88th DREAM GAME: Cresswell set to represent Lackawanna Trail one final time

Jul. 17—CLINTON TWP. — With a quick first step and a burst of speed, Kody Cresswell broke free for the best 50-yard sprint of his football life.

On that play, with 10 minutes and 3 seconds left to play, Cresswell bolted for a touchdown. It gave Lackawanna Trail a 14-10 lead that its defense held in a District 2 Class 2A showdown with Dunmore.

The Lions’ win ended a seven-year reign as champion by Dunmore. It also sent Lackawanna Trail to the state playoffs for the second time in Cresswell’s career.

A week later, the Lions lost to Northern Lehigh. Now, Cresswell will play his final game when he takes the field Wednesday for the County all-stars in the 88th Scranton Lions Club Dream Game. The team will take on the City squad at 7 p.m. at John Henzes/Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Cresswell hits the field one more time before heading to Penn Tech, where he will study HVAC, and he is treasuring the opportunity to play for coach Steve Jervis, which makes this an even more special time for the graduate.

“This is truly an honor,” Cresswell said. “It’s also great, especially having our practices here at Lackawanna Trail. It couldn’t be better than this right now.”

Cresswell made an immediate impact for Lackawanna Trail as a sophomore.

That season, with Ray Melnikoff being the main power running option in the Lions’ Wing-T attack, Cresswell provided the speed. He ran for 502 yards and scored nine touchdowns, but more importantly, he offered a changeup in the state playoffs.

In a win over Williams Valley, where the teams kept trading momentum, Cresswell had a burst through the center of the defense for a 40-yard touchdown in the first half. The Lions picked up a thrilling 44-30 win where he had 82 of the Lions’ 379 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Cresswell finished the state playoffs that eventually ended in the semifinals with 219 yards and five touchdowns in four games.

“I was definitely very nervous in the beginning, because I was new to football,” Cresswell said. “All of my teammates really helped me along, and by the end of the year and the state playoffs, I was really confident.

Story continues

“It’s been quite a journey.”

Coming off the success of 2019, Cresswell and his teammates were eager to have more success in 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic derailed half of the regular-season schedule, and the Lions had a game canceled.

In four games, Cresswell had 355 yards and six touchdowns, including 173 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Riverside in the season finale.

“We knew after that game that we could have a really good season the following year,” Cresswell said. “We lost some key people, but we knew that we could have another good season, so we worked really hard. We grinded.”

Last season, Cresswell took over as the team’s leading rusher. He had an all-star season in the Lackawanna Football Conference Division IV with 1,133 yards and 13 touchdowns, and he added six receptions for 43 yards and a score.

Lackawanna Trail finished 8-4 and 21-9 in Creswell’s three seasons.

“It was a big moment in my life to beat Dunmore on our home field,” Cresswell said. “I scored that touchdown as soon as I saw that hole open up, and it was amazing.”

In getting ready for the Dream Game, Jervis is enjoying this one final time to coach all of the Lions, who include Owen Lisk, Miles Edwards, Cole Choplosky, Xander Ball, and Cresswell.

“That was a great senior group for us,” Jervis said. “Especially Kody. One thing that we will always remember about him is how hard he ran and how physical he was. He’s quick, but he had a great ability to break tackles, and he did that for us for three years.

“I am sure that he will do that again for us on Wednesday.”

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jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125;

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