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Ross Eyer helps seal Muncy’s 21-16 win over Canton to claim District 4 Class A championship

BRIAN FEES/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Chase Crawley runs as Canton's Joel Schoonover defends on Saturday.

CANTON-Muncy fought through an uncertain offseason and overcame a COVID-19 scare which left nine players quarantined a few weeks ago. This entire 2020 season has been a grind, but Muncy has kept moving upward.

And once again, Muncy has reached the District 4 Class A summit.

Ross Eyer returned an interception for the go-ahead touchdown, sealed victory with a last-minute interception and watched his cousin Branson rip off a game-changing 72-yard score as Muncy captured a third straight district championship, edging Canton, 21-16, Saturday at Miller A. Moyer Stadium. It was the third straight year in which Muncy has won a thrilling final at Canton and this latest triumph again epitomized everything that has made this program so strong.

Branson Eyer ran for 109 yards and Ethan Gush added 107, going over 100 in a second straight final. Nothing came easy and the challenges were many, but Muncy never wavered and again found a way to beat an excellent Canton team which had defeated it in the regular season for a third straight time two weeks ago. Considering all that Canton and 2020 have offered it, Muncy capturing its fourth district crown in five years feels especially gratifying as it becomes the first area team to win three straight district titles.

“The emotions were all over the place. When I picked the ball off (to end the game) I didn’t know whether to be smiling or crying because it’s just one of those moments you don’t know what to do,” Ross Eyer said. “You have so many emotions of happiness, joy and even anger for all the things you’ve had to go through, but there is no better feeling than coming back here for a second year in a row, for some of these guys a third year, and taking gold again.”

BRIAN FEES/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Ty Nixon looks to get past the tackle attempt by Canton's Joel Schoonover.

Muncy (7-1) will play District 3 champion Steelton-Highspire next weekend at a District 3 site to be determined. The Indians earned another state tournament berth the hard way, overcoming a 16-7 third-quarter deficit before making two critical fourth-quarter stops which ended potential Canton go-ahead and/or game-winning drives. Jason Shuda dropped Weston Bellows for a 2-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 from the 8-yard line a series before Eyer clinched the title with his second interception, picking off a pass at the 20-yard line with 1 minute, 11 seconds remaining.

With Canton having only one timeout remaining, Muncy was able to take a knee and savor its latest riveting championship victory. As the final seconds ticked away, Muncy players jumped for joy and Ross Eyer soared high while chest-bumping defensive lineman Matt McCauley. These last three finals have been determined by 11 points and yesterday’s game actually was the widest margin of the three.

The degree of difficulty was high, but so is the standard Muncy continues setting.

“This year definitely feels special. This is three in a row and seniors and it feels great for them to get one more,” Muncy coach Sean Tetreault said. “With all the adversity we had to go through it’s great to have these kids get a high note and a district title.”

As exhilarating as these three finals have been for Muncy, they have been equally heartbreaking for Canton. This has become a cruel version of “Groundhog Day” for the Warriors who again fought valiantly, but fell just shy of winning their first district title since 1990. Canton scored touchdowns to close the first half and open the second half, going up 16-7 and played well despite being without three quarantined players, including leading rusher, Riley Parker, but ultimate victory remained elusive.

BRIAN FEES/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Gage Wertz (17) and Chase Crawley (9) react after Saturday's District 4 championship win.

“Our kids have been resilient and played hard all year. All I told them was this one is on the coach. I could have done a better job,” Canton coach Tyler Sechrist said. “I just feel for the kids because they have put in a lot of time, a lot of work and it’s just heart-wrenching.”

The script appeared the same when Muncy took the game’s opening possession 85 yards on 11 plays with Gush busting loose for a 35-yard touchdown on fourth-and-1. The Indians threatened twice more, moving inside the Canton 30-yard line but were stopped on downs and a Weston Bellows end zone interception. At that point, Muncy had outgained Canton, 204-8, run 34 plays to Canton’s 9 and held the ball for 16 minute, 25 seconds against a team which blanked it, 19-0 two weeks earlier.

But Canton’s defense kept the Warriors in the game and suddenly the offense took off, putting together an excellent 12-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that Joel Schoonover capped when he caught Cooper Kitchen’s 20-yard fourth-down touchdown pass. The script was flipping as Hayden Ward ran in the 2-point conversion and Canton led 8-7 at halftime. The Warriors picked up where they left off, opening the third quarter with a 7-play 65-yard scoring drive. It felt like the offensive line was taking over and Bellows made it 16-7 with his 15-yard touchdown run.

Muncy faced a third-and-10 on the third play of its next series. All the momentum had shifted to Canton and it looked like the Warriors might start taking over as Branson Eyer was hurried and nearly sacked. Immindent isaster, however, became Muncy euphoria when Eyer eluded the rush, stepped up in the pocket and burst through containment. Once he broke past the second level, all Canton defenders could do is watch Eyer sprint 72 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown that brought Muncy within, 16-14.

Eyer (193 total yards) was quarantined and missed the first Canton game, but again was outstanding in the championship spotlight igniting a second-half comeback for a second straight year.

“We’ve run that play before in the past and as soon as I see grass I know I’m gone,” Eyer said. “It’s a great feeling to see that open space and know that it’s over and you’re going to score. It was the spark we needed and we knew we could come back.”

Eyer’s cousin kept the comeback charge going when he made the play of his young scholastic career two Canton possessions later. The Warriors faced a third-and-4 at their 37 and Ross Eyer knew what was coming. He studied during the week and during the first half and then passed a major test. Eyer jumped an out route intended for two-time all-state tight end Ben Knapp, caught the ball in stride and sprinted 42 yards for the go-ahead touchdown as Muncy went up, 21-16 with 1:32 remaining in the third quarter.

A lot of happened after that play and it did not feel like those would be the last points. But they were and the 6-foot-4 sophomore created a lasting memory by doing his homework.

“All week we’ve been talking about Knapp and to key on him because he’s big he’s one of their biggest threats. We put it so we I would be on his side because I have the height and I can keep up with him,” Eyer said. “They ran that play earlier in the game to the other side and I noticed that they had the same formation and his stance was the same and I figured that would happen when I saw him release off the line. I went up and ran in front of him and picked it off and then just ran. It’s amazing. I’m really just speechless.”

Fellow sophomore Jason Shuda took Canton’s breath away a series later. The Warriors were unfazed following the interception and marched to the Muncy 8-yard line where they faced a fourth-and-1 with 9:30 remaining. Canton tried gaining the yard with its fullback, but Shuda exploded through the line, wrapped Bellows up and dropped him for a 2-yard loss.

Canton had a last chance when it took over at its 33 with 5:11 left. Kitchen converted a fourth down with a 3-yard run and his 13-yard run gave Canton a first down at the Muncy 29. The Warriors were down to one timeout and there was a little more than a minute remaining so it went to the air on second down. Ross Eyer then took all the air out of the Canton sideline.

Eyer again stayed glued on Knapp and this time stepped in front of a slant route, intercepting his fourth pass this season. The first one pointed the way toward another championship and this one sealed it. Fittingly, Eyer was swarmed by happy teammates and Muncy celebrated its latest championship the way it earned it — together.

“We preach all the time there’s not one person that makes this team go. We’re a team effort and we win as one unit,” Tetreault said. “It was great to see everyone across the board do their job and come out on top today.”

Gush leads the area in tackles and was outstanding again, making 12. The defensive line set a physical early tone, senior Paul Pepper continued his super season at linebacker and when Muncy needed it most, the defense repeatedly came up with big stops. The Indians have yet to allow 20 points in their four district championship wins and when times are tough, they keep playing their best.

“We show up every game ready to compete hard,” Branson Eyer said. “We knew like last year it was going to be a tough game and it’s a really great feeling to come up here and compete with this team and be able to win another championship.”

Muncy 21, Canton 16

Muncy 7 0 14 0-21

Canton 0 8 8 0-16

First Quarter

M-Ethan Gush 35 run (Loudon Boring kick), 6:39

Second Quarter

C-Joel Schoonover 20 pass from Cooper Kitchen (Hayden Ward run), :22

Third Quarter

C-Weston Bellows 15 run (Ward run), 9:53

M-Branson Eyer 72 run (Boring kick), 8:57

M-Ross Eyer 42-yard interception return (Boring kick), 1:32

TEAM STATISTICS

M C

First Downs 15 16

Rushes-yards 38-259 49-235

Passing yards 84 41

Total yards 343 276

Comp-Att-Int 8-13-1 6-13-2

Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0

Penalties-yards 4-35 3-35

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Muncy, Branson Eyer 7-109, TD; Ethan Gush 16-107, TD; Ty Nixon 14-39; Chase Crawley 1-4. Canton, Hayden Ward 26-100; Cooper Kichen 10-63; Weston Bellows 9-63; Joel Schoonover 4-9.

PASSING: Muncy, Eyer 8-13-1, 84 yards. Canton, Kitchen 6-13-2, 41 yards, TD.

RECEIVING: Muncy, Crawley 4-51; Gage Wertz 2-20; Eli Weikle 1-10; Ross Eyer 1-3. Canton, Ben Knapp 2-13; Schoonover 1-20, TD; W. Bellows 1-6; Cameron Bellows 1-3; Ward 1-(-1)

INTERCEPTIONS: Muncy, R. Eyer (2). Canton, W. Bellows.

RECORDS: Muncy 7-1. Canton 5-1.

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