Mount Carmel at Montoursville preview
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Mount Carmel PPG--44.5, PPA--21.5; YPG--433.5, YPA--307.8
Mount Carmel notes: Mount Carmel (6-0) is coming off a dramatic 27-26 win against Southern Columbia as quarterback Jaylen Delaney scored the winning touchdown with 73 seconds remaining. The Tornadoes snapped Southern’s 19-game winning streak and can clinch a share of the HAC-II championship with a win tonight. A win at Montoursville and against Central Columbia would give them the title outright. A Montoursville win would cause a three-way tie between Mount Carmel, Southern and Montoursville. The Tornadoes have run the ball at will throughout the season with both Delaney and running back Cooper Karycki averaging more than 100 yards per game and the team producing 392.8 per game. Mount Carmel has not thrown much but Delaney has been effective when doing so, with five of his 14 completions going for touchdowns, including three to Aiden Brokenshire. Delaney is among the program’s top 10 career receivers and ran for 152 yards and three scores in last year’s playoff game at Montoursville. He returned a kickoff 92 yards for a score against Southern and also intercepted a pass. Karycki took a punt back for a touchdown earlier this year. Mount Carmel dominated Danville up front two weeks ago, collecting 10 sacks. Josh Blessing generated 3 ½ and Kenny Miller leads the team with six. Mount Carmel is perched atop the District 4 Class AAA standings, holding a large lead over No. 2 Mifflinburg.
Mount Carmel player to watch--Max Karycki: The four-year starting defensive end helps ignite the defense and is seventh in program history with 344 career tackles. He also has 13 career sacks and 52 tackles for loss. Karycki averages 8.8 tackles per game, a huge number for a lineman, and has nine tackles for loss this season.
Montoursville PPG--28.5, PPA--17.0; YPG--351, YPA--255.5
Montoursville notes: Montoursville (4-2) is the last team to beat Mount Carmel, winning a thrilling 43-42 triple overtime district semifinal last fall. The Warriors also defeated the Tornadoes at the Silver Bowl in Week 4 before rallying in the fourth quarter and in the first and third overtimes to win the playoff contest. Montoursville has won three straight and has moved into the top four in the standings with room to move up if it continues playing well. The Warriors nearly produced a third straight shutout last week at Danville and scored 125 straight points between the fourth quarter of Week 3 and the fourth quarter of that game. Quarterback Elijah Eck went over 1,000 yards passing for a second straight week after throwing for 231 yards and four touchdowns at Danville. Freshman Bryson Fillman burst onto the scene, catching six passes for 130 yards and four touchdowns. He is one of six players who has more than 100 receiving yards this season. Colton Conklin ran for 136 yards last week and Kaden Kleinman ran for a touchdown for a third straight game. The defense has allowed just two touchdowns in four wins and linebacker Jacob Schon averages 8.7 tackles per game. Six players have three or more tackles for loss, including lineman Zane Butler and Riggs McGraw. Kleinman intercepted a pass last week and Brayden Burkett has three picks, including an interception return for a touchdown.
Montoursville player to watch--Cole Snyder: The senior linebacker also has an interception return for a score, perfectly reading a screen pass against Central Columbia, leaping to make the grab and taking it to the house. Snyder has a nose for the ball and has three tackles for loss. He also provides depth at tight end, averaging 28 yards per catch and totaling 100 yards against Southern and Milton.
Outlook: Montoursville certainly is battle-tested from its opening three games, so that helps a lot going into tonight. The Warriors have built some momentum the past three weeks, so while the challenge is another huge one, they likely are eager to embrace it in a battle of two of District 4’s biggest winners over the years.