Northeastern Pennsylvania is talked about as a huge football area, if you have not seen a NEPA Miners game this season, you need to! What a difference a year makes as the Miners are showing great character battling weekly in the demanding Regional American Football League. Miners opponents have a combined RAFL record of 41-23 with five opponents headed to the playoffs. The NEPA Miners ran their regular season record to 7-2-1 (6-2-1 RAFL) and clinched a RAFL playoff birth on Saturday in the most impressive fashion. The Miners faced a league giant on the road in the New Jersey Wolves who are now 7-2 in the league and are battling to win their division as are the Miners.
The Wolves owned the first half as the Miners came out flat and surrendered two passing touchdowns to put them down 12-0 at the half. The Miners regrouped at half time and brought their never say die attitude into the second half. The Wolves were stymied out of the gate and faced third down and twenty six on their first drive of the second half before a Wolves running back broke loose to get a first down and lead a Wolves drive down to the twenty five yard line. Wolves Quarterback Mark Johnson did not see Miners linebacker Mike McGee who intercepted his pass and jump started the Miners comeback. The offense was sparked all night by the running game led by Damon Saxon who carried the ball 15 times for 87 yards before Quarterback J.P. Antosh got the hot hand and completed his final eight throws of the second half. Two of those passes were scoring strikes to wide outs Matt Phancook in the third quarter and Jeremy Kendrick with 4:08 left in the 4th quarter. The Wolves would try to drive again but only to be held by the stingy Miners defense as Linebacker Donnie Jackson-Bey led the team with seven tackles and a sack. The Miners iced the game with a 7 yard completion to Andre Chollette on third and seven enabling the Miners to run out the clock and let the Miners sidelines celebrate as they clinched an RAFL playoff birth.
Despite clinching a playoff birth, the Miners have a lot on the line in their final regular season home game on October 4th. Our hometown team will utilize the bye week to get healthy and spend an extra week preparing for the Hudson County Bounty Hunters. The Miners will be watching other scores knowing they can gain a higher playoff seed and a North East Division Title with some help and a win versus the Bounty Hunters who are fighting for their playoff lives with a record of 5-5 and are favorites going into their game versus the Empire State Titans this weekend. The Miners can also set the mark for best record in the teams two year history with a win. October 4th will be a festive night with a playoff atmosphere as Scranton Memorial Stadium is the host of the Regional Atlantic Bowl II on November 1st. Female R & B group Minxx will make there NEPA debut with a halftime concert, Buttons the Clown and the Miners Girls will entertain the fans while the voice of the Yankees John Davies will announce the game. GO MINERS!!!!
