Muncy Indians
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Muncy captured the NTL-II championship, going undefeated in league play. It also won 10 games in a season for the first time during the 2000s last year.
But as outstanding as that 2021 season was, Muncy still felt unfulfilled. For the first time since 2017, the Indians did not wear District 4 Class A championship medals. Canton ended Muncy's three-year title reign, defeating the Indians, 45-7 in the final. While the Indians still made it six straight seasons with either a district and/or league title, that was little solace afterward on that cold night in Towanda.
Muncy, however, has turned the page. The past is gone and its focus now is on what can be. What this team wants is to scale that summit again and see what it can do at the state level. Doing so will be difficult in a loaded Class A field which added South Williamsport, Northwest and Sayre, but Muncy always has enjoyed embracing challenges and is doing so again this year.
"Our kids are looking at the (district final) game and using it as motivation. We have a very strong core back who are using that as motivation to get back to where we were being accustomed to holding that gold medal," Muncy coach Sean Tetreault said. "They're working hard and pushing to get back to that level. They're itching to get started. With South, Northwest and Sayre in Single A and Canton bringing nearly everyone back, we're excited to have a tough district field."
Muncy has established itself as one of the district's toughest teams the last six seasons, capturing four district titles during that time. That success often starts in the offseason and Muncy again attacked that with vigor. Combine that determination with the talent returning and Muncy has the ingredients to cook up another strong campaign.
Some of the biggest losses Muncy absorbed are up front, but the Indians have done an excellent job building strong lines throughout Tetreault's seven-year tenure and have the ability to do so again. Sophomore Ken Hampe excelled as a freshman and already has emerged as a potential bulldozing leader. Braydon Kamerer, Eli Harris and Brayden Trostle also played well and are all strong and physical.
That is an excellent way to describe sophomore running back Austin Johnson who put together one of the best freshman rushing seasons in area history last fall. The state finalist heavyweight wrestler did not have a junior high season due to COVID, so needed some time to adjust to the varsity game. Once he did, Johnson was a force, rushing for 1,179 yards and 16 touchdowns despite missing one game.
"People forget that Austin Johnson had gone 14 months without playing, so even he realizes he was getting rust knocked off and we saw great progression," Tetreault said. "We're looking forward to having him hitting the ground running this time right from the start."
Tetreault also is excited about the bevy of running backs who complement Johnson. Senior Elijah Weikle topped 500 yards as a freshman and Jacob Fowler and Landyn Wommer both ran well when called upon last season. Quarterback Branson Eyer also is an excellent dual threat who added 604 yards on the ground a year ago and who has produced nearly 1,500 yards in three seasons.
Speaking of Eyer, he and his cousin Ross Eyer are four-year starters and Tetreault said Muncy is hoping to keep defenses a little more off-balanced last season. With Muncy's running game so strong last year, he felt like the team may have leaned too heavily on that at times. One can hardly fault Muncy since Johnson and since graduated Ty Nixon combined for more than 2,000 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Still, Branson has shown he can excel putting the ball up, topping 1,000 yards in two of his three years starting. Ross has caught 23 touchdowns in three years and averaged 23.8 yards per catch last season. Look for players like Brady Ryder, Noah Confer and Ben Robinson to also be factors in the passing game.
"Branson and Ross Eyer have a great connection," Tetreault said. "It's great to bring back those experienced skill players to build around and have linemen who have been getting meaningful reps with the chance to lead the way."
Muncy was equally as stingy defensively as it was efficient offensively last season. The Indians held five teams to eight points or fewer and while there are some big voids to fill, there also remains a strong core which could help them build off that success. Several of those offensive lineman could play key roles up front and defensive end Boe Steele could be building toward a big season following a breakout sophomore season. Lucas Gruver was limited to one game but made seven tackles in that contest and also could provide Muncy a weapon up front.
Linebacker Jason Shuda headlines that unit and the three-year starter is coming off a terrific season in which he made 130 tackles. Johnson also played well when called upon and Fowler and Wommer also are exciting prospects there. Muncy's secondary is particularly strong with Weikle, an excellent cornerback and Ross Eyer being a two-time all-state safety. Branson Eyer is another four-year starting safety who has flourished there and Brady Ryder likely will provide Muncy another asset at cornerback.
"With those guys being so experienced there, we're hoping that will help us be able to go after people," Tetreault said.
The Indians do not play their home opener until Week 4 against rival Montgomery, starting the season at Warrior Run, Wellsboro and North Penn-Mansfield. Wellsboro and North Penn-Mansfield are NTL-I teams Muncy added this season and it renews some old rivalries which excites the Indians.
So does the prospect of making another playoff run. Muncy and Canton have met in four straight district championships, but Muncy cannot think about November until it tackles the obstacles in September and October. The Indians know where they want to go, but also know that to get there, they have to take a step by step approach.
"It's great to have a nice, tough schedule. We're playing a lot of schools our size and there's no discrepancy in terms of having to play some huge team," Tetreault said. "The kids are excited to get new teams on schedule and show what the NTL-II is made of."
2022 Football Players to Watch
Branson Eyer, QB/DB: A four-year starter at quarterback and in the secondary, Eyer has built quite a resume during his scholastic career. He already has topped both 3,000 passing yards and 1,400 rushing yards, helping Muncy capture two district championships and reach three consecutive district finals. Had it not been for COVID shortening the 2020 season, Eyer would have three straight 1,000-yard passing seasons. A year ago, he totaled 1,712 yards and 16 touchdowns, with his 622 rushing yards being a career-high. An excellent leader as well, Eyer has made an impact in the secondary and has multiple interceptions in all three seasons. Eyer picked off two passes last season, including against Montgomery in a thrilling district semifinal win. He also engineered a fourth-quarter, game-winning drive that day, similar to the one he orchestrated in the 2019 district final.
Ross Eyer, DB/WR: Eyer to Eyer has become one of the most feared passing combinations the past three years. But as dangerous as he is as a receiver, Branson's cousin is even better in the secondary. Eyer earned all-state honors for a second straight year there last season after intercepting a district-high eight passes. Eyer seemingly covers more of the earth than water does at safety and has 14 interceptions the past two seasons, including five in four playoff games. His long pick-six against Canton in the 2020 district championship provided the winning score. Eyer had four games with two interceptions last season and had a critical red zone pick in the semifinals against Montgomery. He also stretches the field as a receiver, is especially effective on jump balls and has caught 61 passes for 1,578 yards and 21 touchdowns. Eyer is one of only three Muncy receivers in the 2000s to top 20 touchdowns.
Ken Hampe, OL/DL: As a freshman, Hampe immediately earned a starting job and provided consistent play for one of the area's premier lines. At nearly 300 pounds, Hampe is a potential powerhouse who can impose his will upon defensive linemen and help Muncy's running game surge. He certainly helped do that last year as Muncy produced three runners who went over 600 yards. Muncy has built its identity around strong line play over the last four years and Hampe should help carry on that tradition, providing the Indians a quality foundation to build upon. He also could see more time along the defensive line with Muncy needing to plug some holes there. Muncy has some excellent skill players, but Hampe is one of the players who makes all those players really shine.
Austin Johnson, RB/LB: Johnson hardly looked like a freshman last year. Playing his first year of high school football, the state's heavyweight silver medalist in wrestling looked like a man. He played like one, too. Johnson often left a trail of battered defenders in his wake, running for an area freshman record 1,179 yards and 16 touchdowns. As fast as he is tough, Johnson did all that despite missing 1 1/2 games and topped 100 yards five times. An unselfish player, Johnson was as happy running as he was providing strong lead blocking for Ty Nixon who ran for 990 yards. Johnson averaged 7.3 yards per carry and showed how dangerous he was in his first game when he ran for 155 yards against Class AA state semifinalist Northern Lehigh. He produced a career-high 191 yards and four touchdowns in the Old Shoe Game. Johnson also is a standout linebacker who could combine with Jason Shuda to create quite a combination there.
--By CHRIS MASSE