Strong Air Attack Helps Pa Roll

By JOE PETRUCCI [email protected]
Saturday, November 03, 2001 Page: 6B

YATESVILLE – Last week, Pittston Area quarterback Chris Barnic dished out
kudos after a rout of Coughlin, complimenting his backs and receivers, all of
whom are capable of the big play.

On Friday night, wideout Tim Cotter returned the favor, showering Barnic
and running back Matt Pisano with praise.
It was also Cotter who rained on Lake-Lehman on Friday, as the junior
caught six passes for 169 yards and the second three-touchdown game of his
career in Pittston Area’s 35-6 Northeast Pennsylvania Football Conference
Division 2 South defeat of the Black Knights.

“Barnic was throwing the ball great, the line was blocking,” said Cotter,
who caught three scores last year against Hazleton Area. “Our running game
really sets us up.”

If Berwick beats Dallas today, the Patriots and the Mountaineers will be
tied with 970 points in the District 2 Class 3A playoff race. Pittston would
win the tiebreaker, having defeated Dallas earlier this season.

Barnic completed 10 of 15 passes for 215 yards. Pisano was the main setup
guy on the ground, rushing 16 times for 120 yards. Fullback Joe Lombardo
returned to full-time action after three weeks out of the lineup and carried
seven times for 40 yards.

Cotter started the scoring with a streaking 39-yard catch down the right
sideline. The first of Charles Cosangra’s five extra points gave the Patriots
a 7-0 lead with 5:28 left in the first quarter. On Pittston Area’s next
possession, Pisano took a handoff at the 9-yard line, followed the back of
tackle Lee Lispi and cut off the seal block of tight end Blake Barbini and
darted into the end zone for a 14-0 lead 1:07 into the second.

After the Patriot defense forced another Lehman four-and-out series, a

South) at the Knights’ 18. From there, Pisano ran up the gut, was stuffed,
then bounced it to the right sideline. He stiff-armed a defender, cut back
left at the 10 and rolled into the end zone for a 21-0 lead.

On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Pisano reeled off a

Five plays later, it was Barnic-to-Cotter again. Cotter found a seam
underneath Lehman’s three-deep secondary for a 14-yard scoring catch with 9:35
to play in the third. Barnic, who threw for 161 yards last week, seems to have
turned the corner on what had been a troubled year.

“I think the key is Barnic, he held his head up,” said Patriots coach
Steve Armillay. “He had a tough middle of the season and people were down on
him, and I still think he’s as good as any in the league. He’s rebounded
well.”

Late in the quarter, Barnic hit Cotter for the final score, this time on a


Pittston’s first-team defense, led by linebackers Barbini and Tore Alaimo,
end Dave Wesley and tackle Nick Levy, held Lehman’s offense to 49 total yards
(just 7 yards on the ground) and just two first downs through nearly 36
minutes.

Lehman fullback/linebacker/punter Chris Teetsel had another strong game. He
made 10 tackles, finishing his second consecutive 115-plus tackle season. Four
of his tackles were for no gain or a loss. He also punted eight times for an
average of 41.5 yards per boot.