All Isaac Erlandson and Cam Cintron could do was watch Montoursville play last year’s District 4 Class AAAA quarterfinal. It was not a fun experience.

Flash forward and the two sophomores enjoyed their view much better Friday night. This was much more exciting.

Highlighting how far each has developed in a short time, Erlandson and Cintron played massive starting roles and helped Montoursville end a five-year drought. They had plenty of help from their friends, too, as Montoursville thumped Danville, 63-39 at Mike Mussina Court in the district quarterfinals.

Erlandson filled up the stat sheet, Cintron scored a game-high 16 points, while dealing five assists and Elijah Eck played spectacular defense against dynamic guard Mason Kingery as Montoursville (17-6) won its first playoff game since 2021. It also ended Danville’s three-year title reign and earned a spot against Shamokin in next week’s semifinals at a time and place to be determined.

“It’s great to experience that, especially knowing how long it’s been. It gives a sense of accomplishment for the town, too,” Erlandson said. “We feel like we belong. We know we’re important parts of the team.”

They sure are.

Erlandson set the early tone with his defense and versatility, while Cintron scored 16 points in three quarters and dealt three third quarter assists when the Warriors built a 24-point advantage. Shea Ulmer (15 points, 3 steals) scored 11 points that quarter and Kingston Fisher grabbed nine rebounds.

Cintron put Montoursville ahead to stay late in the first quarter and Montoursville settled in during the middle quarters, outscoring Danville, 38-18.

“Being out here this year, I’m comfortable with the guys. This is family. I know they have all their trust in me,” Cintron said. “If I make a mistake, they’re not going to yell at me; they’re not going to pout. They’re going to lift me up. Going out there this year felt a lot better because I was a lot more confident. The trust was there in order for us to win the game.”

Like Cintron, Erlandson has burst onto the scene as a first-time sophomore starter. The 6-foot-4 forward keeps making big strides and has surged down the stretch. And even had he not scored six first half points against Danville, his impact still would have been immense because he influenced every aspect.

By halftime, Erlandson totaled six points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. His defense helped eliminate Danville’s interior game and two offensive rebounds led to a Cintron 3-pointer and Jay Houseknecht jumper. Erlandson’s third steal led to him being fouled, hitting two free throws and putting Montoursville up, 20-13. Even when he does not make steals, Erlandson often uses his wingspan to create deflections and/or making it hard passing inside.

It’s one part erasing points, one part helping produce them. And consistent all-out energy.

“All he does is play basketball, so he keeps improving and he’s going to keep improving,” Montoursville coach Mike Mussina said. “He’s done a lot of positive things for us. Sometimes he might only have half a dozen points, but he finds a way to get half a dozen rebounds. He effects shots or he tips balls and gets steals. He does a lot of things that aren’t in the scorebook but that really matter.”

“That’s my mentality. I’ve never been the biggest scorer, but I can find ways to get assists, I can rebound and I can play defense,” Erlandson said. “That’s what I’m here for. That’s why I have a spot on this team. You just have to give effort every possession.”

Cintron possesses a similar mentality and helps make Montoursville go on both ends. The lightning quick and equally tough point guard repeatedly blew by Danville defenders, while both finishing and facilitating.

After scoring 11 first half points, Cintron dealt three quick assists during a rapid 11-0 run as Montoursville stretched its advantage to 52-26. He also harassed Danville’s point guard and provided a spark in all areas which soon grew into a fire.

“At practice I hadn’t been feeling it. Going out there, the adrenaline started to kick in, and I started to realize that I’m playing for more than just me trying to score points,” Cintron said. “I’m playing because I want to win a title. I want to bring a title to this town. We worked hard all summer to earn an opportunity like this.”

“He plays great defense on their point guard and causes them a lot of issues getting into their offense,” Mussina said. “His quickness is something you can’t teach. He works hard and he does a lot of things, too, that don’t always show up in the scorebook, but that help win games.”

Montoursville features a lot of players who fit that bill, including Eck who drew the toughest defensive assignment but delivered an A+ performance on this exam. Kingery is one of the district’s more explosive guards and scored his 1,000th career point as a junior last week. That night he scored 33 points and drained seven 3-pointers in a 67-61 win against HAC-I co-champion Selinsgrove.

But one week after living a dream, Eck made Kingery experience a nightmare. The sophomore guard shadowed him all night and held him to 10 points. More impressive, Eck allowed Kingery just four points on four shots with zero 3-pointers through three quarters and the Warriors led entering the fourth, 52-28.

“Elijah Eck held him to 10 and that’s amazing. That’s something I know he (Kingery) is not used to; not shooting that much, not scoring that much,” Cintron said. “That’s what we really amped it up, knowing we didn’t have to worry about their best player.”

What has helped Montoursville reach the district’s Final 4 and make a six-win improvement this season is keeping opponents guessing about who their best player will be on a given night. Four players average more than nine points per game and reserves like Houseknecht, Brennen Imbro and Zack Neill provide quality minutes.

The Warriors possess a lot of pieces, and they put them together as the game progressed. After Danville closed within a point early in the second quarter, Montoursville responded by scoring 12 of the next 14 points and taking its first double-digit lead following an Erlandson runner and putback. Cintron then gave it an added boost entering halftime, as Montoursville spread the court and he converted a buzzer-beating layup.

It was another signal that this game would be unlike two years ago. That year, Montoursville entered 16-6 after sweeping the regular season series against Lewisburg. The Green Dragons, however, won the quarterfinal.

The Warriors refused to let history repeat itself. They handed Danville its first district playoff loss in four years and broke through a wall which had blocked them the past five seasons.

“I’m happy for the kids. I’m happy for the seniors who hadn’t gotten to experience this before,” Mussina said. “We played a good game and the kids worked hard and I’m happy they get the opportunity to play again.”

DANVILLE (39)

Mason Kingery 4 2-2 10, Jake Cool 0 0-0 0, Casey Mills 1 0-0 3, Suton Dudinskie 5 0-0 13, Griffin Mutchler 2 0-0 6, Zavia Pryce 1 0-2 2, Brady Haas 2 0-0 5. Totals 15 2-4 39.

MONTOURSVILLE (63)

Shea Ulmer 6 1-2 15, Cam Cintron 7 1-1 16, Kingston Fisher 1 1-2 3, Elijah Eck 4 4-6 12, Isaac Erlandson 2 2-2 6, Brennen Imbro 1 0-0 2, Jay Houseknecht 1 2-2 4, Zack Neill 1 0-0 3, Carson Menne 1 0-0 2. Totals 24 11-15 63.

Danville 10 8 10 11–39

Montoursville 14 16 22 11–63

3-pointers: Danville 7 (Dudinskie 3, Mutchler 2, Mills, Haas); Montoursville 4 (Ulmer 2, Cintron, Neill).

Records: Montoursville 17-6.