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Chris Masse on football: Bond, senior leadership led Montgomery in Old Shoe rivalry win

Most Montgomery seniors have played together since they first laced up spikes. A lot has changed since then, but a bond formed long ago remains the same.

And quite strong, too. That connection; those experiences gained together all have produced lessons. Those student-athletes aced their leadership exams when a tough Muncy opponent and adversity created a precarious situation last Friday.

Instead of breaking apart, the seniors pulled all the Red Raiders closer together. Through the choppy seas they sailed toward smoother waters, taking the Old Shoe Trophy, 30-20. Montgomery (4-1, 3-0) took control of the NTL-II, weathered a first half storm and overcame the losses of all-star fullback Josh Knoebel and all-star defensive back Logan Joy to injuries.

"We’ve been together for probably 12 years at this point, so knowing each others’ playing style, we know how to push each other," two-way senior lineman Connor Jarrett said. "We bring out the best in each other."

That was apparent again last Friday, especially at crucial times. Muncy scored two quick touchdowns, the second coming on a Chance Boozer 80-yard pick 6 and turned a 10-point deficit into a 20-17 lead late in the first half. With Knoebel and Joy sidelined, it felt like Montgomery might be in trouble.

Instead, the Raiders rallied around each other and stormed back. Senior Lincoln Miller returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards, setting up fellow senior Briar Persing’s five-yard touchdown and Montgomery did not allow a point as it dominated the second half and salted the game away late.

Sure, Montgomery has some excellent players and coaches, but in times like those, senior leadership is crucial. The Raiders sure had a lot against Muncy.

"You absolutely saw a team rise to the challenge together, everybody hand-in-hand," Montgomery coach Joel Knoebel said. "As a team, they pulled together and held each other accountable. They did that as a team. It was a great team win."

Most Montgomery seniors have been at the heart of the program’s massive resurgence the past three years. Along the way, the Raiders have adopted a mentality which may sound cliché, but which also is so vital to winning. It’s one play at a time.

Whatever happened on the previous play, whether good or bad, is insignificant. Channeling their inner-Bill Belichicks, the Raiders simply focus on the next play. The seniors making sure the younger players follow that mantra was a critical piece of the winning puzzle Montgomery put together Friday.

When things went wrong during that first half, Montgomery simply moved onto the next play. There, the Raiders did their best to make things right. The offense producing 307 rushing yards and the defense allowing just 38 second-half yards shines a light upon how right Montgomery made things.

"We always try and keep everyone focused. Whatever kind of adversity happens in a game we keep everyone positive," two-way senior lineman Ethan Hugar said. "We have a positive mindset. Don’t worry about the last play; just focus on the next one."

That focus is coupled with some selflessness. Miller often gladly does a lot of the dirty work offensively but was thrust into a major spotlight role following Knoebel’s early second quarter injury. There he continued thriving, running for 124 yards and scoring both offensively and defensively.

Persing had not taken one snap at wing back this season but coach Knoebel called upon him to give it a shot in the second quarter. Persing surged as well, running for 62 yards on 10 carries. Miller and senior Trace Furman (77 yards) helped Persing settle in after mastering their roles in Montgomery’s new-look Wing-T a year ago. As they did, the linemen heated up and Montgomery averaged 5.2 yards per carry while controlling both the line and clock during the second half.

"You have Linc; you have Trace that can coach him through what to do," coach Knoebel said. "They have others that we can lean on to coach him through it and that’s a testament to the type of team this is. They’re tight and they play together."

Montgomery has gone through the fire the last three weeks, playing physical, talented South Williamsport, Troy and Muncy teams. All three games were close, exciting and intense. Montgomery went 2-1, defeating South and Muncy, while dropping a seven-point heartbreaker at Troy.

The biggest takeaway from all three games, however, was how well Montgomery responded when times grew tough. From a dramatic goal line stand against South, to holding Troy scoreless for three quarters, to the comeback against Muncy, Montgomery kept responding when pushed hard.

All that experience is beneficial moving forward. Because what Montgomery wants to do as the season continues is make its biggest push at the right time.

And what the last decade has taught these seniors; what the seniors have taught the underclassmen is that they will all make that push together.

"We know that we have to focus. We know we have to keep pushing ourselves and pushing our teammates," Hugar said. "Every time we have these tough, close games we just keep pushing forward."

BUILDING BLOCK

Muncy (3-2) did not earn the win, but it continued growing and gave Montgomery a better game than it did twice last season. Considering how many young players Muncy is starting, that is an especially encouraging sign.

Make no mistake, there are great senior leaders there, too. Nate Rogers, Jaxson Thomas, Nixon Lamper and Drew Ryder all made big contributions as they have done all season. Still, it’s the mix of those seniors with so many exciting underclassmen which has the present and future looking promising.

Despite the outcome, Muncy gaining the experience it did last Friday is another step in the right direction.

"We have good senior leadership but we also have a bunch of freshmen and sophomores, too, so to be in this environment in a physical game after a physical game last week and a physical game coming up this next week is big," Muncy coach Chris Persing said. "It’s hard to replicate that in practice. You just try and prep them and the young guys are doing a pretty good job. They’re not perfect, but they’re doing a really good job."

The bonus going forward is that many Muncy players exposed to a big-game, playoff-type atmosphere now know first-hand what it’s like. They experienced some exciting moments against Montgomery and now Muncy hopes more moments like those are coming.

"We try and tell them this is what you play high school football for," Persing said. "There are kids who will play four years of high school football and never get to play in an environment like this and a game like this, so try and enjoy those moments."

BREAKING OUT

Hughesville put up a green and white wall Friday, earning its first win and blanking Northwest, 21-0. It was an especially impressive win, considering Northwest entered the game, averaging 44 points per game. The Spartans allowed just 173 yards, and only 38 after halftime, while Alphonzo Smith set up the game-clinching touchdown with an interception.

The offense scored 21 second half points with Nick Stubbs and Chase Shrawder combining for 90 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Stubbs also found Connor Anstadt for a 35-yard touchdown. Anstadt helped change the game with his leg, dropping two punts inside the 5-yard line during the second half.

EXTRA POINTS

South Williamsport put everything together and snapped a two-game losing streak in impressive fashion, blanking Canton, 56-0. The Mounties handed Canton its second loss and built a 35-0 halftime lead as both lines surged. Eli White, Taylor, Naugle and Cade Lusk all topped 60 yards and scored touchdowns, while Garrett Lorson and Colton Paulhamus also ran for scores. Paulhamus played a super all-around game, also returning an interception for a touchdown and collecting a sack. South held Canton to 86 yards and five players recorded sacks ... Lewisburg rallied from down a touchdown late in the first half to score the final 36 points and defeat Warrior Run, 43-14. Freshman Ethan Coleman burst onto the scene, rushing for 160 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries. Drake Osunde, Todd Dershem and Jaylen Walker caught touchdowns with Walker adding his third interception to set up a second half score ... Cowanesque Valley won its second straight game, allowing just 53 yards in a 52-7 victory at North Penn-Mansfield. The Indians (2-3) have outscored their last two opponents, 81-7 and scored the game’s first 35 points by the second quarter. Dave Hess scored four first-half touchdowns, running for three and returning an interception 66 yards for another while totaling 155 yards. Gavin Churchill threw for 118 yards, finding Cam Stahli and Logan Huntington for touchdows. Trenton Schaar collected two sacks and Stevie Olson and Justin Schaar also had sacks.

Dr. Masse's top 5 rankings

1. Williamsport (4-1): Some from Selinsgrove talked a good game on social media burner accounts leading up to Friday's game against Williamsport. Williamsport played a good game. The Millionaires stifled Selinsgrove from the start, holding it scoreless for nearly 43 minutes; allowing just 129 rushing yards and winning, 23-8. Freshman Za'Mire Hopkins burst onto the scene, running for 140 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Zion Hughes played a fabulous game as well, completing 18 of 23 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns to Trey Damschroder and Jaylen Lilly. Damschroder has caught a touchdown in every game and Williamsport has been so balanced this season that its rushing yards (1,061) are nearly identical to its passing yards (1,051). Brayden Ungard continues providing a special teams weapon and kicked his area-high third field goal, a 36-yarder as Williamsport built a 23-0 fourth quarter lead.

2. Montgomery (4-1): Montgomery navigated the toughest part of its schedule pretty well and is closing in on a second straight league championship. Wins over Wyalusing and Sayre the next two weeks would secure no worse than a share of that crown and wins there and in the finale against Cowanesque Valley would clinch it. The Raiders also moved to No. 2 in the District 4 Class A standings.

3. Jersey Shore (3-2): Shikellamy defeated Jersey Shore for the first time since 2017, scoring the final 30 points in a 56-27 win. The Bulldogs rallied from a 12-point second quarter deficit to lead by one in the third quarter before things fell apart. Quarterback Nolen Pauling threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns, reaching 300 total yards for a fifth straight game. Connor Winters continued his big breakout season, hauling in five passes for 147 yards and two scores. Winters has 312 yards and four touchdowns the past two games. Khani McCray also caught his third touchdown, all three covering at least 20 yards. It's looking like Jersey Shore will be on the road in the opening round of districts for the first time in nine years if it qualifies. Still, all the goals Jersey Shore have are there for the taking, so it's looking to flush the last two weeks and make a strong second-half push.

4. Montoursville (3-2): Montoursville produced its second straight shutout, blanking Milton, 36-0. The defense has allowed just one touchdown in three wins and the Warriors have scored 90 straight points going back to Week 3. Zane Butler and Gavin Bower collected sacks against Milton, with Butler making three tackles for loss. Brayden Burkett and Maxton Williamson both added eight tackles, six solos each. Quarterback Elijah Eck totaled 323 yards and three touchdowns, throwing for 229 and running for 94. He also connected with seven different receivers. Kaden Kleinman ran for 79 yards and two scores, while Burkett caught a touchdown for a second consecutive game. The Warriors started strong, scoring on their first two possessions with Eck's 65-yard touchdown run making it, 22-0 at halftime. Montoursville generated momentum for a showdown with Danville, also 3-2, Friday. The winner there akes a big step forward in terms of earning a first round home game for the District 4 Class AAA playoffs.

5. Loyalsock (3-2): Loyalsock rallied to take a lead with 3 minutes, 16 seconds remaining against defending District 4 Class AAA champion Mifflinburg before the Wildcats answered and won a 32-27 thriller. Loyalsock's two losses are by 12 combined points, the outcome being decided in the final minutes each time. Senior Matthew Rickard had a big game, making 16 tackles, including 14 solos, intercepting a pass and catching a touchdown. Cooper Cowden also had an interception, making nine tackles, while Jackson Keefer made 10 tackles. Freshman quarterback Dyson Dupont continues to impress, throwing for 163 yards and two scores, while rushing for a season-high 116 yards with a touchdown. Zion Cobb caught four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. Loyalsock returns home Friday for a good test against Lewisburg.

Players of the Week

Lincoln Miller, Montgomery and Xavier Carter, Lewisburg: Miller was a wrecking machine against Muncy both ways, especially defensively. In addition to recovering a fumble for a touchdown, Miller piled up four sacks, forced two fumbles and made eight tackles. That on top of rushing for a career-high 129 yards. Miller's had some terrific games throughout his scholastic career, and this was his best. After missing all but the first few plays of the last three games, Carter made a huge impact in his return from injury. The senior quarterback threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns, while running for 58 yards and another score. Carter found three different receivers for scores and help ignite the comeback which allowed Lewisburg to score the game's final 29 points.

Game of the Week

Williamsport at Jersey Shore: South Williamsport at Muncy is a great one as well, but the current No. 1 vs the previous No. 1 team gives this showdown the nod. Jersey Shore has dominated the two games since Williamsport joined the HAC-I, so the Millionaires will likely be itching to try and make a statement at Thompson Street Stadium. Conversely, Jersey Shore wants to change its season's direction and show that while it has experienced two rough weeks, those games do not define it. There are some explosive playmakers on each team, so this should be quite an entertaining game.

–Masse may be reached at cmasse@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @docmasse