North Pocono Shuts Out Abington Heights, 21-0
By: Steven Abbatiello | SportzWire | September 26, 2026 | Photo courtesy Steven Abbatiello
North Pocono continued its strong start to the 2026 season Friday night, turning in another impressive defensive performance while controlling the game on the ground in a 21-0 shutout victory over Abington Heights.
Abington Heights received the opening kickoff and started at its own 19-yard line. Brayden McColligan moved the ball to the 32-yard line, the drive eventually stalled near midfield, forcing a punt. North Pocono took over at its own 14-yard line.
The Trojans quickly found their rhythm. Cole West moved the chains with a first down before Chase Zimmerman and Henry Wolff helped keep the drive moving with some run plays along with a pass to Max Lafave. Zimmerman connected with West on a big pass that put North Pocono inside the Abington Heights 30-yard line. North Pocono continued to move the ball into the red zone and eventually reached the 5-yard line. Jayden Taylor finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, and Shane Youngblood added the extra point to give the Trojans a 7-0 lead.
Abington Heights took the ensuing kickoff for a touchback, but North Pocono’s defense continued to keep the Comets in check. Abington Heights moved the ball to the North Pocono 21-yard line early in the second quarter and faced a fourth-down situation. After converting for a first down, a bad snap pushed the Comets back to the North Pocono 31-yard line. On fourth-and-21, Abington Heights attempted a pass, but the play came up short, giving North Pocono possession on downs.
The Trojans responded with another long scoring drive. Taylor had a strong run to the North Pocono 48-yard line, and North Pocono continued moving into Abington Heights territory. On fourth-and-1, the Trojans drew Abington Heights offsides to pick up a first down at the 24-yard line. Cole West then moved the chains again, setting North Pocono up at the Abington Heights 8-yard line. Zimmerman finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run, and Youngblood’s extra point extended the lead to 14-0.
Abington Heights took the kickoff for a touchback, and the Trojans carried their 14-0 advantage into halftime.
North Pocono opened the second half at its own 15-yard line. After a couple of runs, Zimmerman picked up a first down to keep the drive alive. A pass to Tate Bowen helped set up a fourth-and-1 situation, but the Trojans eventually punted, giving Abington Heights the ball at its own 41-yard line.
The Comets’ drive stalled at the North Pocono 35-yard line and the Trojans took over from there. Zimmerman immediately provided a spark with a strong run down to the North Pocono 46-yard line. North Pocono continued to grind out yardage and moved to the Abington Heights 29-yard line.
Taylor then broke a run down to the 2-yard line. A face-mask penalty against Abington Heights gave North Pocono a first down at the 1-yard line, and Zimmerman finished the drive with another touchdown run. Youngblood’s extra point made it 21-0.
Abington Heights began its next possession with a touchback and moved the ball to their own 49-yard line as the third quarter came to an end.
The Comets opened the fourth quarter with a pass that moved the ball into North Pocono territory, but the Trojans’ defense once again came up with a stop. On fourth-and-7 from the North Pocono 35-yard line, Abington Heights turned the ball over on downs.
North Pocono’s next drive stalled at its own 32-yard line, forcing a punt and giving Abington Heights possession at its own 34-yard line.
The Comets put together another promising drive, including a big run from Jayden Anglin that moved the ball down to the North Pocono 17-yard line. However, North Pocono’s defense again tightened up. After Abington Heights lost yardage, an incomplete pass on third-and-17 set up fourth down. The Comets’ final pass toward the end zone fell incomplete, giving North Pocono another turnover on downs.
The Trojans then took over and ran out the remaining time. Taylor had another strong run on third down to move the ball to the North Pocono 45-yard line, followed by a big run from Henry Wolff into Abington Heights territory.
When the final whistle sounded, North Pocono had secured a convincing 21-0 shutout victory.
Looking Ahead: Wilkes-Barre Area
North Pocono will hit the road next Friday, October 2, when the Trojans travel to take on the Wilkes-Barre Area Wolfpack at 7 p.m. at Wilkes-Barre Area Senior High School.
Wilkes-Barre Area enters the matchup with a 1-4 record, recently losing to Dallas, 47-7. North Pocono enters the matchup at 5-0 having scored 161 points while allowing just 40 points.
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