Wyomissing tops Scranton Prep, returns to PIAA semifinals

Wyomissing coach Bob Wolfrum says that you should never expect one-sided games this deep in the state playoffs yet the Spartans keep proving him wrong.

The District 3 champs scored on their first three possessions and went on to beat District 2 champ Scranton Prep 35-14 in a PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal Saturday at Mifflin Stadium.

The Spartans (14-0) advance to the PIAA semifinals and will play Neumann-Goretti, which defeated Danville 28-0.

The Cavaliers (11-1) had a rough start as their star back, Division I prospect London Montgomery, left after the first offensive series of the game and did not return. He suffered an upper-body injury and was taken to a local hospital for x-rays.

Even with their 2,000-yard back it would’ve been tough to stop the Spartans, who reached the end zone on five of their first six possessions. Tommy Grabowski and Drew Eisenhower each scored two touchdowns and Amory Thompson scored one, all on the ground.

The Spartans controlled the ball and clock and only passed once, on a two-point conversion, which was caught by Thompson. Eisenhower rushed for 133 yards on 14 carries.

Prep’s second TD came in the final two minutes, against Wyomissing’s second-team defense.

Ja-Mhi Jackson and Julian DiMaio stopped Montgomery on third-and-2 on the Cavaliers’ first series, forcing a punt. That was Montgomery’s final play.

Amory Thompson returned the kick 22 yards to the Prep 31 and the Spartans cashed in on the short field in five plays, the last a 2-yard run by Tommy Grabowski.

The Cavaliers turned it over on the ensuing kickoff when two players collided trying to cover a pooch kick. Wyomissing recovered at the 31 and was back in the end zone in five plays, when Drew Eisenhower ran 7 yards for a TD.

Prep used a big special teams play to set up its only first-half score when punter Rob Rossi ran 40 yards for a first down to the 8. Liam Barrett scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1 to make it 14-7.

Eisenhower’s 24-yard run to the 17 set up his 9-yard TD run to make it 20-7; the PAT was blocked.

Wyomissing breezed through interdistricts last season, beating Lakeland 47-0 and Danville 44-14 to reach the PIAA championship game for the second time. Central Valley, the No. 1 ranked team in the state, defeated the Spartans 35-21 in the title game.

Wyomissing became the first Berks team to win a PIAA championship in 2012, when it beat Aliquippa in the championship game to cap a 16-0 season.