Happy fans who packed the bleachers well before kickoff sang back before hurrying toward the field and embracing their high school heroes. Just two years ago this scene only seemed like it could exist in a dream. But this was all real. And one better believe Montgomery is for real.

Oh yeah, it’s a league champion, too.

The offensive line dominated; Trace Furman and Josh Knoebel both went over 100 yards and Cameron Woltz fueled a stifling defense as Montgomery thumped South Williamsport, 42-14 and clinched a share of the NTL-II championship. The Red Raiders (8-1, 4-0) also secured their first eight-win season since 2000, won at South for the first time since 2001 and are league champions for the first time in 24 years with a shot to win the crown outright next Friday against Cowanesque Valley.

“Having the community come out, especially for away games, shows how much they believe in you. You piggy-back off that when you hear the crowd roar when we score or make a big play,” two-way lineman Layne Gingery said after helping Montgomery outgain South, 297-162. “It’s tremendous how much support we have. A couple years ago we didn’t have that much and this year it’s record-breaking. Knowing how much the community believes in us now; knowing that they want to be there to watch us play, that’s awesome.”

Trace Furman of Montgomery is tackled byTaylor Naugle of South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“It’s definitely a nice feeling, especially with the community here. It’s nice to see that they appreciate what we’re doing and that makes it the best feeling ever,” Knoebel said after running for 104 yards and three touchdowns. “Doing the alma mater after the game, that’s my favorite part. It really gets me pumped up.”

Montgomery has pumped up its fans all season. The Red Raiders have won seven straight games and outscored South and Muncy, teams who had combined to win eight NTL-II championships in the last 13 seasons, 69-21 on the road. This time, Montgomery built a 21-7 halftime lead, then landed the knockout blow by dominating up front on both sides, controlling time of possession and scoring three straight second-half touchdowns.

This team has big goals and there was no grand celebration as the final seconds ticked away. Still, it is quite a feather in the cap for a team which endured consecutive one-win seasons in 2022 and 2023 before turning things around and going 7-4 last year and laying the foundation for future success.

“This is just a product of what our end goals are. It was really nice for them to achieve that,” first-year Montgomery coach Joel Knoebel said. “We didn’t really realize that until this week. We realized, ‘Holy cow, we can win a league title and we haven’t done that for a long time.'”

“We played really well. It’s a nice feeling,” Woltz said after intercepting a pass which set up the game’s first touchdown before adding 14 tackles. “My freshman year we really struggled. To see the team come together and work hard and put in the time during the offseason makes it great.”

Josh Knoebel of Montgomery South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Montgomery played great, scoring 35 straight points after South (5-4, 3-1) put together a 14-play, 67-yard drive and tied it, 7-7 on Cade Lusk’s three-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. Lusk (100 yards, 2 touchdowns) became the first player to rush for 100 yards against Montgomery’s stellar defense and also reached 1,000 yards nine games into his sophomore season.

Gingery, Connor Jarrett, Caleb Parkyn, Evan Hugar, Ethan Hugar and tight end Ethan Tupper, however, took things over from there, while all four ball-carriers repeatedly ran hard, gaining yards after contact. Montgomery averaged 6.2 yards per carry and scored touchdowns on all six of its completed possessions with the game ending before it could try capping its seventh.

Complicating matters for South was that Montgomery repeatedly had good field position, starting five series inside Mountie territory. But wherever the Raiders started it likely would not have mattered because all 11 players continued brilliantly executing the Wing-T offense.

Montgomery put together seven and 11-play scoring drives which Furman (109 yards, two touchdowns) and Knoebel capped with 22 and 6-yard touchdowns, respectively. Furman exploded and went untouched on an outside third down run for the go-ahead score before Knoebel shed a tackler in the backfield made a quick cut and scored to put Montgomery ahead, 21-7 at halftime.

Still, what Montgomery did throughout the first half before extending it into the second half was not just about Friday night. It was about all it what it did when no one was watching throughout the offseason. The seeds were planted in the weight room, on the practice field and at various camps. Montgomery has continued blossoming throughout the season, improving each week.

Josh Knoebel of Montgomery dives across the goal line for a touchdown against South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“Our whole team bought in, something that really hadn’t happened in the past. This is the year where we knew what our expectations were, and we all bought in during the offseason,” Gingery said. “We’re all faster, stronger and more physical than last year. We’re all dedicated and all that offseason work; bringing in a new coach and learning the offense throughout the offseason … all that stuff helps tremendously.”

Montgomery picked up where it left off in the second half, receiving the opening kickoff and moving 55 yards on 11 straight runs. Parker Persing (6 carries, 42 yards) capped that march with a 1-yard touchdown run. After the defense forced a quick three-and-out, Montgomery kept its foot on the gas and Furman’s 18-yard score made it, 35-7.

“We wanted to make sure they knew that there was no chance of coming back,” Josh Knoebel said. “We were here to impose our will.”

They did that extremely well.

At that point, Montgomery had run 18 second-half plays to South’s three and held the ball for 10 minutes, 30 seconds in the third quarter. It was not just that Montgomery consistently gained positive yards either, but when it did so. Even when penalties backed it up and created first, second and/or third-and-longs, Montgomery kept ripping off chunk gains, the backs running as hard as the linemen blocked.

Trace Furman, left, and Josh Knoebel, right, of Montgomery bumps helments after Knoebel scored a touchdown against South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Montgomery was a staggering 9-for-11 on third downs and 2 for 2 on fourth downs. Whatever the distance; whatever the challenge, Montgomery was eager to meet it. Time after time, it did just that.

“We just stay the course. I don’t get caught up in whether we’re behind the sticks, at the sticks or in the middle of the sticks, we just have to stay to our plan and execute,” Coach Knoebel said. “That’s what we tell them every week. Don’t try and do too much. We averaged more than five yards per carry, so even if we get behind the sticks, I have confidence that we have four downs to get a first down and I know we can do it.”

Montgomery kept doing it after a Briar Persing sack forced another three-and-out. Two penalties following the punt put the ball at the Mountie 21-yard line and Knoebel clinched the championship, going six yards for the touchdown which made it, 42-7.

A few runs highlighted how well the line and backs worked together. Knoebel appeared stopped near the line of scrimmage on a third-and-eight second half run but carried a horde of Mounties 10 yards for a first down. Persing and Austin Luckenbill (7 carries, 42 yards) also took some defenders for rides and Furman scored his second touchdown by keeping his legs moving after being hit by two defenders inside the 10-yard line on an 18-yard fourth quarter score.

“That’s the whole team camaraderie. The line blocks good; we run good, and then they come and we congratulate them and they congratulate us,” Josh Knoebel said. “It’s a well-run, well-oiled machine.”

Parker Persing of Montgomery runs the ball up the field against South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The defense also has operated with machine-like productivity and held a team to 14 points or fewer for an eighth time. Similar to last week, Montgomery settled in after allowing an early score and started squeezing the juice from a potent offense which had averaged 46 points during a four-game winning streak.

Briar Persing and Woltz combined to help Montgomery turn defense into offense on the game’s first series after South had driven to the 42-yard line. Persing came charging off the edge and deflected a pass high into the air. Woltz saw the ball the whole way, reeled it in at the 47 and returned it 32 yards to the 15-yard line. Three plays later, Knoebel was in the end zone and Montgomery was off and running.

“That was awesome. Briar tipped it right to me. That was big. We need that energy,” said Woltz who seemingly was everywhere and had nine tackles by halftime. “I feel like we work together really well. South drove the field a little bit but we stopped their momentum. We try and limit the big plays and keep them out of the end zone.”

Montgomery has done that quite well all season and slowed the running game which sparked South’s first quarter touchdown drive as the game progressed. Following that game-tying score, Montgomery surrendered just 62 yards over the final three quarters.

Jarrett started changing the game’s complexion when South moved across midfield after Montgomery took a 14-7 lead. The defensive tackle made a tackle for a five-yard loss on a first-and-10 at the 40 and forced a punt three plays later when he sacked quarterback Cole Gerber. The Raiders then bridged the second quarter and third quarter with consecutive touchdown drives and suddenly were ahead, 28-7.

“We’re definitely improving,” Woltz said. “I’m excited to see what we’re going to do in the postseason. We have big goals.”

That is why, as excited as Montgomery is, it refuses to let this big win define its season. Friday was a moment to savor. The Raiders now have made their case as the best Montgomery team of the 2000s, but they want a lot more than that.

What makes the coaches so happy is that they do not have to reel the players in. One by one, different Raiders said they will savor this championship moment they made happen Friday. But then they are on to the next challenge and their pursuit of the next challenge begins soon.

“I read in the paper that it’s our first win here since 01. It’s definitely something to be proud about but after today we always focus on our next opponent,” Gingery said. “It’s Cowanesque Valley now. We’re going to celebrate tonight; we’re going to have fun. It’s a big win for our program but once it hits Monday, we know it’s time for Cowanesque Valley.”

Parker Persing of Montgomery throws the ball to a receiver against South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Trace Furman of Montgomery tries to outpace Samir Moy of South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Connor Jarrett of Montgomery takes down Cole Gerber of South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Trace Furman of Montgomery runs for a touchdown against South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Trace Furman of Montgomery runs for a touchdown against South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Seth McClintock of Montgomery tries to tackle Cade Lusk of South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Cole Gerber of South Williamsport completes a pass to Cade Lusk against Montgomery at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Cameron Woltz of Montgomery pulls an interception early in the game against South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Briar Persing of Montgomery knocks the ball down and it’s recovered by his team mate Cameron Woltz for an interception early in the game against South Williamsport at South Williamsport High School Friday night. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette