RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Steve Wiser entered his 50th year as an assistant football coach for Lycoming College in 2023. Wiser serves as the associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator.

TATE COLLEGE — After 50 years on the sidelines at Lycoming College, associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator Steve Wiser ’74 was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Football Foundation during its annual banquet on Sunday, March 17 at The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.

During his time at the College, the Warriors have posted a record of 348-170-5 (.670) while garnering 12 NCAA playoff appearances, including two trips to the national title game. His defense topped the MAC 18 times and has posted a total of 68 shutouts.

Wiser was the architect of a defensive corps that changed the fortunes of the football program in the ’70s before presiding over a damaging defense that has won 15 MAC titles in the last 44 years, beginning his tenure as an assistant coach working with linebackers before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 1977.

He has led the Warriors to the No. 1 national ranking in total defense twice during his tenure (1975, 1983). His teams have also posted nation-leading numbers in rushing defense (1976, ’82 and ’87) and scoring defense (’99).

The Wizard has consistently helped the Warriors adapt and that was in evidence in 2023 when the team started the year 0-5 before winning five of its last six games, finishing tied for second in the Landmark Conference and winning the Cape Charles Bowl, holding a Washington & Lee team averaging more than 30 points entering the bowl game to just 17 in the 20-17 win.

Along with his coaching duties, Wiser organizes the football program’s annual golf outing, along with serving the community in a number of service and charity events, including his work every year with Favors Forward’s Spring Cleanup.

A 1974 Lycoming graduate, Wiser excelled in wrestling and football, earning elections into the Lycoming College Athletics, Bald Eagle Area High School, West Branch Valley and Centre County Halls of Fame. He also was honored with the 2018 Ray Keyes Award at the Lycoming County Brotherhood Citation Dinner. He earned four letters while playing for the Warriors as a linebacker, earning two All-MAC honors.

In addition, senior Ian Plankenhorn, a Montoursville graduate, was honored with the team’s Scholar Athlete Award.

Plankenhorn was also a third-team all-region selection as a kicker in 2022 and 2023 and a second-team pick in 2021, the first Warrior since D3football.com started doing all-region teams in 2005 to earn three all-region accolades in a career.

Plankenhorn, who earned his third straight first-team all-conference honors from the Landmark Conference in 2023, finished the season 10-of-12 in field goal attempts with the sixth-best field goal percentage in Division III (0.833) and the 24th-most field goals made per game (0.9). Plankenhorn is ninth amongst active career leaders in Division III in field goals made (28) and third in Lycoming’s school history.

On the final field goal attempt of his career, he drilled a career-long 45-yard attempt to help Lycoming beat Washington & Lee, 20-17, in the Cape Charles Bowl. He also had a three field-goal game against Utica and he was a two-time Landmark Conference Special Teams Player of the Week this year. The senior also blasted 10 of his 57 kickoffs for a touchback.

He is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the national student-athlete honor society and has earned three academic honor roll honors.

The NFF, Central Pennsylvania Chapter is one of 121 chapters nationwide involving over 12,000 members. The wide reach of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter encompasses 25 counties and 96 high schools.

The Warriors finished 5-6 overall and tied for second in the Landmark Conference with a 4-2 record under 16th-year head coach Mike Clark. The Warriors won the inaugural Cape Charles Bowl, 20-17 over Washington & Lee, in the Landmark-ODAC Chesapeake Bowl Series.