Agape Freedom Sports LLC

By Jeric Yurkanin | Staff | Agape Freedom Sports

Friday night’s Valley View vs. Scranton Prep matchup was more than just a football game—it was a night of honor. Valley View hosted its annual Salute to Service Night, and while the scoreboard told one story, the meaning behind the evening told another.

When you hear the phrase Salute to Service, what comes to mind? For many, it’s guns, tanks, bullets, and war. But maybe it’s time to think deeper. Maybe Salute to Service should make us think of sacrifice, unity, courage, and commitment. It’s about ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things so we can enjoy nights like these—safe, free, and under the lights as a community.

Friday wasn’t just an average game in Peckville. It was a special night honoring America’s finest veterans.

A War on the Field

Valley View players didn’t take the theme lightly. They came into the game motivated and ready to fight in their own battle—the war of football. After last year’s 33-0 loss to Scranton Prep, the Cougars had not forgotten the sting. The last time Valley View defeated Prep was back in 2022 (22-16). Friday night, they were determined to change that.

Scranton Prep opened the game with a statement drive, marching all the way to Valley View’s 4-yard line. But after a key tackle for loss and a missed field goal, momentum swung.

Valley View’s offense took over—briefly. A bad snap rolled over quarterback Caleb Brown’s head and into the end zone, where Prep recovered for a touchdown. That would be the only time Scranton Prep found the end zone all night.

Defense Wins the Night

The Cougars’ defense answered the call and didn’t flinch again. They bent at times but never broke, delivering key stops as the Cavaliers threatened in the red zone multiple times. Scranton Prep finished with 121 rushing yards and just 31 through the air, while Valley View allowed nothing after that early miscue.

Leading the charge was standout linebacker Jeffrey Wasilchak, who looked every bit like one of the top defensive players in the area. Wasilchak finished last season with 107 tackles, barely missing an All-State nod, and he showed why he’ll be in that conversation again this year.

On offense, he contributed 43 hard-fought yards on 7 carries—a big piece of the Cougars’ 150 total rushing yards against a stout Prep defense.

What It Meant

“The first half, after the opening drive, we just settled in and the younger guys stepped up,” Wasilchak said after the game. “We just played football and we got a win. Us linebackers had nothing on our laps all night. We played amazing.”

This was a long-awaited redemption for the Cougars. After being shut out 33-0 last year, they had to wait an entire offseason for this moment. Friday night, they showed grit, toughness, and the heart of a team ready to fight for every inch—just like the men and women honored in the stands.

Brody Call, another key defensive playmaker, credited discipline for the unit’s success:

“We know we have a good defense and the type of players that can make plays at any moment, so we just had to stay calm and play football,” Call said.

On stopping Prep’s run game, he added: “We just played hard-nosed football, read our keys well, the D-line maintained their gaps, and the linebackers were able to come and make some big plays.”

When it came to crunch time, the mentality was simple: “The mindset was to just end the game. We knew we had it sealed and just needed a stop or two to win—and we were able to get the job done.”

But it wasn’t just the defensive line that came up big on Friday night—the defensive backs were busy all night as well, allowing only 4 completions out of 12 attempts by Scranton Prep quarterback Owen Jeffers. On Prep’s final drive, the Cougar defensive backs broke up multiple passes to seal the upset win.

Michael Shemonski Jr., a senior cornerback, played lights-out defense Friday night. His dad, Mike Shemonski Sr., played on Valley View’s state championship team in 1992 and was one of their key wide receivers and cornerbacks who helped secure their first and only state football championship.

“Coach Jeff Wasilchak put a lot of time into our defensive game plan, and we’ve been repping this for the past two weeks,” Shemonski said. “All our backs like to go against each other in practice, and we put a lot of effort in against each other to get ready for the Scranton Prep game. It was important that we communicated and stayed on the same page because we wanted to be a big part of Coach Wasilchak’s game plan.”

Humble and hard-working—that was the tone. And it was that defense—the defensive line, linebackers, and secondary—that played a huge role Friday night. They bent but never broke. They held Scranton Prep to zero offensive touchdowns.

It was one of those wins Valley View’s seniors will never forget: the night they went to war for their brothers, fought hard, and beat the favorite—the area’s Goliath. Wins like this have been rare in recent years, but it shows what can happen when you practice hard, stay focused, work as a team, and execute a solid game plan.

On Friday, Goliath fell. And the Cougars are 1-0, looking to make more statement wins this season—hoping to win another District 2 championship and take a shot at the state championship game.

Don’t count the Cougars out!