Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

Credits to The Heart Photography for several of the photos used in this post.

If you grew up in NEPA, you already know: Lakeland vs. Dunmore hits different. It doesn’t feel like a game week — it feels like a chapter being written. A chapter your dad remembers, your uncle argued about, and your grandfather still brings up at family gatherings. And if you were anywhere near Chapman Lake back in 2002, you remember the weight of it.

Inside a cramped locker room, longtime Lakeland assistant coach Jeff Cavanaugh Sr. stood in front of his team. No headset. No hype video. No theatrics.

Just a coach who understood the heartbeat of this rivalry.

It was September 20th — Dunmore week — and around Lakeland, that carried a meaning heavier than any regular-season Friday night. It carried tradition, pride, history, heartbreak… and hope.

Cavanaugh didn’t get angry.

He didn’t sit.

He didn’t even raise a hand.

He simply reminded his players that Lakeland–Dunmore isn’t played… it’s lived.

Two blue-blood programs built on toughness, discipline, and culture.

Two towns that might disagree on everything else — except that football matters.

And nearly a quarter-century later, the numbers still say he was right:

Dunmore: 19 league titles, 14 District 2 championships, 1 state title, 35 overall

Lakeland: 24 league titles, 8 District 2 championships, 38 overall — the most in conference history

Down years? Sure, everyone has them.

But these two?

Their peaks are higher. Their memories last longer.

“Lakeland has a storied tradition since the days of Coach Dan Case and has had great teams for a long time. The rivalry with Dunmore has gone on since the early 80s, with epic battles in each decade. Both teams have mutual respect — as do both fan bases,” said Dunmore Head Coach Kevin McHale, capturing the heartbeat of this thing.

And that day in 2002, Cavanaugh started rolling through the moments Lakeland kids grow up hearing like family folklore.

He brought up 1998, when a freshman quarterback — Evan Kraky — walked into Dunmore and stunned the Bucks. Cavanaugh told his team, “There will never be another Lakeland freshman quarterback who beats Dunmore.” And all these years later… he’s still right.

He reminded them of 1986, when Lakeland’s Joby Fawcett earned his legend card. Down 7–6 as time expired, a defensive pass-interference flag gave the Chiefs one final snap. Paul Pidgeon fired a 20-yard strike, and Fawcett — through contact and off-balance — held on in the end zone.

Lakeland wins, 12–7.

The kind of ending newspapers lived for long before social media.

Then came 1994, the night the lights literally died. Lakeland undefeated. Dunmore at home. Twenty-six seconds left in the first quarter — and V.J. Gatto Stadium went dark as a transformer blew. When the game resumed the next day, Dunmore ended Lakeland’s perfect season, 28–10.

And who could forget November 2, 2001?

With 1:45 left in the second quarter, Lakeland’s Kraky hit Jake Rogowski for a 56-yard bomb — the throw that broke Ron Powlus’ Pennsylvania state passing record. Kraky finished with 224 yards in a dominant 48–20 win.

Then came another Lakeland–Dunmore moment — that very night in 2002.

Lakeland down 14–0 at the half.

Momentum shifting like someone cracked a window and let the doubt escape.

And with 7:17 left, Trevor Tellip launched a deep ball to John Wormuth:

Seventy-one yards.

One sprint.

One roar from the Lakeland crowd.

One more story added to the legend.

Twenty unanswered points.

A comeback permanently stamped into rivalry history.

The room could feel it.

History wasn’t just something you read.

History was something you added to.

And that’s the thing about Dunmore vs. Lakeland —

When these two line up, records don’t matter.

Rankings don’t matter.

Predictions don’t matter.

What you can expect is a battle.

A fight.

A game decided by toughness, pride, and whichever team refuses to blink first.

THE NEXT GENERATION ADDS THEIR CHAPTER

Some players on Lakeland and Dunmore’s 2025 teams grew up hearing these stories — and Friday night, they get to write their own page.

DUNMORE FB/LB RYAN MECCA — A FAMILY TRADITION

His father, Charles Mecca, played for Dunmore under legendary Coach Jack Henzes in the late 1990s. His uncle played in the mid-to-late 2000s. The Mecca family has lived this rivalry for decades — and now Ryan gets his turn.

“I think it’s pretty special to have a chance to go up to Chapman Lake to compete for a district championship. We have a chance tomorrow to be the first Dunmore team in history to go up to Lakeland and win a title on their own field. I’m excited to be a part of it and for the atmosphere.”

— Ryan Mecca

LAKELAND QB DAVID NANIEWICZ — WRITING HIS OWN STORY

Lakeland senior quarterback David Naniewicz has been part of this rivalry long before varsity.

“We know as a team that this rivalry means so much to our program and culture. Growing up in the Jr. Chiefs program, the coaches told us every year that the Lakeland–Dunmore game is special. My dad still tells me stories from when he played in the late 80s — it was just as big back then.”

— David Naniewicz

DUNMORE FB XAVIER BURKE — BLEEDING CRIMSON AND BLUE

Dunmore’s fullback Xavier Burke is the definition of football lineage. His father Mike Burke was a 6’3 linebacker who went on to play at Lehigh. His grandfather Thomas, and his granduncles, also played for Dunmore.

His uncle Len Burke wore No. 17 before switching to No. 71 his senior year in 1987 — earning All-Region and first-team Big 11 honors. He played in the Dream Game and helped pull off one of the biggest upsets in the series when the City beat a heavily favored County team, 22–8.

His brother Michael played for Dunmore from 2018 to 2020.

“Growing up, my dad told me tons of stories about the rivalry. Ever since I was little, all I wanted was to play in one of those games. I know the type of competitor he was — and he’d give everything he had in a game like tomorrow. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

— Xavier Burke

LAKELAND LB/DL DYLAN LOOMIS — THE WORMUTH LEGACY

Lakeland’s Dylan Loomis carries the Wormuth name proudly. His uncle John Wormuth made the legendary 71-yard touchdown catch in 2002. He led Lakeland to its only state semifinal appearance in 2003 and later played Division I football at Maine.

“It means a lot to keep the tradition going in my family after growing up hearing the stories. It makes me want to make an impact this Friday.”

— Dylan Loomis

Even Dunmore Head Coach Kevin McHale played in this rivalry in the late 1990s.

He isn’t just coaching it — he lived it.

THE RIVALRY THROUGH THE YEARS — 1999 TO NOW

The rivalry never cooled. It evolved.

1999–2009:

1999: Dunmore beats Lakeland in the D2 Championship, 38–21

2000: Lakeland answers with a 28–13 playoff win.

2003, 2004, 2006: Lakeland victories

2007: Dunmore spoils Lakeland’s preseason No. 1 ranking and reaches the state title game 2008 & 2009: Dunmore wins back-to-back

2010–2021:

2010: Lakeland answers 2011–2012: Dunmore takes two straight 2013: Lakeland strikes again 2014–2017: Dunmore owns a four-year run 2018: Lakeland breaks through 2019: Dunmore responds 2020–2021: Lakeland goes 2–0

2022:

Two classics:

Regular season: Lakeland beats Dunmore 55–14 Playoffs: Lakeland wins the D2 Championship 20–14 — a game where Chapman Lake shook

2023 & 2024

Dunmore answered back, winning both and swinging the pendulum again.

Lakeland gets a turn.

Dunmore gets a turn.

And tonight?

Someone new writes the next sentence.

2025: A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS

This year feels different.

Lakeland isn’t the same team from the past two seasons — they’ve grown. There’s leadership. Identity. Purpose.

Dunmore remains Dunmore: disciplined, physical, rooted in tradition.

And the stakes?

A district championship berth.

A rivalry at it again.

A legacy opportunity.

When you mix history, emotion, and gold-on-the-line football…

you don’t get a game — you get a collision.

WHERE LEGENDS ARE MADE

Every Lakeland–Dunmore game has that moment:

The 1986 pass interference.

The 1994 blackout.

The 2002 71-yard bomb.

The 2022 goal-line stand.

The 2024 63-yard run.

Tonight will have one too — the moment fans talk about in diners and barbershops for the next decade.

THE STAGE IS SET

For Lakeland?

Legacy. Pride. Protecting Chapman Lake.

For Dunmore?

Proving again that the Bucks never fear Chapman Lake — they walk into it with purpose.

For the families — Burkes, Wormuths, Meccas, Naniewicz — another chance to see history repeat… or rewrite itself.

For NEPA football?

It’s the game of the year.

THE PREDICTION — WHERE THIS GAME TURNS

On paper, tight.

On film, tighter.

Two historic programs.

Two communities built on pride.

Two rosters full of sons, nephews, and grandsons of men who lived this rivalry.

Why Lakeland Can Win:

Home-field energy Naniewicz playing confident football Senior urgency — they want this one

Why Dunmore Can Win:

A punishing run game Burke playing with generations behind him Disciplined, low-mistake football

The X-Factor

One moment.

One spark.

One shift.

The team that handles that moment wins.

 Final Score Prediction:

Lakeland 27, Dunmore 20

A four-quarter battle.

A heavyweight fight.

A finish worthy of the rivalry.

Lakeland protects Chapman Lake — but Dunmore makes them earn every inch.

THE FINAL HYPE CLOSE — A CHAPTER WAITING TO BE WRITTEN

When the lights flip on tonight, this rivalry won’t care who’s favored.

It won’t care about records.

It won’t care about past scores.

It cares about who shows up when it matters most.

Lakeland and Dunmore don’t just play football games — they create memories that outlive the seasons and the generations. Somewhere in that cold November air, someone is going to make the play that gets talked about for years.

A freshman might make a name.

A senior might cement a legacy.

A family name might earn a new chapter.

And when the final horn sounds, one community will erupt…

and the other will reload for next year.

That’s the beauty of Lakeland vs. Dunmore.

That’s why it never dies.

That’s why NEPA watches.

Tonight, another story gets added to the book.

And it’s going to be a good one.

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