COY GOBBLE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy’s Coleman Good runs with the football during Saturday’s District 4 Class A championship game at Canton’s Miller A. Moyer Field.

Coleman Good stood at the 40-yard line smiling and wearing a gold medal.

Just six weeks earlier, Good lay motionless on the same field some 20 yards away. That night at Canton, Good dislcoated his right elbow and it appeared his senior season might be over. Maybe it was fitting Good and Muncy experienced the ultimate district triumph on that same field last Saturday.

Good ran for 75 yards, played outstanding defense and helped Muncy capture the District 4 Class A championship as it defeated top-seeded Canton, 9-7 at Miller A. Moyer Stadium. The Indians (9-3) won their second district championship in three years, but considering what Good endured this year, this one might be the sweetest.

“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to play. I thank the Lord for healing me up and giving me the chance to get back out here,” Good said. “Canton played a great game and I’m thankful for great competition. It was a lot of fun and we really enjoyed it.”

It was a reversal of what happened in Week 6 when Muncy’s four-year starting quarterback was injured as Canton blanked Muncy, 18-0. That game was scoreless in the second quarter when Canton flushed Good backward. As a Canton player brought him down, Good tried avoiding the sack by making a last-second, off-balance throw. Good landed awkwardly and immediately it was obvious he had suffered a serious injury. As he rose to his feet, Good held out his right arm in a perpendicular fashion, unable to move it.

Backup quarterback Kolby Moyer has played well in Good’s absence and is making a run at a 1,000-yard season, but Muncy lost three of four games without Good. He returned defensively for the regular-season finale against Hughesville and that is when Muncy found its stride again. The Indians won that game, 13-10, before avenging regular-season losses against Sayre and Canton in districts.

Good still cannot play quarterback, but he moved to running back for districts and has run for 178 yards. Good is not just a quarterback. He is an athlete, period. Any way Muncy can utilize him and this team feels whole again as it prepares for Friday’s state tournament opener against District 3 champion Halifax.

“He’s like a brother to all of us,” two-way starter Donovan Diehl said. “He’s a great player and he’s definitely a crucial part of the team.”

Good is part of the first four-year class Sean Tetreault has coached. The Hughesville graduate became Muncy’s coach in 2015 and sensed he had a potential program-building player when he watched Good play. He immediately worked his way into the defensive starting lineup and Tetreault did not hesitate making him the starting quarterback by Week 3. That season culminated with Muncy’s first district playoff appearance since 2010. A year later, Muncy won its first district championship in 27 years and Good helped it capture its first NTL championship since 2007 last fall.

Good was off to his best start this year, topping 1,000 passing yards early in that Week 6 game. He led fourth-quarter comeback wins against Towanda and South Williamsport, reaching 3,917 career yards and 40 touchdowns. Then the elbow injury came and it looked like it might all be over.

Instead, Good rehabbed hard and worked his way back. He desperately wanted a second chance at winning another district championship. When it came he embraced it like a newborn child.

“I feel great,” Good said. “We won it two years ago and didn’t come out as hot as we should have last year so we’re thankful to get it done this year. I’m just really thankful and relieved.”

Good is among Muncy’s all-time leaders in passing yards and touchdowns, but his versatility gave Muncy the flexibility to utilize him upon his return even if he could not play quarterback. Good always was a dual-threat quarterback and ran for 1,250 yards his first three seasons. Despite never playing running back, Good was a quick learner and ran for 102 yards in a 19-7 semifinal win against Sayre.

Nothing came easy Saturday against Canton and its strong defense, but Good battled through defenders and the mud, finishing as the game’s leading rusher. Muncy does not know if it would have won these playoff games without Good and it sure is glad it did not have to find out.

“You will not see a smarter player than Coleman Good. He is going to be our Valedictorian of our school and he can play any position we put him at,” Tetreault said. “Having that extra piece, we can move him around a little bit and that makes it fun to watch him play.”

When Good was injured, it was easy to focus on the offensive void he left. The defense, though, might have suffered an even bigger blow. Good is one of the district’s premier safeties and Canton immediately exposed the new-look secondary six weeks ago, throwing two long touchdowns and scoring 18 second-half points. Montgomery threw for 154 yards in a comeback win a week later, and Sayre produced 188 yards in a Week 9 victory.

Good returning solidified both the secondary and the entire defense. The Indians have surrendered 24 points in those three games, including just 168 passing yards and no touchdowns. Good is approaching 300 career tackles and is as good against the run as he is the pass.

“He’s a great all-around athlete so wherever he’s at, he’s going to play at the top level he can,” fellow safety Dylan Wilt said. “Having Coleman back develops a whole new game for us and he plays the run so well. He’s big for us back there.”

Then there are the intangibles. Good provides production, but also leadership. He set a tone with his offseason work and his practice habits. A three-sport athlete, Good has made his teammates better and now his senior class will graduate as one of the most successful in program history.

“He worked so hard his whole life,” Tetreault said. “He wanted to change things at Muncy and he’s been a great spearhead for what we want to do.”