SWIFTWATER — Pocono Mountain East quarterback Rocco DelGiudice pulled together a late game-winning drive for the Cardinals to get the Old Oaken Bucket back from Pleasant Valley.

PV got the ball back with 1:19 left and was driving until quarterback Jaxson Haines threw an interception to seal a 10-7 win for the Cardinals and snap a four-game winning streak for Pleasant Valley in the annual rivalry game.

“The defense played fantastic,” Pleasant Valley head coach Blaec Saeger said. “They scored our only touchdown and anything we did positive was on the defense. The offense got going, but we couldn’t finish a drive. Took five minutes off the clock when we had eight minutes left and it didn’t cut it.”

The game was a stalemate at halftime as neither team could get points on the board in the first two quarters. The intensity picked up in the third quarter when Pocono Mountain East was able to get a 35-yard field goal from Lucas Angst to put the Cardinals up 3-0.

DelGiudice threw a pick-six to Justin Delgado, whose 21-yard return to the house gave Pleasant Valley a 7-3 lead. PV was able to take time off the clock in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to slow down the Cardinal offense.

“It meant everything to these kids,” Saeger said. “They’re hurting right now and I just felt terrible for them. They gave us everything they had and offensively, we just didn’t get the job done.”

Both Pocono Mountain East and Pleasant Valley were searching for the first win of the season and not a better time with the Old Oaken Bucket game. Pocono Mountain East’s win was the first for the Cardinals against the Bears since 2019 in the storied rivalry.

Pocono Mountain East head coach Dustin Thomas picks up his first career win in the program in a close ballgame against the Bears. Both teams have had ups-and-downs throughout the season, but Friday night’s game was on the line and finally getting into the win column in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference North division.

“It’s amazing,” Thomas said. “The community, fans and kids deserved it. It means so much to everybody and just to do it with them and everything we’ve been through. We didn’t quit.”

PLAY OF THE GAME ... Pocono Mountain East quarterback Rocco DelGiudice found Stephon Bethea for a 13-yard touchdown connection and to give East the lead back 10-7. It was impressive how the Cardinals got down the field so quickly with time ticking off the clock.

PLEASANT VALLEY DEFENSE ... Justin Delgado returned a DelGiudice interception for the only Bears score of the game. William Breuer also picked off DelGiudice in the game, but the two turnovers weren’t enough to stop the Cardinals when the Bears offense was struggling to get going.

WHAT’S NEXT ... The Bears face Pocono Mountain West next week for the final Pleasant Valley home game of the season. East Stroudsburg South took care of West 49-21 in week eight before the Panthers and Bears meet in week nine.

PM East 10, Pleasant Vy. 7

Pleasant Valley 0 0 7 0 - 7

PM East 0 0 3 7 - 10

PME - Angst 35 FG

PV - Delgado 21 interception return (Berger kick)

PME - DelGiudice 13 pass Bethea (Angst kick)