Dominic Guardini of Muncy puts up a shot against Line Mountain at Montoursville High School. Muncy won 64-25. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Muncy High School players know nothing except competing for district championships and reaching the state tournament.

More impressive, this is the second straight Muncy team which can make that claim. Muncy earned both a fifth consecutive District 4 Class AA final and state tournament appearance Saturday when it hammered Line Mountain, 64-25 in the semifinals.

Up next is a championship showdown Wednesday at Montoursville against Northeast Bradford.

“It’s great. We had the precedent set before us with four in a row and we’ve just continued it on with five,” Jaxton Frantz said after scoring 37 points against Line Mountain. “There’s not much you can ask for other than that. We’re pumped. We’re very stoked to play again for the championship.”

“It’s an honor to continue it from Ross’s (Ross Eyer) junior year on,” guard Kyran Lisembee said after totaling seven assists and seven rebounds. “They were going and setting a legacy for us to continue and we’re filling their shoes. It feels great.”

Winning is hard. Reaching championships is extremely hard. So, while Muncy wants to win this championship reaching this point again shines a light upon the program.

That goes double this season because Muncy played the entire regular season without two-year starter Nate Rogers. The junior forward put together a super offseason and seemed poised for his best year yet, but a football injury sidelined him until last Tuesday’s quarterfinal win against Cowanesque Valley.

Key reserves Jermain Morgan and Caleb Beaver also missed time.

Look around the district and see how much a team missing one key player can impact it. Without second leading scorers Andrew Walter and Jahki Brister, South Williamsport and St. John Neumann both lost first round games last week. Without point guard Brendan Jones, Line Mountain nearly was one-and-done before being run off the court against Muncy.

Muncy was down three players at one point. Still, it kept moving forward, won 16 regular season games and started surging as the year progressed.

The road was bumpy at times, but it ultimately led Muncy back to both the district final and states.

“Those things matter. We had 22 games to figure out who we were without Nate, so Nate coming back was a bonus,” Muncy coach Jason Gresh said. “That’s why I don’t put a whole lot of stock in the regular season. The regular season is just there for us to find out who we are, what are our strengths are, what are our weaknesses are and what do you we have to improve on. This team really has embraced that challenge and they listen and they work on the things they need to.”

DOUBLE FUN

Gresh has enjoyed quite a coaching school year. Last fall, he guided the Muncy girls’ soccer team to its first district championship and the state’s Final 4. Now, he will be coaching in another championship Wednesday.

Gresh also is the girls’ soccer and boys’ basketball career wins leader, so the memories keep coming.

“I’m blessed to get to coach in two district championships in one calendar which is wild to think of,” Gresh said. “It speaks to the level of athletes and the amount of work that the girls and guys put in.”

NEW LOOK

Basketball looked a lot different the last time Montoursville had won a playoff game. Literally.

Still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, players were wearing masks as they played throughout the 2021 season. That year, Montoursville won a District 4 Class AAAA quarterfinal but did not earn an opportunity at a fourth straight state tournament berth because only the district champions advanced.

A five-year drought ended last Friday as Montoursville defeated Danville, 63-39 in the quarterfinals. The Warriors (17-6) reached 17 wins for the first time since 2020, ended Danville’s three-year title reign and earned a spot against Shamokin in Tuesday’s semifinals at Shikellamy.

“You feel more accomplished because you’re out there doing it. You feel a sense of pride as a team,” sophomore Isaac Erlandson said after going for six points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. “It’s a great feeling.”

It’s a feeling which had eluded the four previous Montoursville teams, including the 2024 squad which produced a 16-win regular season. This group, however, has made a six-win improvement this season and has assured itself of at least two more games with the top three tournament finishers reaching states.

Montoursville took control in the middle quarters, outscoring Danville, 38-18 and received contributions throughout the rotation. Cam Cintron scored 16 points, Shea Ulmer 15 and Elijah Eck 12 while playing smothering defense against 1,000-point scorer Mason Kingery.

It was a breakthrough win, but obviously, this team wants more. From Friday’s win comes another opportunity.

“We get to play another week and get two more games and a chance to try and go to states,” Montoursville coach Mike Mussina said. “We’ll keep working and trying to get better and see what happens.”

ON POINT

Warrior Run point guard James Keifer helped power the engine which carried the Defenders to a dominant second-half performance in last Thursday’s 73-39 Class AAA quarterfinal win against Wellsboro. The Hornets trailed by just three early in the third quarter, but Keifer dealt nine of his 12 assists from there and Warrior Run closed the game on a 40-9 run, earning a spot in Tuesday’s semifinals against Mifflinburg.

Keifer also scored 10 points and made five steals. Keifer was one of four players who reached double figures as Aiden McKee (23), Landon Polcyn (22) and Ethan Balzer all also had strong games. Keifer running the offense so well helped produce that balanced effort.

“That’s how we mesh so well because James controls things so well,” McKee said. “Everyone likes to score, but he doesn’t get mad if he doesn’t score. He takes pride in getting like 12 assists a game.”

Keifer averages 10.5 points per game but also is one of the area’s assist leaders. He seems the ideal quarterback for a well-rounded offense. It makes sense, too, since he was the quarterback for an explosive football offense last fall when he threw for 24 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

It’s a different sport, but a lot of the same concepts. Keifer sees the court well, consistently finds the open man and can skillfully take what a defensive gives him. Conversely, a skilled defensive back last fall also has translated that to the court and was part of a swarming second-half defense against Wellsboro.

“He moves people like a quarterback with his eyes and then delivers the ball. He’s very cerebral,” Warrior Run coach Eric Wertman said. “He’s a floor general. He sees everything and sets it up and defensively he’s tough, too.”

BLESSING IN DISGUISE

Sure, Loyalsock would have liked to qualify for the Heartland Conference Tournament. But, in the big picture, not doing so offered it something maybe more valuable than a conference title–rest.

Loyalsock seemed to be running on fumes down the regular season’s stretch. A team featuring just one seniors had hit the wall as many become full-time starters for the first time this season.

So, Loyalsock (14-9) ending its regular season a week early following an encouraging performance in a 63-55 loss at Williamsport may have been just what the doctor ordered. The Lancers had 11 days off before heading to NTL-I champion Towanda for the 3A quarterfinals and a rested team became a dangerous one.

Loyalsock led from near start to finish, defeating the 20-win NTL-I champions and earning a spot in Tuesday’s semifinals against Southern Columbia. Braydon Cioffi scored 20 points, Saoj Jones 15, Isaac Blackwell 11 and Coates and Brecken Gusick helped fuel the defense. Put it together and Loyalsock built a 17-point halftime lead, finished strong and snapped Towanda’s seven-game winning streak.

“That break was the best thing that could have happened to us,” Loyalsock coach Ryan Cioffi said. “We were really beat up and worn out. We have a lot of guys going through the grind of the season for the first time and it came at the perfect time. They were energized, had great practices and were ready to go.”

Dr. Masse’s top 5 rankings: 1. Lewisburg (19-4); 2. Warrior Run (22-2): 3. Montoursville (17-6); 4. Williamsport (13-10); 5. Sullivan County (20-4)

Players of the Week

Colin King, Sullivan County and Jaxton Frantz Muncy: King unloaded his tool box in last Tuesday’s District 4 Class A quarterfinals, filling up the stat sheet and showing what makes him so valuable. The senior guard produced 14 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and six steals, sending the Griffins to Monday’s district semifinals against Lourdes.

Frantz reached new career scoring highs in Muncy’s two playoff wins. First, he torched Cowanesque Valley for 30 before erupting for 37 in Saturday’s semifinal win. Frantz added eight steals in the victories, providing a spark on both ends.