This is the first in a series of tournaments putting the best Sun-Gazette area teams from this decade against each other to determine who the King or Queen of their respective sport is.

First Semifinal

2005 Hughesville (9-2) at 2005 Montoursville (12-2)

About Hughesville: The Spartans enjoyed arguably the best season in program history, capturing a share of their first CSC-II championship and routinely decimating opponents. First Team all-state running back Dan Egly ran for more than 1,900 yards and scored 29 touchdowns, while fellow running back Ryan McDonald just missed reaching 1,000 yards. The defense also was strong, allowing just two teams to top 20 points and holding Loyalsock to 10 in a big Week 4 win after Loyalsock had topped 30 points in each of its first three games. Defensive end Kyle Murren earned all-state honors. Hughesville's offensive line also was terrific as Ryan Newhart earned all-state honors and was complemented by standout Sean Tetreault. Egly was the CSC-II Back of the Year and Linebacker of the Year, an achievement made more impressive considering state champion Southern Columbia's all-time leading rusher Henry Hynoski also played in the conference. Hughesville outgained Montoursville by more than 100 yards in a heart-breaking District 4 Class AA semifinal 28-21 loss that essentially was the championship, but was hurt by failing to convert on three separate fourth-and-1 plays.

About Montoursville: A powerhouse three years in the making, the Warriors started showcasing their potential in 2003 when a group of mostly sophomores went 5-5. A year later the Warriors went 7-4 and reached the district semifinals. Everything came together in 2005 as Montoursville overpowered teams with a brutally effective running game, a physical defense that stifled the run and a passing game just solid enough to keep defenses honest. Running behind a dominant offensive line, a trio of backs gained more than 1,000 yards. Luke Trick led the team in rushing despite not receiving more than seven carries in a game until Week 5. Garrett Cillo provided Montoursville with a big-play threat every time he touched the ball and bruising fullback Luke Ellison was terrific in short-yardage. Riley Snyder helped clear the way for those running backs and was first team All-State, as was Ellison at linebacker. Jake Kreamer and Ken Stark created an imposing defensive end duo and both were named all-state in 2006. Montoursville's weakness was stopping the pass and that doomed it as Wilson rallied for a dramatic 33-32 win in the state semifinals a week after Lancaster Catholic nearly passed its way back from a 27-7 fourth-quarter deficit. Montoursville lost two games by one point each.

The Game: Hughesville surprisingly comes out throwing. The strategy works until Ty Russell makes an interception in the end zone. Hughesville is determined to stop the run, stacking eight in the box, but Montoursville crosses it up on second down as Eric Walters hits Zach Martin for a 75-yard touchdown, giving Montoursville a 7-0 lead.

Hughesville goes back to its bread and butter on the next few series, but it's McDonald and not Egly who is the featured ball carrier and the strategy works as Montoursville overpursues Egly and McDonald explodes through the gaps. Hughesville is faced with a fourth-and-1 late in the first quarter from the Montoursville 29. Not hesitating, coach Rick Reichner goes for it and his gamble pays off when Egly bulldozes his way for a 3-yard gain three plays before scoring the game-tying touchdown.

Montoursville's running game gets going late in the half as the Trick/Ellison duo takes control. An Ellison 24-yard run sets up Montoursville with a 1st-and-goal from the 2 in the half's final minute but disaster strikes seconds later when Walters and Ellison collide on a handoff. The ball pops free and Hughesville cornerback Jeremy Sweeting scoops it up, going 95 yards for the go-ahead touchdown that makes it 14-7 at halftime.

Unflustered, Montoursville's focused demeanor shines through on the third-quarter's first possession as the Warriors methodically march downfield and cap a 15-play, 76-yard touchdown drive with an eight-yard Cillo touchdown and tie it 14-14.

Early in the fourth quarter, Egly starts wearing down Montoursville. Hughesville then goes play-action as Ben Murray hits Sweeting for a 37-yard touchdown, giving Hughesville a 21-14 lead with 7:18 remaining. Montoursville needs just three plays to tie as Trick explodes through a big hole on the right side and goes 71 yards for a touchdown moments later. But the extra point is missed and Hughesville clings to a 21-20 lead.

The Spartans work the clock on the next possession, but Montoursville's defense makes a big stop with 1:47 remaining and the Warriors take over at their 20 with no timeouts. Cillo explodes for 53 yards off a draw, putting the ball at the Hughesville 27. After four more plays gain 18 yards, Walters hurries Montoursville to the line and spikes the ball with three seconds remaining. While Ryan Miller missed the previous extra point, coach Jim Bergen shows confidence in his senior kicker and sends him out to try the 26-yard game-winner. Miller's kick easily has the distance but is slicing right. As the clock hits zero, the ball hits the left up-right...and bounces back in and over. Montoursville wins 23-21 in a game for the ages.

Second Semifinal

2001 Williamsport (8-3) at 2007 Loyalsock (12-3)

About Williamsport: Williamsport returned to the postseason for the first time since 1998 and captured the Northeast Pennsylvania Football Conference championship before losing to Downingtown, 39-31 in the District 1-2-4 subregional. Following in the footsteps of great Millionaire running backs like Jack Losch, Lee Fisher and Gary Brown, Darrell Blackman was virtually unstoppable. After a great, 1,770-yard, 17-touchdown sophomore season, Blackman came back faster, bigger and stronger. The result was the best season in Lycoming County history as Blackman ran for 2,547 yards and 32 touchdowns. Blackman was first-team all-state and topped 200 yards in 10 straight games. Three times he went over 300, including for a career-high 356 against Abington Heights. His brother Dwayne Blackman also was freakishly athletic and the 6-foot-3 cornerback was a shutdown player who also did damage at wide receiver. Junior defensive end/fullback Raymond Brooks showed the playmaking ability that would earn him a scholarship to North Carolina State a year later. Brooks provided the Thunder to Blackman's Lightning, giving the Millionaires one of the state's premier backfields. Linebacker David Fatherly sparked the defense and was a ferocious hitter who played at Temple. Including sophomore linebacker Marco Radocaj, Williamsport had five players who eventually played in Division I or I-AA.

About Loyalsock: Loyalsock had been building toward this season for three years and made gradual progress in 2005 and 2006, winning six games each time. While previous Lancer teams relied on the pass, this team was lethal running or passing. Quarterback Shane Carey broke program records for yards (2,270) and touchdowns (21) and Robbie Wright broke the record for receiving yards with over 1,100. Still, the team's anchor was a running game ignited by all-state running back Austin Knighton who shattered Loyalsock records for rushing and touchdowns, topping 2,100 yards and scoring 29 times. Knighton moved from fullback when Nick Tate went down in Week 3 after topping 200 yards against South Williamsport a week earlier. When Tate returned, he, Knighton and Jamie Van Fleet gave Loyalsock a three-headed monster running behind a powerful and experienced offensive line sparked by all-state tackle Stephen Dewar. Van Fleet was a big reason why Loyalsock's defense was so good. The senior linebacker set the program's all-time record for both career tackles and single-season tackles before earning all-state honors and going to Penn State. Van Fleet, along with fellow linebackers Knighton, Tate, Freddie Raimin and Jesse Eggerton formed one of the best units in school history. Loyalsock beat Hughesville, Montoursville, Towanda and Delone Catholic before losing to Dunmore in the state semifinals.

The Game: Williamsport strikes first when quarterback Matt Francis fakes a handoff to Blackman and hits a wide-open George Whaley for a 72-yard touchdown and a 6-0 lead. After Dwayne Blackman returns an interception to the 30 on Loyalsock's first possession, Darrell goes 30 yards for a score one play later and Williamsport leads 14-0 as some fans start talking mercy rule.

Instead, Carey rolls out and hits Braydon Schaible for the touchdown that caps a long 70-yard drive. But Williamsport again uses the big-play and goes up 20-7 on a Blackman 45-yard touchdown run.

Loyalsock desperately needs a big play late in the half and Van Fleet provides one, forcing a Brooks fumble that Pat Green recovers. Energized by Van Fleet's vicious hit, the Lancers calmly move downfield, mixing the plays as Knighton caps the drive with a 2-yard touchdown, making it 20-14.

Just when it seemed Loyalsock had seized the momentum, Williamsport again took it back. Brooks takes the kickoff at the 9 and, eager to redeem himself, runs over two defenders before going the rest of the way untouched for a 91-yard touchdown and a 28-14 halftime lead.

Loyalsock had rallied from three second-half deficits to win in 2007 so it remained calm and confident at halftime. Both teams exchange scores throughout the second half as Wright and Nate Fink score for the Lancers. Loyalsock has a chance to take a lead when Nick Tate makes a jarring hit on Blackman and forces a fumble with 5:54 remaining. Loyalsock marches from its 15 to the Williamsport 25, but its comeback hopes end when Darnell Hayes intercepts a pass in the end zone. Blackman takes the next run 33 yards, giving him 267 yards and the Millionaires take a knee from there, securing the 34-28 win.

Championship

2001 Williamsport (9-3) at 2005 Montoursville (13-2)

Walters connects with Trick on a screen pass on the game's second play and he battles through a broken field, going 67 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. The Warriors load up nine in the box defensively, but Blackman is so strong he runs through five would-be tacklers near the line, makes a spin move on Colter Dabney, then breaks into the clear and goes 81 yards for a game-tying touchdown.

Brooks sacks Walters on the ensuing possession before Williamsport coach Steve Radocaj catches the Warriors overpursuing and runs a reverse to Dwayne Blackman who goes 26 yards to set up a 2-yard Brooks touchdown that gives the Millionaires a 13-7 lead after running only three offensive plays. Montoursville responds by doing what it does best and plays smash-mouth football. The Warriors gain yards and just as important, keep Williamsport's offense on the sideline.

Ellison caps a 16-play, 74-yard drive with a 3-yard burst and Montoursville takes a 14-13 early in the second quarter. Bergen then takes a chance and has Miller attempt an onsides kick. It works and the Warriors again work the clock, setting up Miller for a short field goal that makes it 17-13. Williamsport regains the lead right before halftime when Whaley catches a long Francis pass and turns it into a 64-yard touchdown, putting the Millionaires ahead 20-17.

The Millionaires are on the brink of scoring again on the third-quarter's first possession but a botched snap at the 2-yard line is recovered by Kreamer who runs over seven players en route to rumbling 98 yards for the go-ahead touchdown that makes it 24-20. The Millionaires stop themselves on the next drive with a false start from the 1 before a fourth-down pass falls incomplete.

Montoursville consumes most of the fourth quarter with another brutally effective drive, running 17 straight times. Marco Radocaj makes a big tackle at the 5 and Montoursville settles for a Miller 22-yard field goal and a 27-20 lead with 2:06 remaining.

After starting at the 18, Williamsport drives to the Montoursville 17 and has time for a last play with five seconds remaining. Francis hits Fatherly at the 6, but when Montoursville rushes to tackle Fatherly, he pitches it to Blackman bursting up the sideline and he takes it in for the touchdown as time expires on the hook and ladder. Instead of playing for overtime, Steve Radocaj opts to go for the win.

As expected, Blackman gets the ball and runs to his right, but fades back as he does so-and throws into the corner of the end zone. It's a Blackman to Blackman connection as Darrell hits Dwayne in the corner of the end zone for a 28-27 win. The Millionaires become the decade's best team and Memorial Stadium's field becomes a sea of Red and White as both Blackmans are carried off on the students shoulders.