Joyful championship: Logan Joy’s fantastic defense helps Montgomery repeat as NTL-II champions

MANSFIELD--One could close his or her eyes Thursday night and still sense the impact Montgomery defensive back Logan Joy made.

Just listen.

Joy was the one whose hits often reverberated throughout Karl Van Norman Field. Oh yeah, he also intercepted two passes; broke up two more and made 10 tackles, helping Montgomery hold off upset-minded Cowanesque Valley, 28-13 in its regular-season finale.

On a night the offense struggled mightily at times, Joy helped ignite a unit which allowed just one offensive score as Montgomery (9-1, 5-0) clinched a second straight NTL-II championship, the first Red Raider squad to repeat as league champions this century.

"He (Joy) had one of his better nights of play period, tonight. That’s not just this season, but of his career," Montgomery coach Joel Knoebel said. "He had a good night."

Josh Knoebel ran for two touchdowns; Lincoln Miller another on a 4th-and-12 play and Briar Persing returned the second-half’s opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. Still, CV had Montgomery on the ropes at times, tying the game, 13-13 in the second quarter’s final minute and limiting it to 233 yards.

The offense did not score a second half point, but Joy and the defense stepped up and dropped the hammer anyway, denying CV points on three possessions inside the 25-yard line. Joy was at the heart of that defensive success; playing both cornerback and safety and making seven second-half tackles after picking off two first-half passes.

"It’s different people stepping up," Joy said. "That’s how we roll."

Joy set a physical tone with some jarring hits and made one of his most impressive plays on special teams. There, he pulled down the punt returner for no gain while on the ground and using just one arm. It’s been quite a climb for a player who one considered tackling one of his weak points when he started playing youth football.

Back then, and through his freshman year, Joy played linebacker. He made strides there, especially with tackling, and learned from veterans like Coy Bryson and Payton Hartman that freshman season.

That experience, as well as a quick mind, good instincts and speed, helped Joy make a smooth transition to cornerback as a sophomore. That was when Montgomery started making a huge turnaround, going from 1-9 to 7-4. Joy intercepted five passes a year ago and did not allow a touchdown pass, helping the Red Raiders go 10-2 and reach the District 4 Class A championship.

Now, Joy is emptying the tank and doing all he can to help Montgomery keep ascending. He is averaging nearly seven tackles per game and showcased his versatility Thursday, moving to safety, when all-state safety Trace Furman was injured in the second quarter.

"I moved to corner last year and played safety in the second half because Trace got hurt. It’s kind of just wherever they need me db-wise,: Joy said. "I love it back there. I feel like it’s where I belong. I always wanted to back there."

Joy has found a home in the secondary and against determined CV, his interception on the game’s second possession created a short field. His second one closed the first half and preserved a 21-13 advantage. Throughout the second half, Joy went into Ronnie Lott-mode, delivering hard hits near the line of scrimmage; whether CV threw or ran.

All that helped the Raiders hold CV scoreless over the final two quarters despite it reaching the 5, 20 and 21-yard lines, respectively.

"It’s been a quick transition (to the secondary), but I’ve liked it," Joy said. "Having two linebackers like Coy and Payton Hartman next to me was big. I learned a ton from them. It was a good learning experience and it’s helping me now."

Montgomery is hoping to use Thursday’s game as a learning experience because CV (3-7) pushed it harder than any opponent since Muncy in Week 5. The Indians humbled a team which scored 84 points last week and its defense shut down a running game which produced 612 yards in that victory.

Six nights after the Raiders averaged 21.1 yards per carry, Montgomery’s offensive line struggled against an aggressive CV front and they managed just 3.4 yards per carry.

"It definitely wasn’t our best night. Give them credit. They had a good game plan and executed and we didn’t," Coach Knoebel said. "But we’ll get it corrected. I’m confident about that."

Even Montgomery’s first touchdown came the hard way after it had a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. CV allowed nothing on three straight plays before Knoebel’s 1-yard score gave Montgomery a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.

It appeared Montgomery was starting to click as it moved the ball to the 5-yard line on its next series, but disaster struck when a block was missed and quarterback Gage Furman was hit as he threw. Lineman Stevie Olson, who wreaked havoc all night, picked off the deflected pass and went 98 yards for a score, pulling CV within a point.

Trace Furman returned a punt 33 yards and Miller followed a good block on a fourth-and-12 toss two possessions later. Miller, who also was all over defensively, beat containment to the edge, cut up field and rumbled 28 yards for a score which made it, 13-6. Trace Furman, however, was injured a series later following a 21-yard catch-and-run.

At that point, Montgomery had allowed no first downs and 17 yards on 18 plays. On CV’s next play, though, Cam Stahli took advantage of a miscommunication, worked himself wide open and hauled in Gavin Churchill’s 41-yard touchdown, tying the game, 13-13. That also made CV the first team since Muncy five weeks earlier to erase a Montgomery lead.

Just when it seemed like CV would have the momentum going into halftime, Hayden Denton changed everything with one quick; big play. Landon Livermore recovered an onside kick at the 46-yard line with 35 seconds remaining in the half and Montgomery created a seismic shift in the game’s trajectory from there.

Furman found Denton streaking across the middle and hit him in stride 10 yards down field. Denton, replacing Trace Furman offensively, then ripped off a fabulous run, breaking multiple tackles and going 53 yards to the 1-yard line through a broken field. Knoebel scored two plays later and added a 2-point conversion run. Joy’s last-second interception kept it, 21-13 at halftime.

"Hayden Denton doing what he did at the end of the half was huge. That was a huge play for us," Coach Knoebel said. "It was a lot of guys stepping up when other teams could crumble when somebody goes down like that."

Persing picked up where Denton left off and provided another jolt to open the third quarter. The senior fielded a bouncing kickoff at the 20-yard line, exploded through a hole up the middle, then outran the coverage from there, going 80 yards untouched and giving Montgomery, a 28-13 lead.

CV kept threatening but Cameron Woltz, who topped 100 tackles for a third straight season, recovered a fumble at the 10-yard line; Joy broke up a pass from the 30 and Denton intercepted his sixth pass this year on a throw over the middle, sealing victory.

Still, while Montgomery earned the win, it knows it must play better moving forward. Not only did the offense not score in the second half, but it produced only one first down before an offsides penalty gave it its second and let it run off the remaining 16 seconds.

"It was 100 % a wake-up call. We thought we were going to absolutely smoke this team by 50-60+ and it was a whole different story," Joy said. "It was a good wake-up call which we definitely needed going into playoffs."

CV gave Montgomery a battle for a second straight year after losing, 21-6 at Red Raider Stadium last year. The Indians overcame several injuries and not being able to play in their new stadium all season with it still under construction.

Through it all, the Indians won at least third games for a fourth straight year and highlighted their resiliency with their effort in this final game. Churchill threw for 121 yards and do-everything senior Dave Hess totaled 101 yards, while making multiple tackles for loss. Hess closed his brilliant scholastic career with more than 4,600 yards of total offense and fellow senior Kegan Lane more than 300 tackles despite missing this season’s first seven games with a broken leg.

What Montgomery hopes now is that a tough CV team gave it just the push it needed as it pursues its district goals. The Raiders have a first-round bye next week and will host a semifinal game either as the top or No. 2 seed in two weeks.

"We have to come out guns blazing the first week of playoffs," Coach Knoebel said. "Nothing is guaranteed, but this one more game. That’s it. That’s how we have to look at it."

Montgomery 28, Cowanesque Valley 13

Montgomery 7 14 7 0--28

CV 0 13 0 0--13

First Quarter

M--Josh Knoebel 1 run (Dylan Sherman kick), :15

Second Quarter

C--Stevie Olson 98-yard interception return (run failed), 4:37

M--Lincoln Miller 28 run (kick failed), 4:37

C--Cam Stahli 41 pass from Gavin Churchill (Mason Wonderlich kick), :35

M--Knoebel 1 run (Knoebel run), :15

Third Quarter

M--Briar Persing 80-yard kickoff return (Sherman kick), 11:48

TEAM STATISTICS M C

First Downs 11 10

Rushes-yards 35-118 26-80

Passing yards 115 121

Total yards 233 201

Comp-Att-Int 6-16-1 11-25-3

Fumbles-lost 2-0 5-1

Penalties-yards 7-70 9-64

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Montgomery, Lincoln Miller 7-53, TD; Josh Knoebel 14-30, 2 TD; Trace Furman 4-19; Briar Persing 7-10; Gage Furman 2-2; Team 1-(-6). CV, Dave Hess 13-46; Gavin Churchill 6-22; Stevie Olson 5-16; Max Millard 1-1; Team 1-(-5).

PASSING: Montgomery, G Furman 6-16-1, 115 yards. CV,

RECEIVING: Montgomery, Hayden Denton 2-55; T Furman 2-35; Miller 1-13; Persing 1-12. CV, Hess 5-57; Olson 2-8; Brody Bruce 2-1; Cam Stahli 1-41, TD; Millard 1-14.

INTERCEPTIONS: Montgomery, Logan Joy 2; Denton. CV, Olson.

RECORDS: Montgomery 9-1, 5-0 NTL-II. CV 3-7, 2-3.