RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Central Columbia's Dominic Keller (9) is stopped by a pack of Montoursville defenders during the first half of a high school football game at Montoursville on Friday.

Montoursville PPG–35.3, PPA–10.5; YPG–334.5, YPA–157.8

Montoursville notes: Montoursville (5-1) has won two straight games, shutting out both opponents. The starting defense has been nasty for much of the season, not allowing a point in four of six games. The Warriors limited Central Columbia to 40 yards in last week’s 52-0 win and Mount Carmel to a season-low 128 yards in a 27-0 victory at the Silver Bowl. Montoursville has a firm hold on second in the District 4 Class AAA standings and could pull closer to first place Mifflinburg if it wins and the Wildcats lose tonight. Kingston Fisher has a team-high three sacks and seven tackles for loss, while Kane Moore is second among area players with four interceptions. He and linebacker Hayden Harvey have returned picks for touchdowns. Defensive end Noah Rakestraw has six tackles for loss and linebacker Christian Banks four tackles for loss. Banks has gone over 100 rushing yards in consecutive games, scoring six touchdowns. Harvey has added 174 yards and two touchdowns in those games. Quarterback Elijah Eck threw for 111 yards and a touchdown against Central, with Moore scoring on a 68-yard connection. Brayden Burkett has three touchdown catches and returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Danville.

Montoursville Player to watch–Carlos Tira: The senior defensive back had a strong game against Central, forcing a fumble, knocking down two passes and helping limit the Blue Jays to 25 yards passing. He has broken up four passes the past two games and has two forced fumbles this year, while adding depth at wide receiver.

Central Mountain PPG–2.8, PPA–32.5; YPG–135.8, YPA–309.3

Central Mountain notes: Central Mountain (0-6) played its best game last week, giving Shikellamy all it could handle. The Wildcats did not allow a second-half point and held the Braves to their lowest point total this season, repeatedly making stops at key times. Central Mountain allowed its fewest points over the last two seasons and linebackers Kole Corman and Dalton McDermott each made 20 tackles. Corman has been one of the area’s top linebackers the past two seasons and had a program-record 24 tackles, along with three sacks, in a Week 2 game against Bloomsburg. McDermott has 36 tackles the past two weeks and also leads the team in rushing. He caught a 19-yard touchdown from Alex Johnson at Shikellamy and ran for a season-high 94 yards at Williamsport. Central Mountain limited the big plays which had plagued it over the first five weeks against Shikellamy and contained a potent offense which had produced 21 or more points in each of its first four games. The defense has hung in well but it also has been on the field a lot, allowing opponents to wear it down at times.

Central Mountain Player to watch–Mario Serafini: What a game Serafini played last week. He repeatedly made things happen, forcing two fumbles and producing a sack. He also recovered a fumble and made seven tackles. Serafini has three fumble recoveries this year and threw a 50-yard touchdown to Ricky Rohrbach against Shamokin.

Outlook: For a while this game felt like a lock for a blowout. The way Central Mountain played against Shikellamy changed everything. Montoursville is still a heavy favorite but a repeat defensive performance by the Wildcats could help it keep this game competitive.