Three things to watch in Week 1 LFC Battle Between Honesdale and Paupack
REGION — We’re just 24 hours away from kick off of the 2023 Lackawanna Football Conference campaign.
Week 1 action gets underway on fields all across the region at 7 p.m. Friday night and here’s what the schedule looks like…
Friday, August 25
Wallenpaupack at Honesdale
Western Wayne at Lake Lehman
Carbondale Area at Nanticoke
North Pocono at Wyo. Valley West
Riverside at West Scranton
Dallas at Abington Heights
Delaware Valley at Selinsgrove
Old Forge at Dunmore
Lackawanna Trail at Mid Valley
Crestwood at Valley View
Scranton at Wilkes-Barre Area
Saturday, August 26
Hanover Area at Holy Cross
Holy Redeemer at Susquehanna
All Friday night LFC games kick-off at 7 p.m. Saturday afternoon contests begin a 1 p.m. with the exception of Lakeland vs. Prep which starts at 2:30 p.m.
More: Honesdale football team names captains for 2023 LFC season
Also by Kevin Edwards Wallenpaupack Area football team looks to bounce back after rough season
Three things to watch
From a local standpoint, the biggest game of Week 1 is obviously Honesdale versus Wallenpaupack Area.
The Hornets and Buckhorns enjoy a fierce rivalry which stretches back nearly a half-century.
Under the direction of Dr. Mark Watson, Paupack has dominated the series in recent years having won nine of the last 10 games.
Honesdale has yet to record a win against its archrival with head coach Paul Russick at the helm. In fact, the last time the Hornets defeated the Buckhorns came via a 14-13 thriller back in 2018.
Here are three things to watch as Honesdale and Wallenpaupack Area renew their ancient gridiron rivalry.
Homefield advantage?
This year’s game will be played at a neutral site due to ongoing renovations of the Daniel J. O’Neill Memorial Sports Complex in Honesdale.
The Hornets will technically be the home team, but the contest will take place at Sharkey Rosetti Field on the campus of Western Wayne High School.
The big question here is whether this change of venue will effectively erase homefield advantage for Honesdale.
Who's under center?
Quarterback play very often determines the difference between a win and a loss at the high school level.
Honesdale is set at the position with junior gunslinger Aiden Collins under center. The cannon-armed veteran enters his third year as varsity starter. Collins passed for nearly 900 yards and 10 touchdowns last fall.
Paupack has an interesting dilemma at quarterback this year. Dr. Watson has named junior Drew Kiesendahl as his Week 1 starter. However, the veteran skipper won’t be afraid to bring in senior Shayne Madrigal if the situation warrants it.
Kiesendahl is a multi-faceted player who can hurt a defense with both his legs and his arm. He rushed for 157 yards and a TD last fall while throwing for 355 and two more scores.
If Collins gets dialed in early, he has the experience and ability to dissect the Buckhorn secondary. However, if Kiesendahl breaks out of the pocket and starts running all over the field it could spell a long night for the Hornets.
Tailback tussle?
Anyone who’s followed these two teams over the years knows that both Honesdale and Paupack like to run the ball.
Hence, it should come as no surprise that the tailbacks will likely play outsize roles in determining Friday night’s winner.
Honesdale will feature junior Mason Avery, who’s coming off a big sophomore season. Avery piled up a team-best 616 yards and five touchdowns despite only emerging as the starter late in the year.
Paupack will be led by senior Dylan Podrazil. A hard-nosed back who’s been compared to former Buckhorn star Joey DeFebo, Podrazil rushed for 400 yards and five scores as a junior.
Both of these talented tailbacks looked good in their respective scrimmages, but I’m giving the edge to Honesdale. Avery has the luxury of running behind a veteran offensive line while Paupack’s younger unit is still looking to gel.
Who's the winner?
Honesdale is coming off a solid 5-6 campaign and a berth in the District 2 Class 4A tournament.
Paupack suffered a rare down year under Dr. Watson last fall, going just 1-9 and missing out on the playoffs.
Both teams were hurt by graduation, especially Honesdale's defensive unit and Paupack's linemen corps.
The bottom line here is which team will see its younger players step up in big moments. Each squad features several battle-tested veterans, but it's the underclassmen who may well determine a winner Friday night.
Look for a big play on special teams to provide a key turning point in what promises to be yet another electrifying installment in this ages-old rivalry.
My prediction: Honesdale gives Coach Russick his first win over Paupack by a score of 21-19.
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Three things to watch in rivalry game between Honesdale and Paupack
