North Pocono Football 2000 Season

Anthony Donato was the head coach. The Aug. 30, 2001, Times Leader preview printed the 2000 season at 5-5. North Pocono started 1-5, then won four straight, including a 41-34 overtime win over Dallas. After the Sept. 29 loss to Abington Heights the Trojans were 1-4 and 0-2 in Division 2 North. The Nov. 3 win over Tunkhannock made them 5-5. A.J. Sabatelle led the team with 818 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 78 points. Mark McHugh was 42 of 107 for 923 yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions. Franko Batzel had 17 catches for 419 yards and four touchdowns.

The Sept. 30, 2000, Times Leader has Friday night’s game at Moscow, a 35-14 Abington Heights win. Andrew Smith returned the opening kickoff from the 5 and rushed 14 times for 132 yards and a score. Bill Pasqualichio scored from the 1 on an 11-play, 75-yard drive, and Sean Hair’s second extra point made it 14-0 in the first quarter. Smith scored from 13 yards with 7:37 left in the half, 21-0. Matt Tosh scored from 27 yards with 5:07 left in the second quarter, 28-0. Greg Boczar’s 40-yard interception return was the last score of a 35-point first half. Senior quarterback Mark McHugh, back after missing two weeks, was 4 of 10 for 35 yards and an interception. A.J. Sabatelle and Jason Ruby scored on runs of 5 and 8 yards in the fourth quarter. Abington Heights was 5-0 and 2-0 in Division 1.

The Oct. 26, 2000, Times Leader, a Thursday paper, says Dallas lost 41-34 in overtime to North Pocono the previous Saturday. Dallas was 6-2. The story is about District 2 Class 3A playoff points, not a play-by-play.

The Nov. 4, 2000, Times Leader has Friday night’s game at Moscow, a 21-14 North Pocono win. Tunkhannock scored first on Justin Holly’s 5-yard run. Jason Ruby carried 22 times for 163 yards. North Pocono led 21-7 in the third quarter after Franko Batzel caught a pass at the 5 and took it in. Jamey Reese caught eight passes, four from his quarterback and four interceptions of North Pocono passes, a school record. In the last four minutes he caught a tipped pass at midfield and scored, cutting the lead to seven. Less than a minute later his fourth interception gave Tunkhannock the ball 65 yards away. The Tigers went 64 yards in two minutes without a pass and were stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 1 on the last play. Tunkhannock finished 0-10. North Pocono was 5-5.