SCRANTON — Dylan Bannon was asked about what it meant to be part of Keith Olsommer’s 200th win at Delaware Valley.
The Warriors’ senior linebacker, clutching a game ball under his arm, thought for a second.
“It means a lot. Coach O, he’s a different type of coach,” Bannon said. “You don’t understand it until you meet him. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to play for him.”
It was a night of celebration for Delaware Valley as its defense reigned supreme and Olsommer picked up his 200th coaching victory in a 35-0 victory over West Scranton in a Lackawanna Football Conference Division I game Friday at Scranton Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“It means that I’ve been able to coach a lot of special kids and had to opportunity to work with a lot of great coaches,” Olsommer said, smiling when asked about what it meant to reach 200.
He beamed with pride about the play of his defense, holding West Scranton to 117 yards of offense.
It was Lucas Purdon who set the momentum four plays into the game, returning an interception 26 yards for a touchdown.
“That felt great,” Purdon said. “I saw they were running that hitch, and I was able to read the play well. I caught it, and saw the end zone in front of me.”
Purdon provided the first punch. His defensive teammates hit the knockout blow.
West Scranton (3-6 overall, 1-5 Division I) had seven first-half possessions, and didn’t cross its own 26-yard line on any of them.
The Warriors’ defense was stifling, holding West to 51 yards on the ground with 28 coming on Michael Green’s first run of the second half.
“We are just a bunch of kids who like to go out and play football,” said Bannon, who went over the 100-tackle mark for the season. “Every day at practice, throughout the week, we are watching film, working hard at practice. We know what we have to do. It’s a fun defense to play on. I’ve been playing on this defense for three years, and I love it.”
Delaware Valley (3-6, 2-4) methodically marched down the field, scoring on three of its first four possessions with the fourth stopped on the West Scranton 6 on a fumble.
The Warriors sent the game into the mercy rule on a nine-play, 80-yard possession — all on the ground with five of the runs going to senior Devin Estevez, who capped off the drive with an 8-yard score.
Estevez finished with 139 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns as the Warriors ran for 268 yards.
Delaware Valley, winners of two of its last three, heads to Abington Heights in Week 10 to end the regular season. The Comets are sitting in the top spot in the District 2 Class 5A standings, while Pittston Area is second with the Warriors third. Only the top two teams advance to the postseason.