Parker Persing of Montgomery (7) celebrates scoring a touchdown against South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Every Thursday, Montgomery’s offensive linemen attack Buffalo Wild Wings. There, they share food and good times.

A day later, they bring that camaraderie to the football field and attack their opponents. Threre, they often make opposing defenses experience bad times. Layne Gingery, Caleb Parkyn, Connor Jarrett, Ethan Hugar and Evan Hugar, as well as tight end Ethan Tupper, continue playing as one and doing so has helped Montgomery become the one in the NTL-II.

The line produced another outstanding performance Friday at Rodney K. Morgans Stadium, paving the way for 297 rushing yards as Montgomery defeated South Williamsport, 42-14 and clinched a share of the NTL-II championship. The Red Raiders (8-1, 4-0) can win the title outright if they defeat Cowanesque Valley this Friday and are league champions for the first time since 2001.

“It’s like a brotherhood we have now. It’s awesome,” Gingery said. “We all have each other’s backs. No matter what goes on, on the field or off the field we all know we’re going to be there for each other.”

They have been there for Montgomery all season, building off last year’s success when the Raiders made a six-win improvement and enjoyed their best season since 2000. The line’s continued development has helped Montgomery take the next step and now it is a win from its best season of the 2000s.

This group has played together most of its football lives, so it has grown tighter over the years. It also has grown more determined, bigger, stronger and faster. It’s a perfect storm of development and that has helped the Montgomery offense erupt as the season has progressed.

Operating the Wing-T for the first time, Montgomery is averaging a whopping 8.2 yards per carry. The Raiders have run for 2,886 yards and Josh Knoebel, Trace Furman and quarterback Parker Persing all have gone over 500 yards. Knoebel and Furman have both topped 100 yards in consecutive games and Lincoln Miller and Austin Luckenbill also have 100-yard games this season.

The backs have been outstanding, but the success starts up front. The line blocks hard, the backs run hard and all continue feeding off each other, helping Montgomery win seven straight games.

“I couldn’t do what I do without the front five. They open up the holes and I just run through them,” Knoebel said after running for 104 yards and three touchdowns against South. “That front five, it doesn’t matter who gets the ball, our offensive line is going to block their butt off for them.”

“Our line is great. They put in a lot of work,” linebacker Cameron Woltz said. “They all lift in the offseason and it’s great to see them having that success.”

The line surged last season when Montgomery won seven of its final nine games but it faced a fresh challenge when it had to learn a new offense. Former Southern Columbia assistant Joel Knoebel brought the Wing-T offense with him when he was hired as the new head coach. It was a process and Montgomery struggled at times the first two weeks but it has been smooth sailing since then.

What that progress has revealed is that these linemen have the smarts to complement their strength. Putting it all together has helped Montgomery soar to second among area teams in both yards (366.8) and points (38.8) per game. The Raiders also have scored at least 27 points in every game during their winning streak and have topped 40 three straight times.

“Even if we go one drive and have to punt, they come right off the field and say, ‘OK coach, we have to go to this or we have to go to that,'” Coach Knoebel said. “Their intelligence to this new offense that we brought to them, and their football intelligence on top of that is propelling us to a whole other level.”

That showed again against South. The Raiders scored on all six of their completed drives with only the game’s conclusion stopping it from a shot at 7-for-7. Defense and special teams repeatedly set up Montgomery with good field position and the line and backs took it from there, finishing each drive strong.

It was not Montgomery ripping off 70 or 80-yard runs either. It was smash-mouth football with Montgomery physically asserting itself and putting together time-consuming drives. Even when in tough situations, Montgomery surged going 9 for 11 on third downs and 2 for 2 on fourth downs.

It was a championship game against a long-time rival. And the line seemed perfectly built for just that kind of moment.

“We’re not the biggest line in the district but we came into the game knowing we’d have to be hard and physical and I felt like those first two drives we leaned on the line and I think we wore them down,” Gingery said. “After that, we kept pushing ourselves to keep going. We knew what was going on; we knew we were more physical than they were and that motivated us to keep going even harder.”

That really is the only way this group knows how to play. All also are key to the defense’s success and played a role in limiting South to 62 yards over the final three quarters. Because many focus on who has the ball, they can lose focus on who helps create the big plays the quarterback, running backs and receivers make.

But take a look at this Montgomery offensive line. There one will see the foundation that Montgomery has built its success upon.

“They understand it and they get it,” Coach Knoebel said. “When you have a group of kids like that, it’s great for the program.”

QUICK HEALER

Woltz suffered a preseason ankle injury which threatened to end his junior season before it began. Initially, Woltz was told he broke his ankle and would miss at least 6-8 weeks.

Further tests revealed that it was not a break. Now, Woltz is back to helping Montgomery break up opposing offenses.

Coming off a big sophomore season, Woltz has continued settling back in as the ankle has healed. He played his best game against South, intercepting a pass and returning it to set up the game’s first touchdown, while also making 18 tackles.

“I had to rehab the first few weeks but, I’m feeling good now,” Woltz said. “I was glad I was able to come back early. It feels great.”

Woltz topped 100 tackles a year ago and is a three-year starter. He missed only the season opener and is a vital cog in a defense which has held eight opponents to 14 points or fewer. He is effective against the run and also can either attack the passer or drop into coverage.

All those qualities were on display against South. Woltz piled up nine tackles by halftime and Montgomery held an offense averaging 46 points during a four-game winning streak to two first downs in the middle quarters.

“That’s a Montgomery wrestler for sure,” Coach Knoebel said. “It’s definitely stiffened our defense having Cam back 100 %.healthy. That has been a definite asset to our defense at inside linebacker for sure.”

EXTRA POINTS

South Williamsport quarterback Cole Gerber broke the program record for completions in a season against Montgomery and now has 93 for 1,148 yards in his first year starting. The previous record stood since 1988. Teammate Cade Lusk also reached a milestone, eclipsing 1,000 yards with a 100-yard effort and Levi Butler caught his 50th pass this year … Hughesville played its most complete game this season, thumping Wyalusing, 28-6. The Spartans gained a season-high 345 yards and Nick Stubbs threw for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Chase Shrawder ran for 79 yards with a touchdown and the defense surrendered just 140 yards. In three wins, the defense has allowed only six points … Dave Hess ran for two touchdowns, threw a 64-yard scoring strike to Cam Stahli and added an 83-yard kickoff return as Cowanesque Valley downed North Penn-Mansfield, 35-8, taking a big step toward reaching the District 4 Class AA playoffs. Kegan Lane ran for 165 yards and a touchdown and the defense held an opponent to fewer than 100 yards for a third straight week. CV (5-4) has won its last three games by a 158-8 margin … Carter Feigles returned an interception 76 yards for a touchdown in Muncy’s 41-14 loss at Athens. He also caught five passes for 31 yards and Jaxson Thomas ran for a 46-yard touchdown … Max Mascho returned the game’s opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown and also caught a 39-yard touchdown, helping Wellsboro rout Northwest, 55-8. Griffin Morral went over 1,000 yards for a second straight year, throwing for 141 with two touchdowns and the Hornets (5-4) took a big step toward securing a District 4 Class AA playoff berth. Marek Mascho totaled 137 yards and three touchdowns and Kody Enck intercepted his third pass in two weeks, also scoring as Wellsboro won for the fifth time in seven games … Milton quarterback Monty Fisher went over 200 yards for a third straight week and for the fourth time in five games, rushing for 205 yards with two touchdowns in a 48-25 loss against Mount Carmel. Fisher leads the area with 1,376 yards and 17 touchdowns … Bucktail freshman quarterback Corbin Pentz totaled 207 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-14 loss at Coudersport. Teagan Stone caught five passes for 88 yards. Pentz has thrown for 799 yards in seven games … Dalton McDermott ran for 100 yards and a touchdown, while going over 100 tackles this season in Central Mountain’s 70-29 loss at Troy. The Wildcats trailed 28-16 at halftime against the defending 2A state champions and quarterback Kyle Everett totaled 174 yards and two touchdowns, finding Mason Masorti and Mario Serafini for those scores.

Dr. Masse’s top 5 rankings:

1. Montoursville (7-2): Christian Banks went over 1,000 yards for a second straight year, rushing for 102 with two touchdowns in an impressive 38-14 win at Lewisburg. Montoursville did damage in both offensive facets with Elijah Eck throwing for 165 yards and touchdowns to Kingston Fisher and Jay Houseknecht. Fisher is averaging 34 yards per catch with three of his six touchdowns going for scores and Houseknecht has caught touchdowns in consecutive games. Hayden Harvey ignited a defense which did not allow a point until the third quarter, intercepting his third pass and making a career-high 13 tackles. Montoursville secured a home District 4 Class AAA semifinal with this win in which it built a 35-0 third quarter advantage. The Warriors likely will host surging Mount Carmel in those semifinals.

2. Warrior Run (8-1): Warrior Run won its fifth straight game, blanking Central Columbia, 56-0 and joined the 2005 squad as the only ones this century to win eight regular season contests. Quarterback James Keifer continued his scorching play, throwing for 198 yards and four touchdowns. Over his last two games, the senior has completed 17 of 18 passes for 352 yards and seven touchdowns. Cohen Zechman went over 100 yards for a fourth straight game and caught two scores as did Tyler Ulrich. Liam Moore added a touchdown catch and Denyn Beachel eclipsed 1,000 yards in his first year starting, running for 100 yards and a score. The defense did not allow a point for a second consecutive game and Warrior Run built momentum entering Friday’s rivalry game at Milton.

3. Montgomery (8-1): Jarrett started altering the game’s trajectory when he made two big second quarter defensive plays. Montgomery had moved in front 14-7 but South started moving the ball following its own touchdown drive and had a first down at the Raider 40-yard line. Jarrett then stopped a reverse for a 5-yard loss on first down before ending the threat with a sack on third down. From there, the defense stiffened and South did not cross midfield again until late in the fourth quarter.

4. Jersey Shore (6-3): Running back Bo Sechrist went over 1,000 yards in a 51-19 loss at Scranton Prep. The two-time all-state linebacker has run for 1,017 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also making a team-high 88 tackles. Nolen Pauling threw for 180 yards and also ran for a touchdown, while Carson Watkins caught eight passes for 79 yards. The defense allowed more than 50 points for a second time in three weeks and Jersey Shore is in jeopardy of finishing third in the District 4 Class AAAA standings and having to travel to Athens for the semifinals. That will be a close call depending on how each team does this week and how the power rankings calculations sort themselves out in a tight race.

5. Loyalsock (5-4): Wide receiver Nahmir Thomas continued his strong play in a 42-7 loss at 4A powerhouse Shamokin, catching a touchdown for a fourth straight game. The senior has five scores during that time and has caught 28 passes for 491 yards. Danny Dowell went over 1,100 passing yards this season and Jalil Coates ran for 62 yards, while Josh Meacham made 14 tackles, including 10 solos. Ivan Baker added 12 tackles. The Lancers will be on the road for the District 4 Class AA quarterfinals and could be anywhere from No. 5-7 depending on how Friday night goes across the district.

Players of the Week

Connor Anstadt, Hughesville and Trace Furman, Montgomery: Anstadt does a bit of everything for Hughesville, proving it again in the Wyalusing victory. Lining up in three different positions, Anstadt totaled 202 yards. He did most of his damage as a receiver, catching six passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Anstadt also averaged 13 yards per carry and completed a 14-yard pass. An excellent safety, Anstadt was a big part of the defensive success a well.

Furman also is a Swiss Army Knife-like player and has 925 total yards this season. The junior ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns against South, while also excelling on defense. Furman made 18 tackles, pushing his total this season to 93. The strong safety is outstanding against the run and in coverage and helped Montgomery stifle a dangerous offense over the final three quarters.

Game of the Week

Montoursville at Loyalsock: The Battle for the Bridge Trophy was created in 2002 and it has bounced between programs since. Montoursville has won 13 times and Loyalsock 10. But through the numbers, it has been about streaks in recent years with Montoursville winning four straight times before Loyalsock took the last three. Friday’s game should be the latest chapter in a series filled with exciting games, including two district championships and two district semifinals (although those do not factor into the Bridge Trophy standings. Expect a big crowd and a good game between two teams hoping to build playoff momentum.

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