MOSCOW – West Scranton graduates Cameron Cole and Cayden Farr spent the better part of practice for the 92nd Scranton Lions Club Dream Game giving maximum effort and encouraging teammates.
The one-two punch spent their varsity careers representing the Invaders with pride.
That has carried over to the preparations by the City all-stars heading into Wednesday’s matchup against the County at 7 p.m. at John Henzes/Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“This opportunity is great,” Cole said. “I played three sports, and I got to represent West Scranton a lot, but this game is big. They say there is going to be like 7,000 fans there, so the turnout is awesome. I want to go out with a bang.”
“This is amazing,” Farr said. “For Cam and me to get to come in and get a chance to play in the Dream Game, knowing how hard we worked, is an amazing feeling.”
Both Cole and Farr had standout senior seasons.
On offense, Cole had 80 yards rushing on 28 carries. He also hauled in four passes for 78 yards.
His biggest contributions came as the leader of the Invaders’ defense. He earned selection to the Lackawanna Football Conference Division II Coaches’ All-Star First Team as a linebacker.
Cole had 54 solo tackles and 37 assists. He had 3.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. In a win over Old Forge, he had 10 solo stops and 3.5 assists. He had 11 total tackles against Dunmore and 7.5 against Lakeland, the two teams that played for the District 2 Class 2A championship.
“This means a lot to my family,” said Cole, whose father, Mike, played for the County all-stars in the 1995 Dream Game. “My father has talked about this. He told me to enjoy the memories. And make friends. This is the only time in your life when you get to play in the Dream Game, so he said to take it all in.”
Farr was also a two-way starter.
He joined Cole as a first-team all-star as a defensive back. Farr had 24 solo tackles and 25.5 assists and added two interceptions and nine pass breakups. His best games came against Lakeland and Honesdale, when he had seven tackles in each.
On offense, he was the team’s leading receiver with 22 catches for 295 yards and two touchdowns. He had five receptions for 48 yards in West Scranton’s win over Western Wayne and had a touchdown in a 20-7 win over Old Forge.
“I am looking forward to this,” Farr said. “You see the energy. I am a big energy guy, and to see all these guys come out here and play at a high level is an amazing experience.”
The close friends are continuing their football careers at the collegiate level.
Cole will play at Misericordia.
“Not everybody gets to play in college,” Cole said. “I have a great opportunity. I liked all the coaches, and I knew I had to take this chance.”
Farr is headed to King’s College.
“I get another four years to play football, and I am really looking forward to that,” Farr said. “This is getting me ready for that. It is going to feel like an all-star game every single week in college, going against such talented athletes. I am going in with that underdog mentality, and I am going to keep working.”
Before they take the next step in their football journeys, the focus is on leading the City to a victory in the Dream Game.
“We are playing alongside some really talented guys with great winning experiences,” Cole said. “They have played in state playoff games. It feels great to play with them, and we hope to get one last win.”