Montoursville at Danville preview
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Montoursville PPG--27.2, PPA--19.4; YPG--327, YPA--323
Montoursville facts: A week after defeating rival Loyalsock, 26-21 in a thriller, Montoursville (3-2) will try exacting revenge against the team which defeated it in last year's District 4 Class AAA championship. Danville ended Montoursville's two-year title reign when it rallied for a 31-21 victory and handed the Warriors their only 2020 defeat. Montoursville and Danville have met in three of the last five district finals with Montoursville winning twice and Danville winning a year ago. They also split last year's series and this will be the sixth time they have met in four seasons. Montoursville is third in the playoff standings and Danville second. The Warriors rallied from a one-point halftime deficit and snapped a two-game losing streak with the Loyalsock victory. The offense was balanced and explosive with quarterback Maddix Dalena and running back Rocco Pulizzi each topping 200 yards. Dalena completed his first 10 passes and went 17 of 26 for 218 yards. That is big because Danville likely will be eager to try and slow Pulizzi who ran for 205 yards in last year's 42-28 Montoursville victory before missing the rematch with an injury. Pulizzi leads all District 4 rushers and has topped 100 yards in 10 straight games. Isaiah Fenner shined last week, catching seven passes for 116 yards and setting up the go-ahead touchdown with both a diving catch and a 45-yard reception. He and James Batkowski each have 100-yard receiving games. The defensive line played one of its best collective games against Loyalsock, stifling the run and applying pressure on the quarterback late in the game. Frank Schemery collected his third sack this season and combined with Hunter Hanna to make the defining play on a key second-quarter goal line stand. Linebacker Brayden Brown ended that threat with a tackle for no gain. Brown, Matthew Conklin and Kayden Frame are the team's leading tacklers.
Montoursville player to watch--Nick Reeder: If cornerback Marco Pulizzi cannot play tonight, Reeder could be tasked with defending all-state wide receiver Carson Persing. That will be a matchup to watch with Persing being No. 2 all-time in District 4 history in yards and touchdowns.
Danville PPG--44.6, PPA--10.6; YPG--396, YPA--202.6
Danville facts: After losing a heartbreaker against Loyalsock, Danville (4-1) thundered back and routed Central Columbia, 47-6 a week ago. The Ironmen opened their season with three consecutive blowouts at home and reached last year's state semifinals. Like Montoursville, Danville has had to replace a lot of its 2020 starters but has continued surging. Persing went over 2,400 career receiving yards last week and is just a junior. The all-stater went over 1,000 yards last season and has topped 80 yards in all five games, going over 100 three times. Quarterback Zach Gordon was off to a blazing start but is sidelined with an injury. Freshman Madden Patrick shined in his first start against Central, completing 11 of 12 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns. Ty Stauffer ignites the running game and is averaging more than 100 yards per game. Linebacker Mason Raup earned all-state honors last fall and the junior is flourishing again, averaging 12.3 tackles per game. Raup has made 10 tackles for loss, added a sack and recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown. Sophomore Justin Kutcher is tough up front and has seven tackles for loss while linebacker Gabe Benjamin flies to the ball. Danville traditionally has featured and opportunistic defense and has forced 12 turnovers with Cameron Kiersch returning an interception for a touchdown. Coach Mike Brennan is in his second year at Danville and won state championships at Mount Carmel in 2000 and 2002.
Danville player to watch--Ty Stauffer: As dangerous as Danville is in the passing game, it is at its best when displaying balance. When Stauffer gains more than 80 yards, Danville is 4-0. Loyalsock held him to 49 yards in Danville's lone defeat and, with a freshman quarterback making his second start, slowing the run could be crucial.
Outlook: Just like a week ago, one can basically toss a coin when trying to pick a winner in Montoursville's game. Expect another thriller and do not be surprised if these two cross paths again come November.