Honesdale, PA — By Robert Tomkavage | [email protected] | The Times-Tribune HONESDALE — After Honesdale held an emotional pregame ceremony for its former teammate, three Hornets seniors dominated offensively to clinch a playoff berth and honor their late friend. At the conclusion of the Senior Night festivities, the family of Samson Fluck, who died in 2022 after a brief illness, was greeted by members of the team at midfield. Then, quarterback Aiden Collins rushed for a touchdown and connected with Conlan Keast for two more, and running back Mason Avery scored twice on the ground to lead Honesdale past West Scranton, 34-20, in a Lackawanna Football Conference Division II game. “It was just a special night,” Collins said. “We did it for No. 20. It wasn’t the prettiest game, but it was a great win for us.” Collins, a four-year starter, put Honesdale ahead early with a 4-yard touchdown run with 9:09 left in the first quarter. Avery set the tone from the first play when he picked up 20 of his 241 yards. The Hornets’ second touchdown resulted from years of trust and repetition. Collins lofted a pass toward the corner of the end zone and Keast pulled the ball down between two defenders for an 18-yard score. “We’ve been developing the connection since freshman year and it’s showing off now,” Keast said. Honesdale (6-4, 3-2 LFC II) threatened to score again late in the first half, but a 15-play drive came to a halt when West Scranton’s Cameron Cole recovered a fumble inside the Invaders’ 10 after a bad snap. After a sluggish first half, in which West Scranton (0-10, 0-5) gained just 61 yards, the Invaders came out firing to start the third quarter when Caiden Berardi hit Quincy Mosley for an 84-yard touchdown just 45 seconds in the second half. West Scranton coach Jake Manetti appreciated the will to compete from his group, but he noted another slow start proved costly. “You can’t get blanked in the first half — just like last week — and have a double-digit deficit to overcome,” Manetti said. ” We came out blazing in the second half and made it a ballgame.” Avery quickly answered with a powerful 13-yard touchdown run, in which he broke a tackle at the 5 with 8:23 remaining in the third quarter. “If there was a statistic for broken tackles, his would be off the charts,” Honesdale coach Paul Russick said. “His feet are always moving and he’s tough to tackle.” Berardi brought the Invaders back within one score again with 2:48 left in the third quarter, scoring on a 1-yard run after hitting Mosley for a 40-yard completion. Despite finishing winless, Manetti was proud of the team’s continued effort. “I say it every week, I love my guys and I love the way they play for me,” he said. “Even where we are, late in the season, with the record we have they came down here and were clawing tooth and nail trying to get a win.” But Honesdale refused to fold as the Hornets generated a 13-play, 67-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Collins to Keast with 9:34 left in the game. “It was a tight window,” Collins said. “I just had to fit it in and I trusted him to make the catch. It was a great play.” Manetti felt that touchdown served as a backbreaker to the Invaders’ comeback effort. “It’s 20-13 and fourth-and-goal from the 5-yard line,” he said. “If we make a stop there, it’s our ball down 7, but we’re a couple plays away. We’re a young team and it’s a recurring theme.” After a West Scranton fumble, Avery delivered the knockout blow, bursting through the middle of the defense for a 45-yard touchdown. “It felt great,” Avery said. “I feel like we were getting ahead of ourselves sometimes and looking into the playoffs. Once we got that big touchdown, I was just relieved.” Shamier Lyons added a late touchdown for West Scranton on a 5-yard run. Honesdale secured the No. 3 seed in the District 2 Class 4A playoffs and will travel to No. 2 Dallas in the semifinals next week. The win also guarantees the Hornets will finish the season with a winning record for the first time in a decade. “We’re excited, but the job’s not finished,” Collins said. After posing for a photo with teammates and friends after the win, Avery’s thoughts turned to Fluck. “(With) Sam, it’s been hard, but I know he’s watching us and it’s just a great thing for him to be able to see us do this,” Avery said. Originally Published: October 26, 2024 at 2:12 a.m.