​BLAKELY – Edward Kiesendahl would not be denied an opportunity to host a playoff game.Bouncing off tacklers and running with relentless desire, the senior leader for No. 7 Wallenpaupack powered to 231 yards on 31 carries and three touchdowns. He also secured a 27-13 win over No. 6 Valley View with an interception late in the fourth quarter on Friday night in a Lackawanna Football Conference Division I game.The Buckhorns (6-4 overall, 4-3 Division I) clinched the No. 4 seed for the District 2 Class 4A playoffs. They will play No. 5 Berwick (5-5) next week in the quarterfinals in the first home playoff game since 2018.Valley View (5-5, 3-4) lost its third straight game and fell to the No. 6 seed. The Cougars will play at No. 3 Honesdale (8-2) and former head coach George Howanitz in the quarterfinals.“This season is truly unbelievable,” Kiesendahl said. “This team and this culture that we have built this year is great. We talked all year about how we had to build this team chemistry and build a tight unit. We have, and we have had guys step up in roles they probably didn’t know they would be in, so it’s special.“To get that home playoff is truly great. One more at the lake, that is my home, and there is nothing like it.”Wallenpaupack used a punishing running attack and a physical defense to build a 17-0 lead at the half.Kiesendahl scored on a run of 18 yards on the game’s first drive and added a 67-yard sprint in the second. Colby Bonagura connected on a 32-yard field goal in the second.Freshman linebacker Billy Motz led the defensive charge that limited Valley View to one first down, which came with 34.9 seconds remaining in the half.“Our defense is always ready,” Motz said. “We are always ready to work. The defense played phenomenally.”In the second half, Brady Bachman scored Valley View’s first touchdown on a 1-yard sneak, making it 17-7.Wallenpaupack answered, and Bonagura drilled a 43-yard field goal for a 20-7 advantage with 3:41 left in the third quarter.Valley View clawed its way back into the game as Cash Roe made plays in the passing game. The junior caught six of his nine receptions in the second half and finished with 157 yards. He hauled in a 21-yard reception in the third quarter but fumbled. Teammate Colin Witkowski picked it up and scored a touchdown that pulled the Cougars within 20-13.Quarterback Colin Dempsey completed 14 of 21 passes for 212 yards.Wallenpaupack turned to Kiesendahl. He carried the ball eight times on the ensuing drive that did not result in any points.Then, Motz intercepted a tipped pass to give Wallenpaupack back the momentum.It took the Buckhorns four plays, plus a facemask penalty, to cover 48 yards, with Kiesendahl scoring on a 1-yard run to make it 27-13 with 2:32 remaining.Wallenpaupack had 272 rushing yards on 43 carries.“We always keep driving on our blocks to the whistle,” Wallenpaupack lineman Niko Bowers said. “That was probably the most physical game we have played a