Chris Masse on football: Sock’s 13 leaders learned a lot at young age on field
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A few years back, the current Loyalsock seniors and juniors playing youth football seemed impossible.
It’s not that they could not play. It’s just there were only 13 of them.
And yet, somehow Loyalsock finished that season.
The lesson learned there was something which now defines the program. And whatever has come its way this season, Loyalsock has never forgotten it.
Most players are new starters this season; Injuries have piled up and two losses were decided in the last two minutes. Instead of moving backward, Loyalsock continues pulling tighter and moving forward.
The Lancers took a big step forward last Friday at Warrior Run, scoring 21 fourth quarter points and defeating the Defenders, 35-27. Cayden Sones, one of those 13 a few years ago, ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns as Loyalsock (4-3) produced 21 points in 92 seconds, turning a tie game into a 35-14 advantage,
"They’re tough kids; they’re hard workers. They give everything they have. They continue to do that throughout their entire careers and I really look forward to continue working with them and growing with them," Loyalsock coach Justin Van Fleet said. "The entire world certainly would have said the smart move would have been to pack it in (years ago) but they haven’t. They continue to fight; they continue to grow and the younger kids continue to follow them."
Youth and high school sports are more than wins and losses. Professionals and, now major Division I athletes, are paid to play and there the results are the bottom line. And, obviously, everyone who competes at the youth and scholastic leaves wants to win; should strive to win.
But it’s just as much about learning about life through sports at this stage. Those 13 players who are now team leaders learned a lot at young ages. They went through the fire; came out unscathed and have kept improving and leading since then.
So, while others might not think there’s much special about Loyalsock’s 4-3 record, Van Fleet and his staff know that there certainly is.
Van Fleet is a huge fan of former president Teddy Roosevelt, naming one of his sons after the American legend. So, it seems appropriate that his team embodies what Roosevelt talked about when he gave his famous "Man in the Arena," speech.
"Who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." -- Teddy Roosevelt
Loyalsock has coached 15 years at Loyalsock. He’s coached Division I players and his teams have reached districts every year. This one likely will as well. But what Van Fleet loves most about this team is something stats cannot measure.
"Those juniors and seniors, I’ll give them all the credit in the world because it’s their attitude that’s provided the mentality that helps make this team move," Van Fleet said. "They build off that. They understand that. They understand being underdogs and still going out there and fighting. We’ll continue to keep grinding and putting forth competitive efforts. At the end of the day this is one of the teams I’m, most proud of. They continue to persevere."
The roots run deep, too. The youth levels now feature teams which Van Fleet says are about 40-strong at every level. All are running the same high school playbook, too, building both continuity and chemistry.
When Van Fleet became head coach in 2012, he was one of District 4’s youngest leaders. Now he is one of the most experienced and has built a true program. These 2026 Lancers have proven it with several newcomers making big impacts and the next man up repeatedly stepping up when a starter is lost.
Seniors like Sones, Wyatt Emerick, Jordan Walker, Tommy Pham and Connor Tallman, among others, came up big against Warrior Run, but so did players like freshmen Dyson Dupont (158 total yards, 2 touchdowns) and Cooper Cowden.
The older players have set the tone and the younger ones keep feeding off it. Thus, that cycle which has defined the program these last 15 years continues strengthening.
"It shows a lot about our team. We’re all in it to win it," Sones said. "It’s not just one guy being a Superman. It’s a team game. You can’t just put one guy out there and expect to win."
Van Fleet often stresses to his players that the average play lasts six seconds. Every six-second interval is a new opportunity. It’s about winning as many as those six seconds which often determines who wins the 48-minute battle.
But even when Loyalsock has been in the minority there, its coaches have enjoyed seeing the tenacity displayed. They can work on cleaning up mistakes; correcting plays gone wrong, but the effort has to come from within. That is a constant coaches see whenever they watch the post-game film.
"I told them in life you’re given opportunities you’re not ready for 99.999% of the time and it’s something you have to grow through. The kids are growing through it," Van Fleet said. "They’re taking positive strides. Every play they’re out there, all I need is six seconds of all they got. This team has really given me that from beginning to end."
Nearly everyone who plays a sport dreams of winning a championship, whether league, district or state. But at this level, lessons learned on the field often mean as much as the trophies as the years go by.
Those 13 Lancers learned a powerful one years ago. The lessons continue now and the Lancers continue absorbing them like sponges. That is not just helping on the field, but in life and that's the biggest win possible.
"We’re not dropping our heads when we’re down. We’re persevering through everything that is thrown at us. We’re bouncing right back," Tallman said. "On and off the field, I feel like we’re becoming the men Van Fleet wants us to become."
5-FOR-5
Lewisburg quarterback Xavier Carter completed five passes Friday against Midd-West … For five touchdowns and 161 yards. Talk about efficient.
Carter threw five touchdowns for a second straight game and Lewisburg won its third straight, imposing the mercy rule early in the third quarter, and downing the Mustangs, 42-28. Carter has put on quite a passing display since returning from an injury three weeks ago. He has torched three opponents for 756 yards and 13 opponents during that span.
Jaylen Walker and Drake Osunde caught two touchdowns against Midd-West and Todd Dershem hauled in a score for a third consecutive game. Walker continued his tremendous season season, also returning a punt 86 yards for a score and intercepting his district-high sixth pass.
Walker also made history against Midd-West. The standout receiver broke Lewisburg’s career yardage record, moving past Dylan Farronato and reaching 2,118 yards. Walker also became just the fifth player in area history to reach 30 career touchdown catches.
EXTRA POINTS
Muncy made a series timely stops and Nate Rogers’ last minute interception sealed a 14-6 win against Canton in a battle of District 4 Class A contenders. Rogers also caught six passes for 61 yards and has five interceptions. Chance Boozer intercepted his third pass and four players had sacks. Noah Weikle threw for 157 yards and a touchdown, finding Kynton Fish for a score after Jermain Morgan recovered an onside kick which followed Layken Harris’s 17-yard scoring run. Bailey Gardner had a big game for Canton, collecting 16 tackles, a sack and 91 total yards. Marcus Solomon had 11 tackles and two sacks, while Owen Moore threw for 149 yards and a touchdown ... Milton (3-4) continued surging, overpowering Central Columbia, 51-0. The Black Panthers outgained Central, 509-91 and produced their fifth shutout in two seasons. Ja’Cori Brown (104 yards) caught a touchdown and threw one while Kamryn Wilson had six catches for 71 yards and two scores. Schuyler Humphrey was a big part of the stifling defense and caught a 22-yard touchdown. Six different Black Panthers found the end zone ... Wellsboro played its best game this season last Thursday, defeating Towanda, 16-7. The Hornets scored touchdowns on their first two possessions as Griffin Morral returned from injury and threw for 154 yards. He found Ethan Keane for a touchdown and Max Mascho ran for 87 yards. Reed Richardson sparked the defense, making 13 tackles ... Hughesville running back Chase Shrawder went over 100 yards for a second straight game, going for 104 yards in a 36-14 loss against Bloomsburg ... Liam Moore had a big game for Warrior Run against Loyalsock, catching a career-high nine passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns. That included a spectacular one-handed 16-yard touchdown grab in which Moore reached behind to make the catch.
Chris Masse may be reached at cmasse@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @docmasse.
DR. MASSE’S TOP 5 RANKINGS
1. Williamsport (5-2): Williamsport was right with Shamokin, the state's No. 1-ranked 4A team, before and injury to quarterback Zion Hughes dampened the comeback hopes. Williamsport trailed by just seven early in the third quarter and was in the red zone following a Cordoza Minor blocked punt but a fumble on the next play was returned deep in Williamsport territory and Shamokin took charge from there, winning 48-13. The defense shut down Shamokin's potent running game in the first half and Kason Ulmer shined again on both sides of the ball, producing a sack and five catches for 48 yards. Ulmer has three sacks the last two games and also leads all area tight ends with 22 receptions for 278 yards. The Millionaires are hoping they have quarterback Tevin Williams back Friday as they head to Berwick as it tries maintaining its grip on District 2-4 Class 6A's top seed.
2. Montgomery (6-1): Montgomery sophomore Brody Denton has come up big for the Sun-Gazette the past two weeks, providing us stats from the team's games. Denton was busy charting explosive plays Friday at Sayre as Montgomery averaged a whopping 20.1 yards per play as it romped to a 56-7 win. The Red Raiders clinched a share of a second straight NTL-II championship and will win it outright if they defeat Cowanesque Valley in Week 10. Montgomery ran for 313 yards on 16 carries and scored on six of those. Trace Furman took his two carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a 28-yard touchdown catch from his brother Gage who went 5 of 5 for 109 yards. Lincoln Miller (104 yards) topped 100 yards for a third straight game and Briar Persing totaled 107 yards with a touchdown. Landon Livermore and Hayden Denton also ran for scores and the defense did not allow a point, stretching that streak to 10 quarters with Sayre's only points coming on a fumble return.
3. Jersey Shore (4-3): After hitting a rough patch, Jersey Shore smoothed things out at DuBois and dominated the line of scrimmage in a 28-14 win. The Bulldogs outgained DuBois, 460-194 and held a 21-point late fourth quarter lead.Linemen Jake Bressler, Nate Thompson, Ace Willits, Isaac Shirey and Jayce Fetzer led the way as Nolen Pauling (142 yards, 4 touchdowns) and Zeke Sechrist (114) both topped 100 yards. Pauling also threw for 197 yards, topping 300 total yards for a seventh straight game. The defense played its best game since Week 3, bottling up a dangerous offense and Khani McCray intercepted two passes. Carter Rhinehart's return from injury made a big difference in all three phases and Jersey Shore never trailed. The Bulldogs continue their tour of Western Pennsylvania Friday, heading to Hollidaysburg.
4. South Williamsport (5-2): The points came fast and furious at Wyalusing as the defense and special teams scored touchdowns before the offense took the field in a 71-0 win. South scored all 71 points in the first half and scored four touchdowns on defense and special teams. Caleb Johnson took a fumble for a score and Garrett Lorson an interception, while Samir Moy returned the opening kickoff and a punt for touchdowns. Dominik Goode continued his big season with two interceptions and South allowed just 48 yards while producing its fourth shutout. South has allowed just six points during its three-game winning streak. Cole Gerber threw for 158 yards and four touchdowns, finding Levi Butler for six catches, 91 yards and three scores. Lorson also threw a touchdown to Neeko Bowen and caught a 50-yard strike from Gerber. South has won at least five games for a 15th straight season.
5. Montoursville (4-3): Montoursville generated some positives in a 35-14 loss against undefeated Mount Carmel if the two cross paths again. Elijah Eck threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns, while Jacob Schon was all over defensively, generating a career-high 17 tackles (12 solos) and a sack. Kaden Kleinman made 13 tackles, Zane Butler 11 and Brayden Burkett 10. Burkett caught a touchdown as well and Bryson Fillman hauled in his fifth touchdown in two games, a 43-yard strike from Eck. The game was tied after a quarter before Mount Carmel scored 21 second quarter points to take control. Montoursville heads to Central Mountain Friday before two big games against Mifflinburg and Loyalsock.
Players of the Week -- Carter Rhinehart, Jersey Shore and Paxton Humphrey, Milton
Rhinehart came back with a vengeance after missing the last two games, catching a career-high nine passes for 125 yards. Rhinehart's impact helped open up the running game as well and solidified both the defense and special teams. He replaced injured kicker Gage Welshans and went 4 of 4 on extra points in his first action there. Despite missing those 2 ½ games, Rhinehart is among District 4 leaders with 34 catches for 602 yards.
Humphrey sure made his first start a memorable one. The freshman quarterback completed 19 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns in Milton's win. Humphrey hit three different receivers with touchdowns and has blossomed since starting to split time with Kamryn Wilson three weeks ago. In just 2 ½ games, Humphrey has thrown for 618 yards and five scores.
Game of the Week -- Bloomsburg at Lewisburg
Lewisburg has heated up, making its game Friday against Bloomsburg especially intriguing. Bloomsburg (7-0) is ranked ninth in the Class AA state rankings and Lewisburg has an opportunity to try and make a big statement. Last year's game was an exciting one with Bloomsburg erasing a halftime deficit and winning, 35-24.