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Many names will change this season. So, too, will coach Christian Diggs' blood pressure.
Montgomery must replace the majority of its starters but Diggs, entering his second year, can attack that transition with a clearer mindset. Last season, the 24-year-old coach was one of the youngest coaches in area history, entering his rookie season and his mind was racing in several directions. Ultimately, it all worked out and Montgomery came within a 2-point conversion of reaching the District 4 Class A championship.
"Last year was a mix of emotions, just being young and being the new guy in town and things like that," Diggs said. "It's a little more settling now. The players, coaches, parents and people in town have gained your trust and that makes things less nervewracking for sure."
So, while the player personnel is different, Diggs and his staff are bonded, more experienced and excited about the challenges ahead. Those are many, especially with what was a four-team Class A field expanding to seven with the addition of South Williamsport, Sayre and Northwest.
Nevertheless, Montgomery adopted the motto, "Row the Boat," last year and that nearly carried them to the district final. It is the same mentality this season.
"It's a little more normal because we have been through it. We have spots filled and I'm super excited about the coaches around me," Diggs said. "I try to keep a mix of young guys and older guys. The kids and parents seem to like that mix. It feels more organized and more streamlined and we have more of a plan."
That crux of that plan is replacing some of the top players in recent program memory. Quarterback Logan Almeida and wide receiver Coltin Hans both were all-state selections and set several single-season and career program records there. Dynamic wide receiver Maurice Walters, leading rusher Colby Springman, and big-play defenders Dominic Deem and Thayden Miller all have graduated.
Still, Montgomery is not focused on what it lost but on what it has back and what it has gained. Starting with past coach Paul Bozella and continuing with Diggs, Montgomery has built a true program which has been able to sustain heavy graduation losses and continue staying competitive. It may take some time for all the pieces to fall into place, but as Montgomery showed last year, if it peaks at the right time it could again become mighty dangerous.
"We'll be young, but we have some guys that were sophomores who are moving up and if everyone steps up we should have another good season," Diggs said. "It's can they handle what is being thrown at them? That's what we have to find out, but we have a lot of players who are very hungry and who want to get started at a young age."
One of those players is freshman Parker Persing who will compete with Caden Finck for the starting quarterback job. The versatile Finck also could be used in the backfield or as a receiver. Montgomery has had a good run with young quarterbacks with Almeida starting as a sophomore and previous starter Brayden Strouse as a freshman.
Payton Hartman excelled as a first-time starting linebacker last season and could see a lot of offensive work in the backfield this year. Hartman is an aggressive, hard-nosed runner and Nevin Beachel looks like another threat. It also helps having all-state linebacker Weston Pick as a utility knife type player.
Pick played mostly tight end last year, but Montgomery likely will also use him as a fullback, wide receiver and in whatever other capacity it can take advantage of his strength and quickness. Pick is the team's top returning receiver and William Valentine is another player to watch as a receiver.
Montgomery will try paving the way for offensive success up front and has some good building blocks in returning starters Gaven Strouse and Brent Leon, if he can recover from a shoulder injury in time. Ray Pautz and Mitch Schreiber also played a lot last year and will be leaned on to help this new-look line jell.
Those players also could make a big defensive impact. Montgomery is trying to build some depth up front and would like to rotate some linemen in and out of spots to keep them fresh. That worked last year when the defense surged down the stretch. Pick was a big reason it did, making a district-high 175 tackles. Hartman also averaged more than 10 tackles per game and the starting defense surrendered just 34 points over the final three weeks. That included holding Muncy to a then-season low 14 points in the district semifinals.
"Defensively, especially toward the end of last year, we made some adjustments and put everything together. That was evident against Muncy," Diggs said. "If we can keep building on that, we can be tough. Defensively, we're very confident. We have some big, key players back and a lot of those guys will be able to perform and build off last year and some new starters are ready to step up as well."
Montgomery generated excitement with its season last year, starting 3-0 and then bouncing back strong following a midseason slump. After losing to Muncy, 40-18, in Week 8, Montgomery won its next two games, held a second-half lead in the semifinal rematch and nearly pulled off what would have been the season's biggest playoff upset.
While a lot of players who made that run happen are gone, the confidence and excitement remain. The players returning know what it takes to achieve success and are eager to build upon it. They are viewing last year, not as an ending, but as a launching pad.
"There's a lot of good momentum after last year and the older players are expressing that to the younger guys and working hard," Diggs said. "There seems to good energy in the weight room and throughout the offseason, so that definitely is in their minds.
2022 Football Players to Watch
Payton Hartman, LB/RB: Although Montgomery was a senior-laden team last season, some young players broke through and made huge impacts. Hartman was one of those players and fit right in as a member of a stout linebacking unit which featured all-stater Weston Pick and team leader Devon Deem. Hartman was one of the team's leading tacklers and really excelled as he gained more experience. His development played a key role in Montgomery's defense surging late in the season. Hartman showed his ability early in the season with 14 tackles against Sayre and kept going from there, playing especially well in a 14-13 district semifinal defeat against Muncy.
Brent Leon, OL/DL: Like his older brother Bradley, Brent has been a difference-maker on both sides of the ball. Linemen often toil in anonymity but Leon finds a way to stand out and helped occupy linemen to let the linebackers flow and make plays last fall. Leon is an effective run stuffer who also can get after the quarterback. The 250-pounder is a good athlete and his agility provides a nice asset on each line. He is one of the leaders up front offensively as well and helped Montgomery put up some big numbers a year ago. The running game started taking off as the year progressed and Leon played a role in making that happen.
Weston Pick, LB/TE: Like his teammates Logan Almeida and Coltin Hans did on offense, Pick took a blowtorch to the Montgomery defensive record book. Tall, strong and fast, Pick produced a program record 174 tackles and a district-best 15.8 tackles per game. He went over 150 tackles during the regular season, also breaking Montgomery's regular-season record. Pick has the size of a lineman but the speed of a defensive back and produced at least 12 tackles in all 11 games. He also accumulated an area-high 20 tackles for loss, three sacks, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. Pick seemingly was in on every play and built off a breakthrough sophomore campaign. He earned all-state honors and was a dominant factor for a unit which surrendered just 40 points over its last three games. Pick also was a sure-handed tight end who caught 10 passes for 176 yards and his 25-yard touchdown catch late in the district semifinal at Muncy pulled Montgomery within a point.
Gaven Strouse, OL/DL: Like Leon, Strouse often does the dirty works which flies under the radar but which makes such a critical difference in winning and losing. The line really came together late in the season and Strouse was a major part of that. The physical senior helped open up good running lanes and Montgomery's offense was as balanced as it was potent over the final three games. Twice in those contests, Strouse and his linemen paved the way for 90-yard rushing performances. Montgomery also featured a 2,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and 700-yard rusher, stats which would not have been possible without players like Strouse effectively performing up front.
--By CHRIS MASSE