Expand<\/a><\/p>\nA love for football runs deeply in the hearts of the McPartlands.<\/p>\n
From his days wearing the colors of Scranton Prep to playing at the University of Miami, Will McPartland, had a passion for the sport he passed down to his three sons, William, Braedon and Owen.<\/p>\n
As the boys grew up, they learned the game from their father, who coached them in junior football.<\/p>\n
Now, the family, supported strongly by their mom, Danielle, is having a memorable experience with the three brothers as members of the Scranton Prep football team.<\/p>\n
William is a senior who has had an outstanding career and overcome adversity to show he remains one of the best all-around athletes in District 2. Braedon, a junior, has emerged as an impact player on both sides of the ball and helped the Cavaliers during a successful stretch of the regular season. Owen, just a freshman, gets a few minutes in games and is gaining valuable experience practicing with the upperclassmen.<\/p>\n
Scranton Prep coach Terry Gallagher reminded the trio that the goal remains to get them all on the field together.<\/p>\n
When it happens, Will, who stands along the fence during games, can put a smile on his face, knowing his kids are living out their dreams.<\/p>\n
On Friday at 7 p.m., the Cavaliers (4-4) face a daunting challenge when they host Jersey Shore (6-2), a power program from District 4, at Dunmore Veterans Memorial Stadium. The McPartlands are focused, making the most of these final weeks as teammates.<\/p>\n
\u201cFootball has been a huge part of their lives since they were born,\u201d Will, 46, said. \u201cI have a picture of William on my desk in the office of him wearing a Miami jersey and holding a plush football. When they were 6 or 7 years old, they were always throwing the football around in the backyard. I coached them when I was younger, and it\u2019s been great to watch them grow in the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are great kids, great students and pretty good football players.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Longtime fans of Scranton Prep football will remember big Will McPartland as a bruising fullback, a power runner and physical blocker \u2014 a throwback to an era that defined Northeast Pennsylvania football.<\/p>\n
He was a two-way Big 11 all-star, an All-Region selection in 1995 and a durable runner who left defenders in his wake. As a senior, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound force had 1,525 yards rushing, a school record at the time that included a 216-yard game with four touchdowns in a win over West Scranton.<\/p>\n
Several colleges showed interest in him, including Lafayette, which offered him a grant-in-aid package. But Will chose to walk on at the University of Miami, a national championship collegiate program reeling from NCAA sanctions. He took a chance, bulked up and became a contributor for the Hurricanes as they rebuilt into a contender again in the Big East.<\/p>\n
In his junior season, Will, a battering ram of a blocker, had nine carries for 51 yards and 11 receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns during Miami\u2019s resurgent 7-3 season. He earned a scholarship and played 34 games before retiring because of a fourth concussion in 15 months during his senior year, when the Hurricanes finished 11-1 and ranked No. 2 in the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cA couple of weeks ago, Scranton Prep lost to Abington Heights. I told the boys, \u2018Hey, if you think that is tough, try losing to Florida State in front of 75,000 people where they are doing the tomahawk chop the whole game,\u2019\u201d Will said. \u201cIt is all about perspective and maintaining that love of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each of Will\u2019s children gravitated to football.<\/p>\n
Growing up, the McPartlands were instrumental in leading the Lakeland junior football program to several championship seasons at various levels. Whispers grew into loud conversations on the eagerness to see them when they reached the high school level.<\/p>\n
They have a literal brotherhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is definitely a connection that we have that goes beyond being a football teammate,\u201d William said. \u201cGoing out there with your family is special. They all know what you are going through because they are going through it, too. With my dad being a player, it is special to always have someone you can turn to for advice and help you get through the tough times.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo matter what, you always have your brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Early on, Will shared his experiences and offered guidance to his boys.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried not to do too much and become overbearing,\u201d Will said. \u201cHaving been there and played at that level, you learn some tough lessons. I try to stress to them that even when things are going well, there is always something to improve on. I believe that is the only way that you get good at football. I tried to instill in them not to ever get too negative or too positive, but to keep a nice, even approach.\u201d<\/p>\n
The McPartland brothers are all motivated by their father\u2019s success and hearing the stories of his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad kind of set the bar,\u201d William said. \u201cGoing through, you have to show up at practice and always do your best. There are no shortcuts. You have to do what you have to do, listen to your coaches and always work hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
William, the eldest, was the first to debut with Scranton Prep. He is a gifted athlete who combines size and speed with strength and awareness. At 6-1 and 195 pounds, William was one of the leaders for the Cavaliers who won District 2 Class 3A championships in his sophomore and junior seasons.<\/p>\n
In 2024, William excelled on both sides of the ball. He was an All-Region player in the secondary, playing with the intensity of a linebacker; he had 110 tackles with seven for loss and nine passes defended with two interceptions. On offense, he ran for 1,030 yards and 17 touchdowns.<\/p>\n
His season, however, ended with a stunning injury. William felt some instability during a PIAA Class 3A playoff loss to Northwestern Lehigh. He finished the game, and a later evaluation revealed a torn ACL.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we took that harder than he did,\u201d Will said. \u201cWe were shocked. He wasn\u2019t down. He got the surgery and he took off into the rehab, and he\u2019s been great.\u201d<\/p>\n
The surgery and recovery cost him his lacrosse season in the spring. It would also carve into his football-playing days.<\/p>\n
He relied heavily on the support of his family, including his two brothers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat injury showed me to always be grateful for every opportunity,\u201d William said. \u201cOne day, everyone is done with sports. I realized that nothing lasts forever, and you cannot take anything for granted.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom and my dad have been there for me to support me. That\u2019s been a big thing for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The younger McPartlands were motivated to play in their brother\u2019s absence. Braedon filled in during lacrosse and had 45 goals and 28 assists to earn All-Region honors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kind of had to help lead the team,\u201d Braedon, 16, said. \u201cIt was awesome. I played hard for him, knowing he couldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the summer, as William continued through his rehabilitation to return to the field by Week 4, Braedon and Owen put in the time to hold down the fort.<\/p>\n
Scranton Prep got off to a tough start. With an inexperienced group gaining confidence, and without their leader, the Cavaliers started 0-3 against some talented opponents.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose first few weeks were brutal on me,\u201d William, 17, said. \u201cYou just try to get through it. I did what I could to try to help out the younger guys at quarterback and safety. Having my brothers there was important. They kept saying that things were going to be all right, and here we are now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, in a much-anticipated game against Delaware Valley, William made his triumphant return. He did so with an emphatic notice to the district with 180 yards rushing and five touchdowns, 228 yards passing and two touchdowns, and, more importantly, a thrilling 49-44 comeback win where the team erased a 24-point second-half deficit.<\/p>\n
Before and after William\u2019s return, all three contributed as the Cavaliers climbed into playoff contention in Class 3A.<\/p>\n
Braedon has 329 yards rushing with three touchdowns and 12 catches for 258 yards and four touchdowns.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe push each other,\u201d Braedon said. \u201cWilliam is the oldest, so he sets the example. I am always trying to be better than him, and Owen is always trying to be better than both of us. We are always making each other better to try to be the best.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving Will there has helped, too. He is always there, and if I need something or mess up, he is always there to pull me to the side and give me advice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Owen is developing in junior varsity games and has 47 yards rushing on six carries.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a big adjustment from playing in junior high last year,\u201d Owen, 14, said. \u201cI feel like I have adjusted. The beginning was really hard. Every day, my brothers help me. If I don\u2019t know something, they are there to help. We are all very competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n
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With William already committed to playing lacrosse at Fairfield next year, the brothers are doing all they can to keep this season going as long as possible. It is the last time they will play together as teammates.<\/p>\n
They appreciate the opportunities given to them.<\/p>\n
For William, it is the perfect way to close out his football career.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is everything that I could have ever wanted,\u201d William said. \u201cI am so happy to have this chance to play with my brothers as a senior.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the icing on the cake for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Will and Danielle have plenty to be proud of as the McPartlands support each other and their teammates.<\/p>\n
As a by-product of their commitment and work ethic, they are also leaving a legacy that builds upon the one their father started with the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey work at it,\u201d Will said. \u201cAll three of them do. I worked with them a little bit and eventually backed out as they got older. We have a little gym in our garage, and when they come home, they go out and pound the weights. They run together, and they work out together. They are very dedicated. I\u2019m usually the one who tries to tell them to relax a little bit, especially in season when they are beat up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nice to see all three of them together. It\u2019s been great for me and my wife to sit back and enjoy this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Originally Published: October 17, 2025 at 12:00 AM EDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Brothers Braedon, Will, and Owen McPartland at Convery Field in Scranton on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5316,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[4855,305,178,180,179,726],"class_list":{"0":"post-5315","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scranton","8":"tag-gameface","9":"tag-high-school-sports","10":"tag-scranton","11":"tag-scranton-headlines","12":"tag-scranton-news","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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