Honesdale, PA — It had been a while since Honesdale football players and fans had reason to celebrate on the opening night of the season. The Hornets had a lot to be happy about this season. Mason Avery fueled a potent running game as the tenth-ranked Hornets defeated East Stroudsburg North, 33-16, on Friday night in a nonleague game at the Honesdale High School Athletic Complex. Avery had 128 yards rushing on 10 carries and scored two touchdowns, and Honesdale won for the first time in Week 1 since 2017. "We lined up on every play, ran our base plays, and couldn't be stopped," Honesdale coach Paul Russick said. "The boys worked hard in all aspects of the game. Our veteran leadership showed, and I couldn't be more proud." In addition to Avery, Honesdale had balance in its rushing attack that thrived behind an experienced and physical offensive line. Quarterback Aiden Collins ran for 57 yards and a touchdown and also completed three of four passes for 53 yards. Bradley Bibalo and Gabe Duda each ran for 53 yards on seven carries and scored a touchdown, and the Hornets finished with 304 yards on the ground. Bibalo also helped lead the defense. He had 12 total tackles, with three for loss; linebacker Charlie Propst added 11 tackles; and Avery had an interception for the Hornets. Honesdale scored on five of its six possessions, with the final one concluding with many younger players on the field. Bibalo got the scoring going for the Hornets on a 5-yard run for a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Avery scored on a 3-yard run, and Collins added a 3-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Avery tacked on a 2-point conversion run that pushed the lead to 20-8 at the half. East Stroudsburg North's Zach Deresky-Martinez scored on a 25-yard run, and Wayne King added the 2-point conversion in the second quarter in between the two Honesdale scores. In the third quarter, Avery gave the Hornets a jolt with a 60-yard touchdown run that pushed the lead to 26-8. Duda made it 33-8 with a 2-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. "We still have a lot to improve on as well," Russick said. :Penalties and missed tackles need to be cleaned up, and we will. The biggest improvement happens from Week 1 to Week 2." [email protected]