exception. The Valley View quarterback made a full recovery from a season-ending injury last season and has wasted no time making up for lost time, once again proving instrumental in his team's success. Cwalinski scored three rushing touchdowns to lead the Cougars past Honesdale, 36-20, in a Lackawanna Football Conference game Friday at John Henzes/Veterans Memorial Stadium. "This is a big win for our program. Big win for a playoff spot," Cwalinski said. "These wins, they just feel great. They're very emotional." Cwalinski's 2023 campaign came to a premature close after he suffered a torn labrum. Even after rehabbing and returning this season, Cwalinski grappled with nerves and the occasional injury-related self-doubt. Now, that's all behind him. But so are five of his 10 regular-season games, introducing a whole other set of emotions for the senior quarterback to confront. "After the game, I was — I mean, this is the last couple games of my senior regular season," Cwalinski said, as those emotions emerged. "We have 30-some seniors. I'm gonna miss these guys, you know? "We all grew up together. And these guys, we'll hang out after the game. I'll go grab my linemen some pizza. It's just crazy. That this is the last year." Honesdale was first to get possession, mounting a six-and-a-half-minute, 10-play drive to open the game. Spearheaded by a 33-yard pass from Aiden Collins to Gabe Duda, the Hornets' drive positioned them inside the Valley View 5. On fourth-and-one from the 2, the Cougars stood up Honesdale's offense and forced a turnover on downs. That early goal-line stand changed the complexity of the game. "Eventually, it's gonna come back to get us. But right now, we're making those plays." Valley View head coach Scot Wasilchak said. "Honesdale's a tough team, but I think we just started to wear on them a little bit." Cwalinski scored his first rushing touchdown of the night with eight seconds remaining in the opening quarter. He kicked the extra point to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead. The Hornets controlled the second quarter. Excluding kneel-downs, Valley View was only able to run three plays, but Honesdale struggled to take advantage of its opportunities. "We just didn't finish drives," Honesdale head coach Paul Russick said. "We didn't make some plays there in the first half that could have probably change the game from being 13-0 to maybe being (a) tie ball game. "(Valley View) is a good program. They're gonna prepare us for the second half of our season." Honesdale started the quarter with an 11-play possession, flirting with the red zone, but ultimately turned it over on downs. Valley View capitalized with a touchdown just three plays later. Nick Kucharski ran it in from five yards after catching a 48-yard pass and turning a 20-yard run into a goal-to-go scenario. Another long drive couldn't get the job done for Honesdale, despite driving 64 yards inside the Valley View 10. Cwalinski's second rushing touchdown came immediately after halftime, putting the Cougars up, 21-0. Mason Avery ran a 15-yard touchdown to put Honesdale on the board later in the third quarter, but a Valley View trick play — Kucharski throwing a 32-yard score to Beyon McLean — returned the game to a three-score affair. Before exiting the game, Cwalinski tacked on an insurance touchdown to open the fourth quarter. Honesdale added two touchdowns, with Collins hitting Duda on a 15-yard pass and sophomore Manny Edwards sprinting for a 39-yard score, but an unfriendly clock put the game out of reach. "We have a lot of weapons, and now we're hitting on all cylinders, throwing the ball also," Wasilchak said. "We're tough to defend. Defensively, we have to shore some things up. But when we have to, we make plays." Friday's victory puts Valley View at 4-1. The Cougars are in the midst of a four-game win streak, with their last loss coming against Scranton Prep in Week 1. Contact the writer: @samfremin on X.