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Well-balanced offense makes Muncy a dangerous team

DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Landyn Wommer of Muncy looks for running room against Delone Catholic at Cedar Cliff in Camp Hill. Muncy won, 41-17.

Stiles Eyer completed seven passes against Delone Catholic. Five produced first downs and another a touchdown.

Paxton Derr caught three of those first down passes and Gavin Barrows made a leaping 38-yard catch. Landyn Wommer added 75 yards rushing and also added a first down catch. Yes, Austin Johnson played a fantastic game, running for 332 yards, but Muncy again showed that it is not a team with one big weapon, but a well-rounded unit with a deep arsenal.

It has been that way all season and the offensive depth has helped Muncy make history. The Indians (12-2) have reached the state’s Class A Final 4 for the first time, won more games than any Muncy team and face Bishop Guilfoyle in Friday’s state semifinals.

“Austin really showcased his abilities (last Friday),” safety Dominic Guardini said following a 41-17 state quarterfinal win. “But we have a lot of guys who can make plays and score touchdowns for us.”

Muncy would not be among the state’s top four teams if it was any other way. Johnson is having a sensational season but Wommer has gone over 1,300 rushing yards and Eyer 1,000 passing yards. Derr and Barrows have made timely catches and Cam Kamerer is an exceptional tight end.

Putting all those wheels into motion is a quality offensive line, so it is all 11 players doing their jobs which has helped this offense average 47.3 points and 427.7 yards per game. That was evident again against Delone when Muncy generated 537 yards and took a 34-10 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We’re not a one-dimensional team. We can pass the ball and we can move the ball and do everything we need to,” Derr said. “But when you have players like Austin and Landyn you don’t have to throw the ball a lot because they run so hard.”

Still, Muncy has shown that it can throw the ball well and Eyer has gone over 1,000 yards for a second straight year. He also went 3 for 3 for 68 yards on a game-winning drive in a 47-46 first round state tournament win against Lackawanna Trail, finding three different receivers on that march.

Eyer again was efficient against Delone, completing 7 of 10 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. His most impressive series might have been the first half’s last even though it did not produce points. Muncy took over at is own 11 with just 35.4 seconds remaining, but Eyer hit Barrows for a 38-yard completion before running for seven yards, giving the Indians a shot at a 41-yard field goal which was long enough, but just wide.

“Stiles is the ultimate quarterback you want to have under center, running the offense,” Muncy coach Sean Tetreault said. “He’s cool under pressure, keeps his composure and his eyes down field, and he extends plays. He’s a great leader for the offense to help us make the right connections.”

Johnson and Wommer share quite a backfield connection, statistically forming one of the best in area history. That duo has collected 4,036 yards and 62 touchdowns. Just as important, each complements the other and makes it harder for defenses to key on just one.

“With our offense, everybody is focused on Austin Johnson, but it’s great to have multiple guys to spread the ball to,” Tetreault said. “Gavin Barrows made some huge plays. Cameron Kamerer plays great at tight end, Landyn Wommer is a super running mate and Paxton Derr does everything.”

All those players, including the linemen paving the way, have gone to another level this postseason as well. Kamerer caught a 64-yard touchdown against Lackwanna Trail, Derr came up huge on the final drive that night, Barrows showed his big play capability against Deloen and Wommer has six playoff touchdowns, bringing his season total to 29 scored five different ways.

In a lot of ways, Muncy mirrors the 2014 South Williamsport team which also captured a District 4 Class A championship and reached the state semifinals. That team featured a running back producing video game numbers in Dominick Bragalone but also plenty of other playmakers behind an excellent offensive line.

Fullback John Peters ran for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns, Matt Boone threw for 1,260 yards and 20 touchdowns and wide receiver Riley Thomas earned all-state honors, catching 44 passes for 768 yards and 11 touchdowns. Muncy and South even reflect each other at tight end with future Columbia standout Tyler Scheonwolf providing the kind of blocking then that Kamerer does now.

Like it was with that South team, Muncy has not one player achieving success. Rather, it has a whole group bonding and flourishing together to win as one.

“It’s great to have the guys we do, all playing for each other,” Tetreault said. “We talk all the time about we just have to stay within our scheme and do our jobs and our assignments and we’ll be OK.”

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