MOSCOW – City all-star receivers were running routes and hauling in passes during a practice last week at North Pocono Trojans Stadium when suddenly, everyone stopped.
Coach Joe Giorgio said, “Let’s take a quick break.”
It seemed odd at the time; however, Lackawanna Trail graduate Tyler Jervis just needed a pause and a few minutes to rest. He had thrown every pass in the drill.
This summer, in a rare situation for the Scranton Lions Club Dream Game, Jervis is the only quarterback on the City roster. He will be tasked with taking all the snaps for the 92nd All-Star Classic against the County on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at John Henzes/Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“There is a lot of responsibility,” Jervis said. “Through the whole City team, you know, our line, our receivers, our backs, the defense, and the specialists too, I have a great team around me. They are always picking me up. If I throw a bad ball here or throw a good ball, they are always there to pick me up or congratulate me on the good ball.
“It is a lot easier than I was expecting. With such a great team and so many great players around me, it is pretty easy to step in. Anyone can do it. I have the easy job. They are the athletes here. I just got to get up there and throw them the ball, and they will go make a play on it and do everything else from there and make me look good.”
No stranger to logging many minutes, Jervis was a two-way standout for the Lions in their four-year run of District 2 Class 1A championships.
He is known more, though, for his contributions as a cagey and crafty linebacker on defense.
Last season, the 5-foot-10, 160-pounder was the team leader in tackles with 87 and had seven tackles for loss. Jervis had five sacks, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries, and returned two interceptions and two fumbles for touchdowns.
His signature play came when he shifted the momentum of the PIAA Class 1A first-round win against Line Mountain, 31-20, with a 75-yard interception return in the first quarter.
Jervis was a Lackawanna Football Conference Division III Coaches’ first-team all-star and an All-Region selection at linebacker. He was also chosen to play for the East all-stars in the Pennsylvania Scholastic Coaches Association East-West Small-School all-star game at Cumberland Valley High School. He finished second on the team with five tackles and added a pass breakup as part of a 19-14 victory.
In the Dream Game, which will be his final football game as he is continuing his academic career at Colgate University, Jervis most likely won’t be asked to play defense. He is eager to run the offense for the talented City team.
“Having all these great athletes around me, the receivers and the backs, I am really excited to get the ball in their hands and watch them work their magic,” Jervis said.
During his career with the Lions, Jervis ran the Delaware Wing-T offense for his father, Lackawanna Trail head coach Steve Jervis. That scheme requires precise timing and execution, while thriving off misdirection.
As the quarterback, Jervis personified leadership and served as a captain for two seasons.
In his junior season, he ran for 302 yards and five touchdowns, while completing 21 of 47 passes for 510 yards and eight touchdowns. Lackawanna Trail reached the PIAA Class 1A playoffs and finished with an 11-2 record.
Last fall, with teammate Isaac Ryon establishing LIAA records for rushing yards in a season with 2,876 on his way to being named the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Class 1A Player of the Year, Jervis ran for 424 yards and six touchdowns while completing 26 of 48 passes for 611 yards and seven touchdowns. The Lions reached the PIAA Class 1A quarterfinals and finished 12-2 overall.
He is also excited about the prospect of throwing the ball. The Dream Game has unique rules that require offenses to pass on a certain percentage of plays.
The City offense is armed with a receiving corps that includes Wallenpaupack’s Izael Rodriguez and Mason Gonzalez, Scranton Prep’s Mackey Lynett and AJ Croom, West Scranton’s Cayden Farr, and tight ends Sean McCormack and Montrose’s Nate Thurman.
“The opportunity to throw the ball more is pretty exciting,” Jervis said. “Coming from the Wing-T, I was not doing a ton of throwing, but when we did throw, it was when it mattered, so I was in those high-pressure situations that helped me develop confidence in my throws.”
92nd SCRANTON LIONS CLUB DREAM GAME
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Where: John Henzes/Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Noteworthy: The County leads the series, 44-42-4.