Gresh also coaches Muncy’s boys basketball team and has for quite awhile now. He always preaches about leaving a legacy and what players want their legacy to be when they take their uniform off for the final time.

Those 33 wins in two years, surpassing the best five-year run in program history in just two seasons, is proof enough of what this group of players means to the Indians’ program.

And winning Saturday’s District 4 Class A championship, the first soccer district title for boys or girls in Muncy history, helps further cement that legacy.

“I think that that speaks volumes about what they have accomplished. They’ve done everything that you can ask. They’ve sacrificed, they work, their parents drive them not only to AYSO, but travel ball,” Gresh said after Saturday’s 1-0 win over Southern to win district gold. “I can’t tell you the number of times I’d leave a junior high practice with these girls and drive Addi (Gresh), Ella (Nagel) and Lexi (McKeta0 over to Back Mountain or Dallas. We’d have to leave and get the work in.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Ella Nagel (17) connects with a header during the District 4 Class A championship game at Milton on Saturday.

“They just practice and now they’re going to do it again. There’s always been that work ethic and they committed to the weight room, they’ve done the things I’ve asked them to do in the weight room,” Gresh continued. “That shows the physicality there. They committed to playing as a team and sacrificing as a team. This is what the result is when all those goals and commitments are fulfilled.”

Muncy’s players constantly put their bodies on the line and sacrifice in games every week. On Tuesday after a 2-1 win against Line Mountain in the district semifinals, Gresh noted numerous Muncy players crying on the bus back from Shikellamy due to being hurt and banged up afterwards.

“They’re sore, they hurt, Tuesday night on the way home half the girls are crying because they’re that sore putting everything into the game. And that’s all you can ask,” Gresh said.

Muncy’s players never give up in games and if they’re trailing, they’re going to keep battling. The Indians continue to raise the bar at Muncy.

Last year’s senior class became the first to win multiple playoff games and reach a district final and qualify for states. This year’s group of seniors became the first to capture a District 4 Class A championship and are once again back in the state tournament.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Ava Eyer (5) moves the ball past Southern Columbia's Lola Cecco (5) during the District 4 Class A championship game at Milton on Saturday.

In the mid-to-late 2010s, Muncy struggled to post a winning record. From 2010-19, the Indians had just one winning season which came in 2017 by going 11-8 and qualifying for districts. There were numerous three-, five- and six-wins seasons sprinkled in as well.

But the program has come a long way. In 2020, Muncy went 5-8-1 during the COVID-19 condensed season. That was also the last time Muncy has had a losing season. Since then, Muncy has won 60 games entering Tuesday’s state playoffs.

That’s a credit to Gresh and his staff getting his players to give it their all and fight to constantly be better and raise the standard of what’s expected to wear a blue and white Muncy uniform.

At halftime, Gresh and his coaching staff told Muncy’s players that it was a scoreless game against Southern Columbia and emphasized that they proved they belong in the district final and deserved to be playing for gold.

Not only did Muncy belong, they showed exactly why.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Alexis Mcketa (1) moves the ball down field during the District 4 Class A championship game at Milton on Saturday.

Jon Geradi covers high school soccer and is the sports editor at the Sun-Gazette. He can be reached at jgerardi@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JonGerardi.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Kiki Woodward (1) moves the ball past Southern Columbia's Macie Swank (2) during the District 4 Class A championship game at Milton on Saturday.