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Montgomery earns 12-6 victory in rivalry game over South Williamsport

By Chris Masse 8 min read

MONTGOMERY--Hayden Denton made the play countless times before. The opponent driving; a huge crowd looking on, the pressure on and Denton delivered a game-changing interception.

That was how the sophomore cornerback envisioned it going all those times he imagined it anyway.

And Saturday night, at the perfect time, Denton lived the dream.

Denton made a leaping end zone interception with 3 minutes, 17 seconds remaining and Montgomery ran out the clock from there as it won a thrilling 12-6 rivalry contest against South Williamsport at rainy Red Raider Stadium Saturday night. Denton’s interception followed a fabulous Montgomery goal line stand a series earlier as the Raiders (3-0, 2-0 NTL-II) overcome both adversity and an outstanding South effort to win a huge game in the race for league supremacy.

"That’s like the same thing I dreamed of coming from junior high up to varsity," Denton said. "It was great."

So was this game.

Denton’s interception; the goal line stand and Josh Knoebel running for 148 yards with two touchdowns highlighted a win which spoke to Montgomery’s heart as much as its talent. South (2-1, 1-1) pushed Montgomery harder than any league opponent has the past two seasons but the Raiders would not crack.

"We faced a lot of adversity there. Our backs were literally against the wall, but we gritted it out," Knoebel said. "That really shows our team aspect where we all come together and work as one. It’s not an individual thing. It’s the team coming together and getting gritty and having that camaraderie."

"It’s a character win. We have big goals and to achieve those goals we are going to face adversity," Montgomery coach Joel Knoebel said. "To play a game like this and experience as much adversity as we did, as much as I don’t want to as I’m calling a game, that is such a great team building opportunity for this group of kids."

South continued building upon its strong foundation as well. Montgomery had routed the Mounties the past two seasons, but a tough-minded 23-player team only cares about the present and future; not the past. Garrett Lorson ripped off a highlight-reel 30-yard touchdown which put South up, 6-0 in the second quarter, the defense allowed just 202 yards and, time after time, different players took turns delivering in key moments.

Victory just eluded South Saturday, but how it played could point to many more down the road if it builds off that performance.

"We can talk till the cows come home but the fact is a lot of guys played the best games of their careers. That’s what I take from this," South coach Chris Eiswerth said. "It hurts but you have to use it as fuel because they have a really good football team. I can’t say anymore than that’s one where we did everything but win the game on the scoreboard. It’s unfortunate, but I think everything is ahead of these guys if they can stay focused."

In a game filled with plays, the game’s outcome essentially swung on two monster ones the Montgomery defense made.

The fourth-and-goal stop at the 1 was great, but had Denton not made the biggest play of his young high school career it might not have mattered. So, that stand started pointed the way to victory and Denton served as the closer.

South’s defense produced a stop, forced a punt and gave the ball back to its offense which resumed marching toward the end zone. The Mounties reached the Raider 12, but a hurdling penalty pushed it back to the 27. Following a Samir Moy six-yard catch, Denton dropped back as the moment he long thought about played out in real time.

Levi Butler sprinted down the left sideline and toward the corner of the end zone. Denton stayed stride for stride with the record-setting Mountie receiver. He provided blanket coverage, then made the catch, maintaining contact as he hit the ground. Seconds later he was engulfed by jubilant teammates as Montgomery soon celebrated the kind of win that make high school sports so memorable.

"I was just dropping into my coverage and I had to play deep coverage there, so I had to keep retreating back and my teammates yelled, ‘Ball!’ Denton said. "I just looked up and I came in (toward the ball) and it went straight into my chest."

"Hayden is a great kid," Josh Knoebel said. "I was smiling ear to ear seeing him get that interception."

Montgomery returned most of its starters from the area’s top-ranked defense a year ago. Denton, however, is the new kid on the block. He has fit like a glove, too.

The game-clincher was Denton’s third interception in two weeks. He also returned one for a touchdown at Canton eight nights ago. Denton plays a vital role on offense, helping set the edge at tight end and added two tackles for loss against a South team which had scored 103 points the first two weeks.

"We have good leaders," Denton said. "Trace Furman and Briar Persing at safety; they lead me through everything on defense."

Defense ultimately won Montgomery the game and the goal-line stand was a five-star appetizer to Denton’s main course minutes later.

South put together a fabulous 15-play, 79-yard drive which lasted 8 minutes, 16 seconds. The Mounties effectively mixed the run and pass; Neeko Bowen caught two critical third-and-long passes from Cole Gerber and his five-yard catch had South two yards from paydirt. After Montgomery stopped Cade Lusk for a one-yard gain on the third quarter’s final play, the teams marched the length of the field in the opposite direction.

There, Montgomery made its best stand the season. South just inches from at least tying the game and possibly going ahead, the Raiders formed a red wall. About as soon as Lusk touched the ball, he was swarmed and the Raiders stopped the hard-nosed fullback inches from the goal line. It allowed 79 yards on that drive, but Montgomery guarded that last one like a dog does his prized bone.

"From tackle to tackle you saw no seam," Joel Knoebel said. "It was just a neutralize and a reverse push on the whole thing and we stopped them. Defense wins championships and we have confidence in our defense."

It was the offense, though, which gave Montgomery its lead, scoring 12 straight second quarter points. It was an impressive response, coming after Lorson’s touchdown had Montgomery facing a deficit for the first time this season.

Montgomery tied it just three runs later and Knoebel matched Lorson for run of the night to make it happen. The junior fullback was bottled up at the line on a run up the middle, but bounced off a defender ran to daylight around the left corner and went untouched the rest of the way for a 31-yard score.

Knoebel gave Montgomery the lead it did not relinquish a series later, scoring from six yards out, while going over 100 yards before halftime.

"I saw the hole close up and I was like I might as well reverse field and see how that goes and I was in the end zone however many yards later," Knoebel said of his game-tying touchdown. "They hit me and I spun out of it, and was able to run away from there."

It was a near repeat of the play Lorson had made just four plays earlier as South took a 6-0 lead.

The sophomore also went up the middle and looked like he had hit a dead end. Instead, Lorson spun away, beat containment to the edge and ran down the left sideline for just the second score against Montgomery’s starters this season.

That was one of several quality plays South made on both sides of the ball. Gerber completed 7 of 8 passes at one point during the second half; Lusk and Eli White ran for 109 yards; the offensive line helped South control the clock throughout the second half and Taylor Naugle recovered a fumble to stop a first-quarter Montgomery drive. Moy, Bowen and Butler all caught three passes as well.

The result was not what South wanted, but the effort sure was.

"I think that this group has gained a year-and-half worth of experience in less than a year, so look out," Eiswerth said. "I’m proud of them. I’m excited and hope they continue to grow."

Montgomery 12, South Williamsport 6

South 0 6 0 0--6

Montgomery 0 12 0 0--12

Second Quarter

S--Garrett Lorson 30 run (pass failed), 9:01

M--Josh Knoebel 31 run (kick blocked), 7:24

M--Knoebel 6 run (run failed), 1:00

TEAM STATISTICS S M

First Downs 14 10

Rushes-yards 40-159 38-202

Passing yards 89 0

Total yards 248 202

Comp-Att-Int 9-17-1 0-0-0

Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-1

Penalties-yards 6-50 3-40

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: South, Eli White 18-68; Cade Lusk 14-41; Garrett Lorson 6-39; Cole Gerber 2-11. Montgomery, Josh Knoebel 19-148, 2 TD; Trace Furman 11-36; Lincoln Miller 7-28; Briar Persing 1-(-10).

PASSING: South, Gerber 9-17-1, 89 yards.

RECEIVING: Samir Moy 3-37; Levi Butler 3-26; Neeko Bowen 3-26.

INTERCEPTIONS: Montgomery, Hayden Denton.

RECORDS: Montgomery 3-0, 2-0 NTL-II. South 2-1, 1-1.

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