Lions Keep Rolling: Lackawanna Trail Hands Line Mountain First Loss in State Opener
By: Justin Bradley | SportzWire | November 15, 2025 | Photo courtesy Andrea Mecca (Borden Photography)
SHAMOKIN, PA - Lackawanna Trail opened the PIAA Class 1A tournament with the kind of complete performance championship teams are built on, defeating previously unbeaten Line Mountain 31–20 on Saturday afternoon.
The Lions struck early, leaned on their ground game, and turned momentum-changing defensive plays into points to eliminate the District 4 champs.
Trail set the tone when Tyler Jervis jumped a route and sprinted 75 yards for a pick-six midway through the first quarter. Line Mountain briefly answered, but the Lions countered with a 10-point burst in the second, a 20-yard field goal from Isaac Ryon and a tough 10-yard scoring run by the senior standout to build a 17–7 advantage. Ryon finished with 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries.
Line Mountain kept things close with a late first-half touchdown, but Trail’s response after the break swung the game for good. Ryon sliced through the Eagles’ defense for a 22-yard score to open the third quarter, stretching the lead to 24–14 and giving the Lions all the momentum they needed.
The fourth belonged to Trail’s power game. Jervis capped a punishing drive with a two-yard touchdown run, pushing the margin to 31–14 before Line Mountain added a late score. The Lions’ defense came up big throughout, finishing with two interceptions and holding Line Mountain to 119 yards on the ground.
With the win, Lackawanna Trail moves to 12–1 and advances to the PIAA 1A quarterfinals, where they will face District 12 champion Belmont Charter, fresh off a victory over York Catholic in the District 12 Championship.
Trail’s postseason run continues and with the Lions playing their best football in November, it may just be getting started.
