LEHMAN — Nobody would have blamed Bobby Gallagher for throttling down. For all intents and purposes, Lake-Lehman running back Coldyn Harris was gone, destined for a trip to the end zone some 65 yards from where the Black Knights’ third offensive play started Friday night.
But that’s not Dallas football. And it’s not in Gallagher’s nature to give up. So the Mountaineers’ senior defensive back took off. Like a cheetah chasing down a gazelle in the Serengeti, Gallagher closed the gap and dove at Harris’ legs. Lake-Lehman’s leading rusher hit the black turf 3 yards short of the end zone.
Four plays later, Gallagher knocked down a fourth-down pass to turn the Knights away without any points. And when Dallas teammate Tyce Mason caught a 90-yard touchdown pass three plays later, the Old Shoe game had taken quite the dramatic turn.
Dallas won its fifth consecutive shoe, besting their Back Mountain rivals, 49-7. Mason was named the game’s MVP after catching 150 yards worth of passes, including a pair of touchdowns, and returning a punt for a score. But is was Gallagher who set the tone. The Mountaineers’ second-leading tackler entering Friday, Gallagher made three critical plays to keep Lake-Lehman out of the end zone in the first quarter. He and the Dallas defense held a team to one score or fewer for the fifth time in seven games to remain unbeaten (7-0).
“Knowing you’re the last guy, there’s no excuses not to try and chase him down,” Gallagher said. “When that film goes up on Sunday morning, if you’re the last guy available to make a play and it doesn’t happen, that’s on you. You alone have to live with that. So I just knew I had to get there.”
In the grand scheme of a 48-minute football game where Dallas invoked the mercy rule and a running clock by halftime, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference in the final score if Gallagher had coasted as Harris reached the end zone. But this is a Mounts defense which has made as much of an eye-opening statement this year as its offense has, even if it hasn’t been to as much fanfare.
Only Wyoming Valley West (12) and Abington Heights (23) have managed to put up double digit points against this Dallas defense. And the Mountaineers still won those games by a combined 52 points. This is a defensive unit which plays with a level of speed which has been unmatched by its seven opponents. They also play with a physicality which play after play seems to deliver a hit which elicits ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ from the bleachers.
Facing third-and-goal from the 6 after Gallagher ran down Harris, Gallagher shot through a gap and dropped ball-carrier Dylan Heinrich with a crushing his which belies his 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame. And when Lake-Lehman tried to sneak a receiver behind him on fourth down in the end zone, Gallagher elevated, knocking down the pass like a volleyball player registering a spike at the net.
“He can bring it,” Dallas coach Rich Mannello said. “He comes with an attitude, he’s aggressive, and he’s having fun playing football. He had a rough couple years in the beginning. We lost him for a whole year to a real bad injury. He’s long and he can run. He can block kicks. He’s got great range, and he’s turned in to a hell of a receiver, too. But he’s fun to watch come downhill on defense.”
Gallagher has made his bones on defense and special team this year. He entered the Old Shoe game second on the team with 36 tackles. He was also the only Mountaineer with multiple interceptions this season. And when he broke through the line a blocked a punt Friday to set up a Hunter Pitcavage touchdown run, it was the third time he’s gotten to the punter this year.
But he’s been valuable on offense, too. His five carries have averaged more than 10 yards a pop this year, including a 20-yard reverse to set up a Geskey touchdown run in the second quarter. He’s also averaging almost 17 yards per reception. He caught a pair of passes on Dallas’ opening drive Friday to help the Mounts traverse 65 yards and pick up a touchdown on an Owen Oldt 3-yard run on the game’s first possession.
“Bobby has always been that type of player. He’s always a hustle player,” Mason said. “He’s probably one of the best tacklers on the team. He’s a hustler, and he does whatever he can to help this team.”
The Dallas defensive effort became more evident after Gallagher’s chase-down tackle. Lehman recorded 77 yards rushing on its first three plays last night. It picked up just 110 yards on 33 carries the remainder of the game, much of which came after the starters had left the game in the third quarter.
It was the perfect complement to a Mounts offense which once again did not punt. Starting punter Brandon Miller hasn’t punted since he had three against Pittston on Sept. 18. Backup kicker/punter David Worth has just one punt this year, and that came in a Week 1 win over Tunkhannock.
Dallas averaged better than 9 yards a play last night. Geskey had all 177 of his passing yards by halftime, thanks to the 90-yard wheel route where he found Mason wide open, and a 40-yard catch and run by Mason at the end of the second quarter. Leading rushers Hunter Pitcavage and Mark Saracinaj combined for just 31 yards on six carries, but they weren’t really needed to carry the load.
The Mountaineers moved into the top spot in the District 2 4A standings after North Pocono lost to Scranton Prep by a point last night.
“We went a lot of different speeds on offense tonight, but that third-down pass to Tyce to go 90 yards really changed the first half. “We seem to be operating and executing really well.”
Dallas 49, Lake-Lehman 7
Dallas 14 21 7 7 – 49
Lake-Lehman 0 0 7 0 – 7
First quarter
D—Owen Oldt 3 run (Brandon Miller kick), 9:15
D—Tyce Mason 90 pass from Talan Geskey (Miller kick), 3:56
Second quarter
D—Geskey 4 run (Miller kick), 9:57
D—Hunter Pitcavage 1 run (David Worth kick), 3:38
D—Mason 40 pass from Geskey (Miller kick), 1:31
Third quarter
D—Mason 37 punt return (Worth kick), 8:53
LL—Devon Albee 1 run (Kolby Shook kick), 4:04
Fourth quarter
D—Tom Fostock 8 run (Christian Maier kick), 1:00
Dal LL
First downs 12 6
Rushes-yds 30-173 34-187
Com-att-int 6-7-1 0-4-1
Pass yards 177 0
Total yards 350 187
Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-1
Penalties-yards 6-35 4-35
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing—Dallas, Tom Fostock, 13-88, TD; Hunter Pitcavage, 4-26, TD; Talan Geskey, 4-26; Bobby Gallagher, 2-26; Mark Saracinaj, 2-5; Jim Youngblood, 1-4; Owen Oldt, 1-3, TD; Carver Jones, 1-1; Team, 1-(-1); Jesse Berlew, 1-(-5). Lake-Lehman, Coldyn Harris, 14-110; Devon Albee, 9-35, TD; Anthony Magnotta, 1-28; Dylan Heinrich, 5-12; Aiden Miller, 1-7; Team, 1-(-1); Damon Bond, 2-(-2); Jesse Strengel, 1-(-2).
Passing—Dallas, Geskey, 6-7-1, 177 yds., 2 TDs. Lake-Lehman, Strenfel, 0-4-1.
Receiving—Dallas, Tyce Mason, 3-150, 2 TDs; Gallagher, 2-9; Brady McCann, 1-18. Lake-Lehman, None.
INTERCEPTIONS—Dallas 1, Jim Youngblood. Lake-Lehman 1, Dylan Heinrich.
RECORDS: Dallas (7-0); Lake-Lehman (3-4).