Written By: Jeric Yurkanin
SCOTT TWP PENNSYLVANIA– But this is Lakeland football.
And on Saturday evening, you did not have to look far to understand exactly what that means.
As I walked toward the concession stand near Chapman Lake, I glanced behind the bleachers and saw a young girl playing quarterback. She dropped back and fired passes while the varsity Chiefs prepared to play only a short distance away.
On one side of the bleachers stood the present generation of Lakeland football.
Behind them, the next generation was already throwing the ball around, dreaming about the day when it might be their turn.
That is Lakeland.
This is country land, where some football players grow up on farms, lifting hay bales long before they ever lift weights inside a gym. Football here is more than something people watch on Friday or Saturday nights. It is something passed down from one generation to the next.
Grandparents and great-grandparents can still share stories about the Chiefs who wore the uniform decades ago.
They remember Jerry Boyarsky, who played for Lakeland during the 1970s before continuing his career with the Division I Pittsburgh Panthers. Boyarsky was later selected in the NFL Draft and played professionally for eight seasons.
They remember Chris Clauss, who played tight end for Lakeland during the 1980s before becoming a punter at Penn State. They remember Tom Prawdzik, who also went on to wear the blue and white for the Nittany Lions.
They remember Bobby Speicher flying across the field with lightning speed.
They remember Joby Fawcett, a track star during the 1980s who brought that same speed to the football field while running with toughness and physicality.
They remember Evans Kraky, who played for Lakeland from 1998 through 2001. During his senior season in October 2001, Kraky broke Pennsylvania’s career passing-yardage record at the time.
The names continued through the generations.
Chris Washko, a 2001 Lakeland graduate, became an all-state player and the Chiefs’ career leader in receptions. He made catches that looked as though they belonged on Sundays.
Joe Tuzze was the powerful Lakeland fullback and all-star linebacker who helped lead the Chiefs to the state semifinals in 2003. When Tuzze lowered his shoulders, one defender was rarely enough to bring him down. Sometimes, it looked as though he carried half the defense on his back. He later continued his football career with the Akron Zips.
John Wormuth. Jeff Sosko. Pat Carrube. Nate Hosie. Dom Esgro. John Demark. Justin Virbitsky.
All of them wore the Lakeland uniform sometime between 2000 and 2008. All of them helped carry Chiefs football into a new generation.
Those players—and many others—helped build the tradition that today’s Chiefs inherit every time they pull that uniform over their shoulder pads.
On Saturday, another name was preparing to join them in the Lakeland history books.
Senior wide receiver Chase Rosenkrans entered the game needing only a few more catches to become Lakeland’s all-time leader in career receptions. Before the evening was over, Rosenkrans would take his place alongside some of the biggest names in Chiefs football history.
That history matters because Lakeland players are raised to expect adversity. They are built to face challenges, absorb the hit and keep moving forward.
Even after losing their expected starting quarterback before the season began, the Chiefs did not want an easy victory by forfeit. They did not want to spend opening weekend sitting at home.
They wanted to play football.
They could almost hear the echoes of Lakeland’s past calling for toughness, determination and complete focus on the challenge standing across the field.
Different season.
Different players.
The same proud tradition.
This is Lakeland.
This is country land.
This is Chiefs football.
Still, one major mystery followed Lakeland into Saturday’s game: How would the Chiefs respond without Rocco Spataro, their expected starting quarterback and safety?
It was the biggest question surrounding the team.
Approximately three weeks earlier, Lakeland head coach David Piwowarczyk approached Jackson Pochas, who had played wide receiver during the previous few seasons, and asked him to accept a completely different responsibility.
The message was simple.
“We need someone to step up,” Piwowarczyk told him. “You’re a great all-around athlete. You can do it. You can play quarterback.”
From Lakeland’s opening possession, it looked as though the Chiefs had not missed a beat.
Pochas has wheels. He runs smoothly, changes direction naturally and possesses athletic ability similar to Spataro. He learned the offense quickly, and on Saturday, he provided Lakeland with its answer.
On the first offensive play of the season, Pochas took the snap, found an opening and exploded through the Wellsboro defense for what appeared to be a 67-yard touchdown.
The Lakeland sideline erupted.
The crowd roared.
For a moment, it looked as though Spataro was still out there wearing the Lakeland uniform.
Then everyone saw the flag.
A holding penalty erased the touchdown and brought the football all the way back.
The celebration disappeared, and Lakeland instead faced first-and-18 from its own 25-yard line.
Junior Evan Lonzinski took the handoff and gained three yards. On second-and-15, Pochas tried to run again but was dropped for a five-yard loss, backing the Chiefs up to their own 23.
Suddenly, it was third-and-20.
The opening drive could have ended right there.
Instead, Pochas stood in the pocket, stepped forward and delivered a strike down the middle to big tight end Dylan Loomis for an 18-yard completion.
That brought up fourth-and-two from Lakeland’s 41-yard line.
The Chiefs kept their offense on the field. There was no hesitation. They placed the football back into the hands of their new quarterback.
Pochas ran for five yards, moved the chains and kept the opening drive alive.
He then connected with Rosenkrans for an 11-yard gain before taking off again for another 11 yards and another Lakeland first down.
A second holding penalty eventually backed the Chiefs into first-and-20 from the Wellsboro 33-yard line, but Pochas responded by running for 11 yards. With 4:54 remaining in the opening quarter, Lakeland was already doing exactly what it wanted—controlling the football, wearing down the Hornets and chewing valuable minutes off the clock.
On second-and-nine, Pochas found Luke McFarland for an 11-yard completion, giving Lakeland a first down at the Wellsboro 11-yard line.
Then came two consecutive false-start penalties.
Once again, the Chiefs were moving backward.
They faced first-and-20, but they did not panic. Pochas connected with Rosenkrans for eight yards, bringing the football to the 13-yard line.
On second-and-12, Lakeland needed another big play.
Pochas took the snap, dropped back and looked toward the end zone.
There was McFarland.
Pochas delivered the football.
Touchdown, Lakeland.
The extra point was good, giving the Chiefs a 7–0 lead after an opening drive that lasted seven minutes and 56 seconds.
Nearly eight minutes.
One touchdown erased by a penalty.
Several long-yardage situations.
Two fourth-down decisions.
It did not matter.
Lakeland had taken every early punch, ignored the penalties and marched down the field behind a wide receiver who had become its quarterback only three weeks earlier.
When Wellsboro finally touched the football, the Lakeland defense was ready.
The Hornets started their season from their own 28-yard line. On their first play, three-year starting quarterback Griffin Morrall attempted to run but was dropped for a five-yard loss.
Morrall entered the season after passing for more than 1,000 yards the previous year, but Lakeland immediately made him uncomfortable.
On second-and-15, Max Mascho gained three yards. Two plays later, Wellsboro was forced to punt.
The Chiefs’ defense had made its first statement.
Wellsboro’s defense answered on Lakeland’s second possession, forcing the Chiefs to punt from their own 40-yard line.
The Hornets took over at their own 25 before an offside penalty against Lakeland moved the football to the 30.
Morrall tried to run but lost a yard. After an incomplete pass, Wellsboro faced third-and-11. Morrall could not find an open receiver and eventually threw the football away.
The Hornets punted again, this time sending the ball 41 yards.
Lakeland took over at its own 25, but Wellsboro’s defense finally created the break it needed.
Pochas fumbled.
The Hornets recovered at the Lakeland 39-yard line with 10:02 remaining in the first half.
For the first time all evening, momentum appeared ready to swing toward Wellsboro.
Lakeland’s defense took it right back.
Three plays into the possession, Wellsboro faced third-and-17. Morrall tried to escape with the football, but Lakeland’s Thomas Chmil crashed into the play, knocked the ball out of Morrall’s hands and recovered the fumble at the 46-yard line.
One turnover answered by another.
One mistake erased by a defense refusing to allow it to matter.
Pochas gained four yards before a delay-of-game penalty backed Lakeland up. McFarland then carried the football for seven yards.
On the next play, Pochas took the snap, cut to his left, shifted back to his right and found a crease.
Then he was gone.
Pochas exploded through the opening and raced 27 yards before Wellsboro finally brought him down at the Hornets’ 22-yard line.
Lakeland managed to recover another Pochas fumble before losing five yards on the following play. A holding penalty against the Chiefs and a facemask penalty against Wellsboro offset each other, leaving 5:28 on the first-half clock.
Three plays later, Lakeland was still threatening from the Wellsboro 22-yard line.
Pochas dropped back and scanned the field.
He looked to his right.
He looked to his left.
Standing alone in the middle of the end zone was wide receiver Jacob Passiment.
Pochas delivered the football.
Touchdown, Passiment.
With 5:07 remaining in the half, Lakeland had extended its lead. The extra point was missed, but the Chiefs were in control, 13–0.
Wellsboro, however, was not ready to disappear.
The Hornets started their next possession at their own 20-yard line, and Morrall broke free for a 31-yard run to the Lakeland 48. He followed it with another five-yard run before finding sophomore Christian Main for a six-yard completion.
A false-start penalty backed Wellsboro into first-and-15. Reed Richardson gained three yards before a pass-interference penalty against Lakeland gave the Hornets another major break and moved the football to the Chiefs’ 39-yard line.
Lakeland then jumped offside, handing Wellsboro five more yards.
Morrall gained two yards with his legs and connected with Gideon Lawton for six more. Just as the Hornets appeared to be closing in, two consecutive false-start penalties sent them moving in the wrong direction.
With approximately one minute remaining in the half, Wellsboro faced second-and-19.
Morrall looked deep toward Main near the sideline.
The pass sailed through the Saturday evening sky with the feel of a desperation heave. Main managed to get both hands on the football, but he could not hold on.
Incomplete.
Wellsboro eventually faced fourth-and-long, with its final opportunity of the first half slipping away.
Morrall still trusted his young receiver.
He went back to Main.
This time, the sophomore secured the catch and carried the football across the goal line for an 18-yard touchdown with only 22 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
The extra point was blocked, but Wellsboro had closed the gap to 13–6 heading into halftime.
The Hornets received the second-half kickoff, but Lakeland’s defense bent without breaking. Wellsboro gained only 18 yards over six plays, with an illegal-formation penalty helping stall the possession.
The Hornets punted.
Pochas carried twice for 21 yards on Lakeland’s next series and completed a two-yard pass to Rosenkrans. By that point, Pochas had already surpassed 100 rushing yards on only 11 carries.
Penalties once again disrupted the possession.
Lakeland was flagged for illegal participation after offensive lineman Cole Hastings lost his helmet and continued blocking. An illegal-substitution penalty followed, and the Chiefs were eventually forced to punt with 5:09 remaining in the third quarter.
Wellsboro took over, and Morrall completed a five-yard pass to Main.
Then McFarland came storming through the offensive line.
The Lakeland defender wrapped up Morrall and drove him to the ground for a 10-yard loss, backing Wellsboro all the way to its own 9-yard line.
Two plays later, the Hornets lined up to punt—but they had something else planned.
It was a fake.
Wellsboro converted it for a first down and briefly kept the possession alive. Lakeland’s defense recovered, however, and forced the Hornets to punt a few plays later.
The Chiefs took over at their own 32-yard line.
Pochas ran twice for 14 yards, moving the football to the Lakeland 46. Six plays later, the Chiefs stood at the Wellsboro 19.
That was when Lonzinski lowered his shoulders.
The powerful junior took the handoff, charged directly into the heart of Wellsboro’s defensive line and refused to go down.
One defender hit him.
Then another.
Lonzinski kept driving.
He rumbled through the Hornets and into the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown.
A bad snap turned the extra-point attempt into a scramble, but Pochas collected the loose football, raced toward the left side and crossed the goal line for a two-point conversion.
Lakeland’s lead had grown to 21–6.
On Wellsboro’s next possession, the Hornets ran three plays and gained no yards.
Then McFarland delivered another game-changing moment.
The big Lakeland defender broke through the line and blocked Wellsboro’s punt, giving the Chiefs possession at their own 49-yard line.
Four plays later, with 6:21 remaining in the game, Rosenkrans caught a pass for three yards.
Then the game stopped.
The crowd turned its attention toward the Lakeland senior as history settled over Chapman Lake.
It was career reception No. 137.
With that catch, Rosenkrans surpassed Washko and became Lakeland’s all-time leader in career receptions.
Another name had officially been added to the long list of Chiefs who came before him.
“I’m forever grateful to have broken a record held by Chris Washko, who played from 1998 to 2001,” Rosenkrans said. “He was one of the best players ever to come out of Lakeland. I dedicate this to everyone around here and to my grandmother in heaven, who passed away during my freshman year.”
Five plays later, Lonzinski finished the drive the same way he had finished the previous one.
With power.
The junior bullied his way into the end zone for a five-yard touchdown with 3:41 remaining.
Lakeland led 27–6.
After a few final changes of possession, the clock reached zero.
For Wellsboro, Morrall completed 8 of 19 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown while adding 25 rushing yards on 12 carries. Main was the Hornets’ leading receiver, catching three passes for 43 yards and Wellsboro’s only touchdown. Kody Enck contributed two receptions for 22 yards. Mascho also completed his only passing attempt for 17 yards as the Hornets finished with 81 passing yards and 41 rushing yards.
Lakeland’s offense was led by Pochas, who delivered an outstanding all-around performance in his first varsity start at quarterback. Pochas completed 16 of 18 passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 20 times for 116 yards. He accounted for 226 total yards and added the improvised two-point conversion.
Three weeks earlier, he had been a wide receiver.
On Saturday, he looked like a quarterback.
“I had to put five years of quarterback experience into three weeks with Jackson,” Piwowarczyk said, referring to Spataro’s five years of experience at quarterback dating back to junior football. “Jackson is a team player, and he was quick to step up for his teammates. He’s a great athlete, as we all saw tonight. He’s willing to do whatever we need and whatever the team needs. I love having him as part of our team. He’s the ultimate team player, and I’m excited to watch him grow as a football player.”
Lonzinski added 53 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries, while Rosenkrans caught 10 passes for 51 yards on the night he became Lakeland’s career receptions leader. Passiment and McFarland each caught a touchdown pass as the Chiefs finished with 295 total yards—185 rushing and 110 passing—and four offensive touchdowns.
Lakeland entered the game with uncertainty at quarterback, a replacement opponent and only a few days to prepare for Wellsboro.
The Chiefs walked off the field with a convincing 27–6 victory, a new quarterback, a new school record and another chapter added to a tradition that began long before any of these players were born.
The season began with questions.
Pochas and the Chiefs answered every one of them.
And somewhere behind the bleachers, where a young girl was dropping back and throwing passes, the next generation of Lakeland football had already begun dreaming.
The present had protected the tradition.
The future was already waiting.
This is Lakeland.
This is country land.
This is Chiefs football.
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