Dunmore’s Weston Yannone pushes back Riverside’s Carmelo Barnett during the District 2 Class 2A semifinals at Riverside Veteran Memorial Stadium in Taylor on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Riverside’s defense crushes in on Dunmore’s Ryan Mecca during the District 2 Class 2A semifinals at Riverside Veteran Memorial Stadium in Taylor on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Riverside’s Charlie Anstett attempts to evade Dunmore’s defense during the District 2 Class 2A semifinals at Riverside Veteran Memorial Stadium in Taylor on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Jacob Costanzo carries the ball during the District 2 Class 2A semifinals at Riverside Veteran Memorial Stadium in Taylor on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Weston Yannone carries the ball during the District 2 Class 2A semifinals at Riverside Veteran Memorial Stadium in Taylor on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Riverside’s Jenyel Smales hugs teammate Angel Grande as their team leaves the field after losing the District 2 Class 2A semifinal game against Dunmore at Riverside Veteran Memorial Stadium in Taylor on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dunmore’s Weston Yannone moves the ball during the District 2 Class 2A semifinals at Riverside Veteran Memorial Stadium in Taylor on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Dunmore’s Weston Yannone pushes back Riverside’s Carmelo Barnett during the District 2 Class 2A semifinals at Riverside Veteran Memorial Stadium in Taylor on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
TAYLOR — Dunmore had a season’s worth of motivation built up, and when unleashed, it overpowered Riverside in a rematch the players looked forward to since late August.
Weston Yannone ran for 93 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 81 yards. Ryan Mecca added 95 yards rushing and a touchdown as the third-seeded Bucks defeated No. 2 Riverside, 27-7, on a blustery Friday night at Riverside Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Dunmore avenged a 17-14 overtime loss in Week 1 and snapped a three-game losing streak in the series. More importantly, the Bucks (8-3) advanced to the District 2 Class 2A championship game for an 11th consecutive time dating back to 2014, with no title game in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We came in with a chip on our shoulder because that Week 1 loss really stung, especially with how close it was and how well we played,” Mecca said. “That motivated us a lot. Everything happens for a reason. We let it fuel us, and look at us now, we are in the district championship game.”
In the final, Dunmore earned another rematch when it travels to play Lakeland (10-1), which beat No. 4 Holy Redeemer, 49-0, in the other semifinal.
Dunmore converted big plays into points in the second meeting with Riverside (8-3).
In the season opener, the Bucks held a 299-92 advantage in total yards and an 18-3 edge in first downs, but couldn’t overcome turnovers.
Yannone and Mecca’s speed and power running made the difference on offense this time.
Dunmore did have a lost fumble on its second possession, but it shook it off when Yannone sprinted 72 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead after Johnley Jean’s extra point with 2:53 left in the first quarter.
The burst was the sixth touchdown of more than 40 yards in the last two weeks against the Riverside defense.
“That was important,” Yannone said. “We knew it was going to be a dogfight, and we started slow. When I broke that one, I felt the wind leave their sails, and we got all the momentum.
In the second, Yannone launched a pass that knifed through the whipping wind, and Jack Costanzo cradled it in over his shoulder for a 74-yard gain to the 2-yard line. After a penalty on Riverside, Yannone pushed his way in for a 14-0 lead with 7:08 left in the half.
“We knew that we had to limit the turnovers,” Yannone said. “We had a couple, but we bounced back from them. We had to keep the ball in our hands. Riverside has a lot of weapons and a lot of trickery, so we had to stay disciplined. Our big plays hit, and I can’t thank the line enough.
“Our whole team came together.”
Dunmore’s defense overmatched Riverside, which struggled to execute some intricate play designs by juggling handoffs.
Overall, the Vikings had nine plays that resulted in minus-50 yards. They also had five penalties for 55 yards and two interceptions.
During the first half, Riverside had 71 total yards on 27 plays, with 41 yards coming on a Brayden Rose pass to Carmelo Barnett.
Jackson Harding led the defensive charge for Dunmore. He had five tackles, then forced a fumble that he recovered and ran in for a touchdown that gave the Bucks a 20-0 lead with 7:58 left in the third quarter.
“We came out here looking to beat them physically,” Harding said. “They have a big guy over there in (Tavian) Branch and some other big guys. We had to impose our will physically and let them know that we came to play.”
Dunmore pushed the lead to 27-0 when Mecca took a handoff right and broke two tackles on his way to a 60-yard touchdown with 5:52 left that all but sealed the victory.
“In the huddle when he called the play, all I thought was that I had to score,” Mecca said. “The line blocked it perfectly, and I broke a few tackles. Once I got in the open field, nobody was going to catch me.”
Both Costanzo and Yannone had interceptions in the second half. Yannone prevented a touchdown, and he returned it 106 yards for a touchdown that got wiped out by a penalty.
Riverside avoided the shutout when freshman Charlie Anstett scored on a 5-yard run with 28 seconds remaining. The Vikings, who won last season’s district championship, ended the season with two straight losses at home.
The loss also brought Tavian Branch’s high school football career to a close. Riverside’s outstanding two-way lineman, who is committed to Penn State and is taking a visit to Ole Miss, had three tackles for loss.
Dunmore, which won a total of 14 championships and 13 in Class 2A, met Lakeland six times in the District 2 championship game, with the two traditional powers splitting the meetings.