CLINTON TWP. – When asked to share his favorite memory from Friday”s subregional championship, Isaac Ryon might take a while to respond. His performance at Lions Pride Stadium against Tri-Valley was nothing short of spectacular. Ryon scored five touchdowns, ran for over 300 yards, and became the all-time leading rusher for his school. The defense of Lackawanna Trail played a pivotal role as they kept the Bulldogs scoreless in the last three quarters, sealing a 41-14 victory in the District 2-11 Class 1A subregional championship on Friday night.
“I think we played well together on defense, especially in the second half,” said Trail senior Blake Stage. “We made some good adjustments to counter their offense. We just played our hardest and need to keep building on that.”
Lackawanna Trail (11-1) now advances to the PIAA Class 1A tournament, where they will face District 4 champion Line Mountain, who won their game against Montgomery. The Lions reached this stage in the state tournament last season but suffered a narrow loss to Muncy.
“Getting here again motivates us because this is where we lost last season,” Ryon commented. “We are going to work extremely hard in practice. It”s do or die from here. We will stick to our game plan.”
As for Ryon”s most memorable moment from the game, it could have been his 73-yard run on the very first play, putting Lackawanna Trail up 7-0 just 16 seconds into the contest. Or perhaps it was the 25-yard sprint early in the second quarter that helped him break Richard Jackson”s record. Entering the game, Ryon needed around 140 yards to surpass Jackson”s mark of 4,546 yards, a target he nearly hit in the first quarter alone with 130 yards from his first three carries.
Ryon concluded the night with 319 yards on 19 carries, averaging close to 17 yards per attempt. “It”s win or go home, so I”m going to give my all on every play,” Ryon stated. “I trust the guys blocking for me; they always give their best effort. It”s a team effort, and I owe much of this to the line. If they don”t clear the way, those yards don”t happen. I”m grateful for their hard work.”
In addition to his offensive achievements, Ryon”s interception in the end zone late in the second quarter proved crucial. At that moment, Lackawanna Trail was leading 21-14, but Tri-Valley was advancing toward the end zone, positioned at the Lions” 13-yard line. On a third-and-6, Bulldogs quarterback Trey Porter scrambled and attempted a pass to a receiver in the back of the end zone, but Ryon intercepted the ball just inside the goal line, halting Tri-Valley”s momentum.
The Lions then executed an impressive 80-yard drive in just six plays, featuring four runs from Ryon. His final rush of the series was a 37-yard touchdown, where he powered through one defender and eluded another, extending the lead to 28-14.
“That was a huge turning point,” commented Tri-Valley coach Jeff Sampson. “Our player made an error by throwing across his body. He was trying to make a play, and there”s nothing wrong with that. Isaac Ryon is an exceptional athlete.”
In the second half, the Lackawanna Trail defense tightened its grip, allowing only five first downs, three of which came against the second-string players. Stage stood out during this stretch, racking up eight tackles in the final half. One critical moment for the 6-foot-3, 285-pound linebacker occurred on Tri-Valley”s first possession of the third quarter, where he disrupted the offensive plays back-to-back.
“Our coaches do a fantastic job of helping us adjust at halftime,” Stage said. “They provide great insights that enable us to dominate the offensive line. Winning my last home game as a senior is incredibly special. I”m excited to keep this going.”
Initially, Tri-Valley started strong, matching Trail score for score in the first quarter. The Bulldogs answered Ryon”s 73-yard touchdown with a 14-play series that included both third and fourth down conversions. The final conversion came on a fourth-and-goal with Cole Gemberling scoring from four yards out, aided by a facemask penalty against Lackawanna Trail.
After Ryon”s second touchdown—a 55-yard run where he outpaced three defenders—Tri-Valley responded with a six-play drive capped by a Porter rush from 10 yards.
“We played exceptionally well in that first quarter, trading touchdowns with them,” said Sampson. “We knew adjustments were necessary at halftime because we couldn”t sustain that pace throughout the game.”
From that point on, Lackawanna Trail scored 27 unanswered points, demonstrating their dominance.
“Playing in meaningful games, our players don”t seem intimidated,” said Lackawanna Trail coach Steve Jervis. “Our kids understand the ebb and flow of the game. Their experience should serve us well. Defensively, we significantly improved in the second half by limiting their big plays.”
