Cougars Roll Early, Cruise Past Scranton 56-22
By: Brad Loff | SportzWire | September 25, 2026 | Photo courtesy Brad Loff @SportzWire
Valley View didn't waste any time Friday night.
The Cougars scored four touchdowns in the first quarter and ran for 345 yards and six scores in a 56-22 win over Scranton. Valley View is now 3-2, and Scranton is 0-5.
Colin Dempsey started the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Cash Roe at 8:09 of the first quarter, and Braden Loff added the extra point. At 5:41, Luke Evans ran 3 yards for a touchdown, and Loff's kick made it 14-0. Just 14 seconds later, at 5:27, Dempsey hit Brody Bargella for a 13-yard score. Loff's kick put Valley View up 21-0. At 1:24, Tristan Smith ran 14 yards for a touchdown, and Loff's extra point made it 28-0 after one quarter.
Dempsey went 5-for-6 for 42 yards and two touchdowns. He came in ranked fourth in District 2 in passer rating, and he now has 452 passing yards and six touchdown passes this season. Roe came in second in D2 with 345 receiving yards, and his touchdown catch pushed him to 354.
Neither team scored in the second quarter.
Valley View opened the second half with freshman Nico Castellani's 18-yard touchdown run at 9:56 of the third quarter. Loff's kick made it 35-0. Scranton answered at 7:06 when Chris Manning connected with Sean Fairweather on a 68-yard touchdown pass. Fairweather also caught Manning's two-point pass, making it 35-8. Caleb Brown ran 9 yards for a touchdown at 4:08, and Loff's extra point made it 42-8 going into the fourth quarter.
Manning scored on a 20-yard run at 11:52 of the fourth quarter, and Ben Fried's kick made it 42-15. At 8:04, sophomore Carter Castellani scored on a 1-yard run, and Loff's kick made it 49-15. At 3:57, Manning threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Trevon Castellano, and Fried's kick made it 49-22. Valley View scored last when Ethan Heid broke a 74-yard touchdown run at 2:40. Loff's kick made the final 56-22.
Heid had only four carries, but he finished with 100 yards. Jonathan Anuszewski ran six times for 73 yards, and Smith added 60 yards on eight carries.
Loff was a quiet difference-maker. The junior made all eight of his extra points and put eight of his kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks with 536 yards (67.0-yard average) , so Scranton started every drive deep in their own terratory. Loff came in eighth in D2 in kicking points and first in projected kicking rate. He now has 16 PATs and 22 kicking points this season.
Manning completed 4 of 9 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 32 rushing yards and a score. He came in 22nd in D2 in passing yards, and he now has 383 this season. Castellano caught two passes for 71 yards, and Ismael Salazar carried 10 times for 35 yards.
Defense:
The Valley View defense set the tone early. Scranton didn't score in the first half, finished with just 12 first downs and completed only 4 of 9 passes.
Senior linebacker Jeffrey Wasilchak led the Cougars with eight tackles, including five assisted tackles. Brady Bachman had a team-high four solo tackles among his seven total, and he added a tackle for loss. Brady Cunningham also had seven tackles and one for loss.
The Cougars had five tackles for loss in all. Senior Mason Mitchell had one of them, along with six tackles, four of them solo, and two quarterback hurries. Tyler Muchal had six tackles and a tackle for loss.
Junior Brody Call had one of the game's biggest defensive plays. He recovered a fumble, and he also had a tackle for loss.
Seamus Sprague added five tackles. Freshman Maddox Krupovich had four tackles, three of them solo, in his varsity action.
Valley View finished with 62 tackles: 34 solo and 28 assisted.
Scoring summary
Valley View 28-0-14-14 — 56
Scranton 0-0-8-14 — 22
First quarter
VV – Cash Roe 9 pass from Colin Dempsey (Braden Loff kick), 8:09
VV – Luke Evans 3 run (Braden Loff kick), 5:41
VV – Brody Bargella 13 pass from Colin Dempsey (Braden Loff kick), 5:27
VV – Tristan Smith 14 run (Braden Loff kick), 1:24
Third quarter
VV – Nico Castellani 18 run (Braden Loff kick), 9:56
SCR – Sean Fairweather 68 pass from Chris Manning (Sean Fairweather pass from Chris Manning), 7:06
VV – Caleb Brown 9 run (Braden Loff kick), 4:08
Fourth quarter
SCR – Chris Manning 20 run (Ben Fried kick), 11:52
VV – Carter Castellani 1 run (Braden Loff kick), 8:04
SCR – Trevon Castellano 33 pass from Chris Manning (Ben Fried kick), 3:57
VV – Ethan Heid 74 run (Braden Loff kick), 2:40
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