Riverside quarterback Chase Taddonio runs for a touchdown during the District 2 Class 2A championship game against Dunmore on Friday at Riverside Veterans Memorial Stadium. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Scranton Prep and Riverside will have to wait a day to continue their PIAA football playoff journeys after a blast of heavy snow forced the postponement of their quarterfinal games Friday night.
The District 2 champions will now each play opponents from District 11 on Saturday at Crispin Field in Berwick.
At 1 p.m., Riverside (12-1) plays Williams Valley (12-1) in the Class 2A quarterfinals. Then, Scranton Prep (12-1) faces Northwestern Lehigh (13-0) in the Class 3A quarterfinals at 7 p.m.
The storm caused widespread power outages, downed trees and road closures throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. The Scranton Prep game was originally scheduled for Harman-Geist Stadium in Hazleton.
Scranton Prep is in the state playoffs for the eighth time since 2015. The Cavaliers face Northwestern Lehigh for a second straight season.
Last year, the Tigers ended Scranton Prep’s season with a 27-6 win in the quarterfinals. Northwestern Lehigh reached the PIAA final and lost to Belle Vernon, 38-7. The Tigers are the No. 2 team in the state for Class 3A, and Scranton Prep is ranked third in the poll by Pennlive.com.
Northwestern Lehigh quarterback Shane Leh threw for 110 yards and a touchdown and ran for 42 yards against Scranton Prep last season. He has thrown for 1,344 yards and 21 touchdowns and has run for 293 yards and seven touchdowns this year.
Running back Eli Zimmerman has run for 2,062 yards on 158 carries and 23 touchdowns this season for the Tigers.
Mason Bollinger has 34 receptions for 515 yards and six touchdowns. He caught two passes for 42 yards in last year’s meeting with Scranton Prep.
Scranton Prep has won 10 straight games and is led by quarterback Louis Paris, who has a career record of 31-4 as a starter. In his three seasons, he has thrown for 3,589 yards and 39 touchdowns and run for 2,552 yards and 45 touchdowns.
Running back Will McPartland has run for 1,0007 yards and 17 touchdowns this season.
Linebacker Reese Tanner leads the defense with 116 total tackles. Byron Axtell has 55 tackles, seven for loss, and linebacker Jack Doughton has 109 tackles.
In the Class 2A game, Riverside is in the PIAA playoffs for the first time since 2010. The Vikings won their first state playoff game in Class 2A after earning eight in Class 1A.
Chase Taddonio has thrown for 1,827 yards and 25 touchdowns and run for 811 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. In the last two games, including last week’s win over Lansdale Catholic, the senior has run for 264 yards on 53 carries and five touchdowns.
Tight end Richie Kostoff has run for 459 yards and four touchdowns and has 45 receptions for 638 yards and nine touchdowns.
Williams Valley quarterback Brady Shomper has thrown for 2,235 yards and 34 touchdowns. He has also run for 1,056 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Running back Fletcher Thompson, a freshman, has run for 1,374 yards and 16 touchdowns for Williams Valley.
