But neither of those squads played for a state championship. Nor did so many other super Montoursville squads in its long, storied history. Only six have reached what Montoursville describes as high school baseball’s Promised Land.

And the 2025 Warriors are the latest.

This might be the most surprising of Montoursville’s six state final runs, but it is every bit as impressive. Maybe even more so.

Today, the Warriors (20-4) will try becoming the program’s third state champion when they play Indiana at Penn State for the 4A state crown. There are no Division I recruits this time, just a bunch of brothers who have come together to play better baseball than all but one other 4A Pennsylvania team thus far.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville’s Brody Aldenerfer celebrates at second base during a game this year.

“I don’t want these to take it the wrong way, but we’ve had some more talented teams come through here, but the resilience is what separates them,” Montoursville coach Jeremy Eck said. “These guys are gritty and it’s just different.”

“I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life. This is crazy. You hear stories about it and then it happens to you and it happens so quick. It’s just game after game after game,” catcher Noah Kirby said. “It’s like a cliche where people say you’re making history, but you really are. Nobody knows anything about the 2025 Warriors, and look at what we’re doing.”

If one doesn’t know who these Warriors are what they are doing by now, he or she just hasn’t been paying attention. They have done more than all but one other 4A team. It has not been one or two standouts excelling, but every player pulling the rope equally. This is a team in every sense of the word all doing their jobs so well has brought out its best and made it Eastern Pennsylvania’s best 4A team.

Other teams have looked more physically imposing this postseason. Others featured more college recruits, especially Pope John II which Montoursville blanked, 6-0 in Monday’s semifinals.

But none of those teams were better. It’s not about the individual, but the whole. As one unit, Montoursville has raised its performance and played its best at the best time. That shined through again Monday against a Pope John II squad which was favored and which expected to blitz through the Warriors. Instead, Montoursville focused not on Pope John II, but on playing excellent baseball. Every player contributed and the Warriors broke things open with a five-run sixth inning, paving the way to Penn State.

“On paper, we’re absolutely the underdogs. They have some kids that can really play. (Former Montoursville coach) Corey (Twigg) said, ‘You played the game, not an opponent. You dictated the whole game,'” Eck said. “When you think of it that way, they’re a great team, but they still have to throw the ball over the plate, they still have to get 21 outs we still have to get 21 outs.”

Eck knows this from experience. His 2014 state champion at Loyalsock entered the the Class AA championship, facing an undefeated Central Martinsburg which had rattled off 24 straight wins. Pitcher Mike Mock was 11-0 with a 1.12 ERA, but Loyalsock won convincingly, 5-1.

Indiana tells a similar story leading into the final, going 24-1 after reaching last year’s championship and featuring a deep pitching staff led by a starter today who will throw at Texas Tech next spring.

Still, it’s not about numbers on a page or where players will be going in the future. It’s about the next pitch, the next play and the next at-bat. That has been Montoursville’s focus throughout the postseason and it’s certainly not changing now.

“None of that stuff matters now,” Eck said. “We are going to have to make some adjustments offensively and shorten our swings, but it still comes down who executes and does the little things better. All I care about is that they stick together and play as hard as they can and leave it all out there.”

That is the plan. It’s what most of these players have been doing together, not just this season but throughout their baseball lives.

Pope John II was a non-boundary school and could bring in players from literally anywhere. Montoursville can use only Montoursville players. That is all the Warriors needed to reach the state final, transforming an already tight-knit team into one that will now always be linked.

“We’ve grown up playing on the same teams. We grew up playing together in all-stars,” Kirby said. “You can go back years of us playing Minor Leagues, Majors, and all this stuff. That’s special because now we’re doing something on a bigger stage, going to play for a state championship.”

Only two Montoursville teams have won state championships, doing so in 1985 and 1992. Three others have reached the final. Now, Montoursville joins that exclusive fraternity. These 2025 Warriors might not be among the most talented Montoursville teams ever, but they have proven to be among the best ever.

Now they march forward, pursuing the state’s biggest prize. The pressure is off. They have reached the Promised Land. Now it’s time to have fun, savor the moment and compete like crazy.

“It doesn’t get much better than this. In MLB, it’s a job. It’s not for fun anymore there,” Kirby said. “We’re just a bunch of dudes who have known each for a long time and come out and do something we love.”

Others can say what they want. They can say that Montoursville is not this, that or the other. All that matters is that it is possibly seven terrific innings from being the state’s best 4A team.

Throughout the postseason, Montoursville’s mantra has been, “Why not us?” All along, the Warriors have turned doubters into believers.

Well, look around today, Montoursville. You’re there. You made it to Penn State for the state championship.

Might as well go win it now.

Chris Masse may be reached at cmasse@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @docmasse.