DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Muncy and Warrior Run face off in the season-opener for both team’s once again this year as the Defenders head to Muncy.

Little League Baseball has dominated the headlines the last two weeks, but now it is pushed aside tonight.

The Friday Night Lights are back and it’s all about that 100-yard field. It’s all about showing the county what all that hard offseason work was for. It’s about enjoying the moment and doing one’s best to own it.

Come 7 p.m., 17 area teams and all their players start writing their own stories. The following is a look at the area’s 14 games tonight as the stories start unfolding.

Williamsport at

Wyoming Valley West

Williamsport (7-6 last year) has won its last two season openers and used last year’s 33-0 win against Valley West to help spark a 4-0 start. The Millionaires retain a good core from last year’s district champion and have big goals again for this season.

Valley West (0-11) has nowhere to go but up, and would love to set the tone for a resurgence with a win tonight. The Spartans lost a majority of last starters, but are hoping a younger mix leads to positive results. This has been one of Williamsport’s longest-standing rivalry games, so between that and it being a new year, anything could happen here.

Warrior Run at Muncy

This has been one of the area’s best opening night game the last two years with each team winning a seven-point thriller. The home team has won each time with Warrior Run rallying in the fourth quarter to beat the eventual Class A state semifinalists, 28-21 last August.

Both teams look a lot different this time but each also should not be discounted. Warrior Run (8-5) reached its first district championship a year ago and could have one of the area’s best offensive lines. Warrior Run may have a bit more experience than Muncy (12-3), but the Indians still could be a team which makes noise in the Class A field.

Like Warrior Run, Muncy has a good foundation in place up front which could help make everything go. Both these teams will have chips on their collective shoulders, eager to prove doubters wrong.

Dallas at Jersey Shore

A showdown between perennial District 2 and 4 title contenders also is a rematch of the 2019 Class AAAA state semifinals. Like the game above, this one was exciting last year with Jersey Shore overcoming a 14-point late third quarter deficit and winning, 28-21. The Bulldogs are replacing most of last year’s starters but have excelled at doing so over the last 12 years and have won at least eight games every year since 2019.

Dallas started 0-3 after reaching the state championship in 2023 but caught fire after that. The Mountaineers won their next eight games before losing to Valley View in districts. Dallas must replace its leading passer, rushing and receiver from last year, so this will again be a good test for two new-look teams.

Montgomery at Hughesville

These rivals also played a great opening-night contest last August. This one was all about the defense and Hughesville made a last-minute, red zone stand to close out a 14-7 victory. It was a positive for both teams as Hughesville (6-5) went on to produce its first winning season since 2016 and Montgomery (7-4) its first since 2001.

Hughesville graduated a lot more starters than Montgomery did, so for the first time in a few years, it could be considered the underdog in the contest. Montgomery, however, has not defeated Hughesville since 2021, so it certainly will not be taken for granted. Both teams feature potentially strong defenses, each ranking in the top half last season, so don’t be surprised if points are hard to come by again.

Wellsboro at

Montoursville

Both teams have reason to be excited entering the season as most of their starters return. Wellsboro (2-8) was better down the stretch than its record indicated and has a good foundation in place as it looks to return to the winning ways which defined its program last decade.

Montoursville reached the district semifinals a year ago and was a few plays from having a better record than 6-6. The Warriors could have some good offensive balance and the defense has some strong playmakers.. They are a big favorite tonight but Montoursville is hoping to build momentum that can last throughout the season as it tries returning to the district championship picture.

Loyalsock at

Mifflinburg

This could be one of District 4’s more intriguing games with both having high expectations. It certainly was last year when Loyalsock held off a furious Mifflinburg rally, made a 2-point conversion stand and won, 28-27.

Mifflinburg returns nearly every starter from a team which made enormous strides as the year progressed, beating Southern Columbia on its home field and taking Montoursville to the brink the district quarterfinals. Quarterback Chad Martin led the way and threw for 2,188 yards and 26 touchdowns. Loyalsock also has a strong core back, especially up front, but must make up for the absence of injured Dolan Harman. Danny Dowell returned a kickoff 89 yards for a score against Mifflinburg and also threw for 161 yards and a score.

South Williamsport at Athens

South returns nearly every starter from last year but faces an opponent in a similar situation after it reached the District 4 Class AAAA semifinals last year. South defeated Athens, 26-13 last year, using a blocked field goal return for a touchdown before halftime to help change the game’s complexion and this one has the makings of a game which could be swung by one or two big plays.

South’s backfield could be potent with sophomores Cade Lusk and Eli White both going over 500 yards last season. The linebacking unit looks strong as well and a more experienced offensive line could again prove a big difference-maker. South’s defense will be tested early and often by quarterback Connor Davidson who topped 1,400 yards passing and 1,100 yards rushing as a sophomore last year.

Lewisburg at

Line Mountain

Lewisburg enjoyed one of the best seasons in program history a year ago, finishing 10-2, winning its first league title since 2010 and coming within a few minutes of capturing the District 4 Class AAA championship. Most of the starters from that team are gone, but Lewisburg has done a good job overcoming similar situations before and has a group eager to show it can build on the success.

Still, this is a tough opening act against Class A state-ranked Line Mountain, a team which looks like the team to beat in District 4. Lewisburg won a hard-fought 26-23 game at home last season. This will be a test for a new-look defense, facing a team which had a 2,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher a year ago.

Northwest at Canton

Canton has won its last seven openers and will try extending that streak against a team it could be competing with for one of the four District 4 Class A berths. Canton won at Northwest a year ago, putting together one of its strongest performances of the year. Bailey Gardner ran for 79 yards and three touchdowns in that game and the defense did not allow a first-half point in a 42-6 victory.

Northwest (1-9) was a young team last year which improved as the season progressed. It featured a dangerous passing game and three receivers were among the district’s top 20 in catches at different points of the season.

Wyalusing at

North Penn-Mansfield

North Penn-Mansfield has high hopes after attacking its offseason hard and ending last year with a dramatic one-point win against rival Wellsboro. The Panthers (3-7) also are trying to exact a measure of revenge after Wyalusing defeated them, 37-12 rushing for 243 yards.

Luke Kreger earned all-state honors last season after catching 60 passes for 1,188 yards and 10 touchdowns. North Penn-Mansfield will be young in spots but Wyalusing is in a similar position after taking a big graduation hit. The Rams traditionally are big up front and ran the ball at will against multiple opponents last season, averaging 230 yards per game.

Central Mountain at Mifflin County

Central Mountain is seeking its first win since 2023 and is excited with the amount of players who return with either significant starting experience and/or playing time. A lot of that experience comes up front on both sides of the ball and it’s always nice to have quality line play as a foundation. The home team has won this game the past three seasons and a win here could be a nice springboard for Central Mountain going forward.

Mifflin County (4-6) is in a position that Central Mountain was last year, replacing most of its starters, including its leading rusher and receiver. Quarterback Chase Hartung is back, however, after throwing for 944 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games.

Towanda at

Cowanesque Valley

Cowanesque Valley quietly has been producing quality seasons in three of the last four years and rallied from an 0-3 start to go 4-6 a year ago. Playmakers like Dave Hess, Kegan Lane and Luke Sottolano are back and form a strong nucleus. Lane was among the NTL’s leaders in tackles last season and Sottolano was a first team NTL-II lineman.

Towanda is coming off an outstanding season, going 9-3 and reaching the District 4 Class AA semifinals. The Knights, though, must replace dynamic quarterback Rylee Vanderpool after he totaled 2,741 yards and 31 touchdowns last fall. Look for players like Rylee Sluyter and Curtis Maynard to play big roles.

Shikellamy at Milton

Milton (4-7) set the tone for its season at Shikellamy in last year’s opener when it went 99 yards for a game-tying score late in regulation before winning, 20-17 in overtime. It was one of three exciting fourth quarter road comeback wins for Milton which reached districts for a third straight season. Monty Fisher is one of the area’s most versatile players and the Black Panthers have a nice mix of experience and exciting first-time varsity players.

Shikellamy has more stability than a year ago when it had two coaches. The Braves also feature a potentially explosive offense with quarterback Brody Rebuck coming off consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Junior wide receiver Thomas Pollock could be one of the district’s best there and has more than 1,500 yards in his first two seasons.

Bucktail at

Cameron County

Bucktail has a larger roster size than last season and is eager to try and win its first game since 2023. Although all-state athlete Brody Pentz graduated, Bucktail returns a bulk of its starters and could be particularly strong up front. Bucktail also was able to get 10 regular season games for the first time this decade, giving its players more opportunities to progress throughout the season.

Cameron County enjoyed a good season last year, going 6-4. Malakai Zucal sparks the offense and had a big year, rushing for 1,254 yards and nine touchdowns.