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Montoursville dominates Ironmen in win

DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville Coach J.C. Keefer avoids getting drenched with water after his team defeated Danville at Danville on Saturday.

DANVILLE — The medal ceremony lasted nearly 20 minutes and both Montoursville players and fans loved it.

All the more time to enjoy the moment. Montoursville left Danville’s Ironmen Stadium humbled seven weeks ago. Saturday night, the Warriors left as champions. As the ceremony continued, Montoursville could savor how far it has come and that magnitude of what it accomplished.

Logan Ott ran for 150 yards and three touchdowns behind a physical offensive line, a stifling defense surrendered just 89 yards and Montoursville controlled all facets as it dominated top-seeded Danville, 32-0, and captured the District 4 Class AAA championship. The Warriors (11-2) avenged a 52-26 Week 7 loss and earned a spot in next weekend’s state quarterfinals against District 2 champion Scranton Prep at a District 2 site.

“We definitely have come a long way from where we were in Week 7,” offensive lineman Travis Johnson said. “We wanted to make a statement.”

And, oh how they did.

Parents and fans clicked photo after photo as players received their gold medals. Look at those photos and understand that Montoursville delivered one of the best performances in program history. Look at those pictures and understand that the 2018 Warriors now take their place along side some of the best that have ever wore the Blue and Gold. They do so a season after going 2-8, winning the program’s third district championship in five seasons.

“It feels amazing because when we came out the first time and played them we didn’t play like ourselves,” running back/cornerback Jacob Reeder said. “The last couple weeks we felt really good and we felt much better as a team and we came out and got work done.”

“We knew what we needed to do. We knew that the first time we played them it wasn’t our football,” offensive lineman Jacob Stoner said. “That’s not Montoursville, that’s not the way we play. We had to come out and show everyone who Montoursville is. That (performance) is Montoursville football.”

Montoursville immediately showed how different this rematch would be when it took the game’s opening possession 65 yards and 10 plays. Cole Ranck capped the tone-setting drive with a 5-yard touchdown. The Warriors forced a quick three-and-out on Danville’s opening series and then symbolized their game-long performance with one long, time-consuming and message-sending 20-play, 92-yard touchdown drive.

As Stoner, Johnson, Joey Rogers, Camron Livermore, Paden Frey and tight end Zac Caseman drove defenders off the ball, Ott, Reeder and Ranck kept ripping off quality runs. Quarterback Hunter Shearer (162 yards) found Jaxon Dalena five times for 58 yards on the 8-minute, 21-second drive and his 16-yard catch set up a first and goal. Three plays later, Ott scored from a yard out on fourth down and Montoursville led 14-0.

All this against a starting Danville defense that had not allowed a point in two playoff wins.

“I don’t think people realize how good Danville really is,” Montoursville coach J.C. Keefer said. “The first time out our game plan was to try and get outside and outflank them and this week it was let’s get physical and run it down their throat and see how they handle that. It seemed to work out pretty good for us.”

The line’s ability to overpower Danville and the offense’s ability to keep the defense guessing helped Montoursville own the first half. Defensive end Cameron Wood intercepted a middle screen on Danville’s ensuing series and returned it 20 yards to the Ironmen 26 yard-line, setting up Colin Gorini for a 23-yard field goal that gave Montoursville a 17-0 halftime lead.

The score was impressive, but the halftime numbers were staggering. Playing a team that was second in District 4 in offense and among the top 10 in defense, Montoursville outgained Danville, 240-(-1), held it without a first down and ran 45 plays to the Ironmen’s eight.

“People kept asking me all week what I thought the key to the game was and I said starting fast,” Keefer said. “That first time down here anything that could go wrong that first time did go wrong. Then it’s just tough to get into a rhythm and that first drive really set things up.”

Not much changed in the second half either. Danville did not pick up its initial first down until midway through the third quarter and by that time Ott’s 2-yard touchdown had Montoursville up 24-0. All three levels of the defense overwhelmed Danville and allowed minus-1 yard rushing. After scoring six touchdowns in the first game, Danville electric playmaker Peyton Persing was limited to 41 total yards.

C.J. Signor stuffed a fourth-quarter series with a sack and Ott and Dillon Young intercepted second-half passes. Starting in place of injured Dylan Moll, Young was brilliant and combined with Reeder, Dalena and Ott to provide blanket coverage. Danville quarterback K.J. Riley entered the game with more than 2,500 yards but Montoursville held him to a season-low 90 on 33 attempts.

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