David Naniewicz’s second experience as a varsity player didn’t go quite as well as the first.
As a freshman, the quarterback/defensive end saw playing time late in games when Lakeland stormed to the Lackawanna Football Conference Division II and District 2 Class 2A championships and finished with a 12-1 record.
Last season, Naniewicz, the heir apparent to record-setting quarterback Dominico Spataro, moved into a starting role on both sides of the ball. The team had a lot of inexperience and went 1-9.
Naniewicz’s goal is to get the Chiefs back to playing at the standard that is expected for a program that is one of the most successful in LFC history.
“Last year was difficult. It was bad, and the record showed it,” Naniewicz said. “This year, the coaches have been working hard. We have a good group of guys in the room. Everyone on the team has worked very hard. We are looking to turn things around and get back to that Lakeland tradition.”
Naniewicz followed Spataro, who had a career record of 27-4 and threw for 5,673 yards and 70 touchdowns. With an almost entirely new lineup, the Chiefs got off to a tough start with a 70-7 loss to Scranton Prep.
In his second career start, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Naniewicz threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s only win, a 20-10 victory over Carbondale Area.
Lakeland lost eight straight games but showed improvement.
Naniewicz threw for 192 yards and two scores in a 28-21 loss to West Scranton in Week 8 and completed 14 of 19 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown in a 28-17 loss to Mid Valley.
He finished the year with 866 yards passing and six touchdowns.
“We have to keep working hard, but more importantly, we have to stick together,” said Naniewicz, who is a junior. “I definitely learned last year that the speed of the game slows down as you gain more experience. The speed of…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/gameface-2024-lakeland-chiefs-000100931.html
Author : The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
Publish date : 2024-08-19 00:01:00
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