Repeating as district champions and reaching a second straight Final 4 represent massive achievements. When a program has accomplished all Montoursville has over the years, that might go overlooked by many.

So, look again.

Holy Ghost Prep rode Bam McNabb’s brilliant pitching and Eddie Rosado’s two home runs Monday at Montoursville, defeating it 4-1 and denying it a second straight state championship appearance. Still, the Warriors (19-5) lived what for many others remains just a dream. The way it ended cannot erase how a program which often talks about “the standard” continued raising it higher.

“I said it before, there are people in our area who would die to have the opportunities our kids have had. They would do anything,” Montoursville coach Jeremy Eck said after coaching in his seventh Final 4. “These kids don’t even know what it’s like not to play in a district championship and some in state playoffs. Our kids are very blessed. I think they understand how fortunate they have been to have had these opportunities because they don’t come every year.”

Montoursville pitcher Zack Neill waits for play to resume as Braydon Wilson of Holy Ghost rounds the bases on his second home run of the game. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

They certainly don’t. Montoursville again used a blend of talent, strong coaching, relentless work, balance and gutsy performers to reach a third Final 4 since 2018. The Warriors, featuring players from only Montoursville, made massive strides throughout the season, played their best baseball at the perfect time and have piled up five state tournament wins the past two seasons.

They played pretty well, Monday, too. Montoursville made no errors; Logan Kirby and Zack Neill combined on a five-hitter and McNabb struck out just three. Montoursville did not beat Montoursville. It took a super team playing a super game to finally end another memorable Warriors season.

“They’re my brothers,” Neill said after throwing five outstanding innings of relief. “We’ve been playing together since we were 10-years-old. I can’t be any prouder of the people we play with.”

Montoursville not only had to deal with a loaded team Monday, but also adversity. Kirby, 8-0 with a 0.76 ERA and a sensational postseason resume, injured his elbow in the first inning. Coming off two more tremendous postseason starts, Kirby wanted to continue but Montoursville refused to risk East Stroudsburg-bound senior’s future in pursuit of victory.

Neill picked up where he left off in the quarterfinals at Blue Mountain, opening with 3 2/3 no-hit innings before Rosado slammed his second home run and made it, 3-0 with two outs in the fifth. Matt Baker (2 for 3) hit a first-inning RBI single and added a sixth inning RBI double which put Holy Ghost Prep up, 4-1 but that was all Neill allowed, scattering three hits in 8 2/3 innings his last two games.

DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Montoursville’s Brody Aldenderfer attempts to dive for ball hit by Matthew Baker of Holy Ghost in centerfield during Monday’s PIAA Class AAAA semifinal game.

“It’s a hard spot to be in, but we work on it,” Neill said. “We will fight and we did today.”

They did all season.

Rosado, who will play at St. Joe’s next spring and is one of the team’s 17 seniors, showed why he is a top 500 MLB prospect when he worked a 10-pitch at-bat leading off the bottom of the first and blasted a home run. Kirby nearly escaped further damage but a Baker blooper produced a two-out run and put HGP up, 2-0.

Montoursville was not fazed and put together quality at-bats against McNabb, a Gardner-Webb recruit, not striking out until the fifth inning and just once through six innings. Players worked counts, stayed disciplined and barreled some balls up.

Ultimately, they so often went at defenders or those defenders made excellent plays. That included when Kirby smoked a ball toward the right-field line to open the second only for Matt Evans to make a super catch and take away a double. Carson Menne put together a great at-bat in the seventh after Austin Davidsion (1 for 2) drew a lead-off walk and lasered a line drive but it went right at left fielder Tyler Bergkoetter for the first out.

DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Montoursville’s Elijah Eck throws out Colin Davis of Holy Ghost Prep at first in the second inning in Monday’s PIAA Class AAAA semifinals.

It was that kind of day. It wasn’t what the Warriors did wrong but what HGP kept doing right while earning its third state final appearance in five years. The Firebirds will play defending state champion Indiana for the title Thursday in a showdown between the previous two state champions.

“They played a great game. We didn’t give it to them; we didn’t hand them anything. We went out and played as hard as we could and did everything we could,” Neill said. “Some things don’t go your way; welcome to baseball. Basketball, football, things are just a little bit different where if you shoot a perfect shot it’s going to go in and where all this stuff works if you do it perfectly. But in baseball if you square a ball perfectly you might still get out. That’s the bitter sweetness of the game.”

Through it all, Montoursville continued believing and broke through in the sixth when Noah Kirby reached on a two-out error. Neill then produced his second consecutive hit and moved courtesy runner Gabe Moser to third. Moser scored on a balk and Cy Heddings did a nice job after entering in the second inning, flaring a ball into shallow center field. Again, though, it was not to be as second baseman Jace Keaser sprinted into the hole and made a marvelous catch, preserving the two-run advantage.

Neill seemed ready to sail through the bottom of the inning but controversy occurred when the umpire yelled out as Neill fielded a one-out bunt for a hit attempt. Neill thought he heard him yell out and did not throw to first but, allegedly trap was yelled, and following an umpire discussion Bergkoetter was given a single. That proved huge when Baker hit an RBI double and made it, 4-1.

Montoursville may have lost the game anyway, but it certainly made a steep climb even tougher entering the seventh. Still, the Warriors did not dwell on what was but what could be and Davidson capped his breakout season when he worked a 10-pitch walk.

Montoursvilles Zack Neill is forced out at second base by Nate Spingler of Holy Ghost. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

From there, McNabb retired the side and Montoursville’s latest tremendous season concluded.

“Anything can happen you still have guys like Noah Kirby, Jonah Heddings coming up who with one swing of the bat can change things in a hurry,” Eck said. “When you come out against a team like this and hear what they’re doing and the kids that they have and who they’re bringing in, a 4-1 ball game and not to giving them anything is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Indeed, Montoursville again represented itself well on a big stage. Menne made six catches in right field and left fielder Jay Houseknecht made both a fabulous read and running catch, preventing Bergkoetter from hitting a third-inning RBI double.

Those two making plays helps highlight what made Montoursville so good this season. It was a fusion of senior leaders like Menne and exciting underclassmen like Houseknecht coming together, playing selfless and all players repeatedly delivering valuable contributions.

“We thanked the seniors who had great careers and now it’s time for our underclassmen to step up,” Eck said. “It’s all these guys. It matters. It truly matters, the relationships we’ve built with these kids is special. It would have been great to play for another state title but we’re proud of the guys; proud of the coaches and all the effort that was put in.”

Catcher Noah Kirby and Zack Neill slap hands after retiring the side against Holy Ghost. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

This season is over and the underclassmen will soon start looking to the future. But at some point, both the now graduates and the younger players will look back at everything they achieved in 2026. What a story they all wrote together. What great memories they will long cherish.

“From the practices to the winter workouts, to us just busting our butts at 8 p.m. to make ourselves better; that’s the stuff you remember.” Neill said. “We mentally made ourselves better, too, and held each other accountable. That helps us make ourselves better mentally and physically and be the best that we can be, and that’s all you can ask.”

Holy Ghost 4, Montoursville 1

Montoursville 000 001 0-1 4 0

Holy Ghost 200 011 x-4 5 1

Logan Kirby, Zack Neill (2) and Noah Kirby. Bam McNabb and Matt Baker. W–McNabb. L–Kirby (8-1).

Top Montoursville hitters: Neill 2-3; Austin Davidson 1-2, BB; Kane Moore 1-3; Gabe Moser, run. Top Holy Ghost hitters: Eddie Rosado 2-3, 2 HR, 2 RBIs; Matt Baker 2-3, 2B, 2 RBIs.

Records: Holy Ghost (16-9), Montoursville (19-5).