Chris Masse on football: Warriors adhered to ‘Do your job’ mantra in Friday’s playoff win
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Every day, Montoursville players walk by a white board which says the same three words. The message there is simple, but powerful.
Do. Your. Job.
Legendary coach Bill Belichick made those three words famous and Montoursville’s defense brilliantly adhered to that mantra last Friday, allowing just 124 yards, while shutting out explosive Lewisburg, 14-0 in the District 4 Class AAA semifinals at Memorial Stadium.
The Warriors (7-4) allowed just 2.9 yards per play, forced four turnovers and earned a spot in Friday’s semifinals at the Silver Bowl against Mount Carmel.
"On our board it says do your job. That’s our motto," defensive tackle Riggs McGraw said after collecting 1 ½ sacks and two tackles for loss. "Everyone did that."
Lewisburg can validate that.
The Green Dragons entered the game averaging 29.5 points per game and featuring two dynamic 800-yard receivers. Quarterback Xavier Carter had thrown 23 touchdowns in six games since returning from injury and running back Ethan Coleman had run for more than 500 yards during that time.
But, even missing safety Brayden Burkett, Montoursville put a blanket over that array of weapons and never let any sparks fly. Carter was limited to one completion for 30 yards; Jaylen Walker one catch for 30 yards, Drake Osunde one catch for six yards and Coleman four yards on seven carries.
Lewisburg did not cross Montoursville’s 45-yard line until midway through the fourth quarter and the Warriors forced seven punts, while adding four sacks. Equally impressive, Montoursville permitted just two first downs through three quarters. In fact, Lewisburg’s most consistent play was Carter or Walker, who later moved to quarterback, running away from pressure; avoiding sacks and gaining chunk yardage under duress.
Over the last seven quarters, Montoursville has allowed just seven points. Friday also was the third shutout it has produced. Six times in seven wins, the Warriors have held opponents to one or no touchdowns. Against Lewisburg, the defense produced nine tackles for loss with Branson Fogleman, Riggs McGraw and Jacob Schon all making two.
"Our defense has definitely been there. I feel like we’ve had it all season. " cornerback James Williams said after intercepting a pass, breaking up a long one and recovering a fumble. " Since Loyalsock (in Week 10) we played hard; we knew we played hard. We knew we had to carry that mentality into the playoffs and I think we definitely did."
It showed early and often. Lewisburg gained just 59 yards on 25 first-half plays and produced two first downs. Montoursville forced six three-and-outs and Lewisburg never could rediscover the rhythm which helped it top 30 points in five straight games from Weeks 5-9.
The front seven bottled up the run, the defensive line frequently had quarterbacks immediately on the run and defensive backs draped receivers. Simply put, players at all three levels did their jobs.
"Getting that pressure was big, especially when it’s just your front four and everyone else can drop into coverage," Montoursville coach Reese Holmes said. "Toward the end of the game, we were sending a couple blitzes, but for most part it was just Branson and Zane (Butler) on the edges and our d-tackles in the middle giving them issues. We tried to cage them in there because of their play-making ability.
"They did a great job making plays. They had to get the ball out quick, and we had a lot of coverage sacks, too."
BREAKING THROUGH: Jersey Shore wiped away three years of frustration and heartbreak in impressive fashion, hammering Shamokin, 26-6 in Friday’s District 4 Class AAAA semifinals while earning a spot in a ninth straight championship Friday at Shikellamy. Shamokin had defeated Jersey Shore in consecutive finals, three times by four combined points these past three seasons and, 35-14 seven weeks earlier.
But the Bulldogs never thought about what was; only what could be and scored 26 straight points in the middle quarters, taking a 26-0 lead into the fourth. They played well in all facets; received strong contributions throughout the roster and ended the reign of the two-time champions who were ranked No. 1 in the state through eight weeks.
"I can almost guarantee that when they announced the scores around the area, everybody was shocked when they heard we were winning," two-way, first-time starter Khani McCray said. "It feels great because years before I would be in the stands and they’d be going against Shamokin and they (the Indians) were always winning. It’s great to finally beat them after so many years of them beating us.
“It’s almost like breaking a curse."
McCray helped Jersey Shore reverse that curse when he made a hustling play and forced a fumble inside the 5-yard line when the game was scoreless. Nolen Pauling recovered and returned it 36 yards and then found Carter Rhinehart for a 63-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs were rolling from there, scoring touchdowns on their next four possessions.
The work continues and Jersey Shore gets another shot at revenge when it plays Shikellamy Friday, but the Bulldogs certainly savored a win three years in the making last Friday.
"We tell the kids we want to do ordinary things extraordinarily well and they all were making plays," Jersey Shore coach Tom Gravish said. "They’re all coming together, and we still felt like we left some points on the board. We just have to keep plugging away."
COMEBACK KIDS: Canton produced its fourth comeback win this season, turning a 10-point halftime deficit into a 45-29 District 4 Class A quarterfinal win against Northwest. Bailey Gardner ran wild and Canton scored 33 straight second-half points to take control while generating a season-high 458 yards.
This was the second time Canton (5-6) overcame a second-half deficit of nine or more points and the third time, period, it erased a halftime deficit. Brooks Wesneski helped seal victory when he found Rylan Wesneski for a 38-yard fourth quarter touchdown and the defense forced six turnovers. Marcus Solomon made 11 tackles and Owen Moore picked off a pass, helping Canton earn a spot at Montgomery in Friday’s semifinals.
EXTRA POINTS: Loyalsock wide receiver Matt Rickard erupted for six catches, 218 yards and a touchdown in a 49-30 District 4 Class AAA quarterfinal loss at Athens. The 218 yards are the second-highest by an area receiver this season, trailing only Walker’s 219. Quarterback Dyson Dupont threw for 265 yards, ran for two scores and closed his debut season with an area freshman record 1,702 yards passing, 2,291 total yards and 27 touchdowns. Cayden Sones added 104 yards rushing and a touchdown ... Chase Shrawder ran for 139 yards and Hughesville hung tough with Troy for a half before the Trojans pulled away and won a District 4 Class AA quarterfinal, 35-13. Shrawder scored, while Nick Stubbs (100) yards found Julian Smith for a touchdown which made it, 14-13 at halftime. Connor Anstadt caught seven passes and Shrawder topped 100 yards for the fifth time in six games, closing the year with 916 ... Walker closed out his spectacular high school career at Lewisburg with 123 catches, 2,321 yards and 33 touchdowns, breaking program records in all categories. His catches place Walker ninth among area receivers in the 2000s, fourth in yards and tied for third in touchdowns.
Dr. Masse’s Top Five
1. Williamsport (8-3): Williamsport started strong, scoring 35 first-half points and imposing the mercy rule as it defeated West Scranton, 38-13 and reached a third consecutive District 2-4 Class AAAAAA championship. Still, the second half gives coach Kevin Brown a lot to work with this week as the Millionaires were outscored and allowed an 84-yard punt return touchdown. The Millionaires host Wyoming Valley West Friday, the first time they will be hosting a final since 2016. The offensive line set the tone early and Zion Hughes ran for most of his 113 yards in the first half. Quarterback Tevin Williams totaled four touchdowns and 195 yards (the seventh time he’s had at least three touchdowns) and Jaylen Lilly and Trey Damschroder caught scores. Linebacker Davahjei Dymeck and defensive end Kason Ulmer were all over the field and Ulmer generated an interception as well as 1 ½ sacks. Cordoza Minor and Anthony Manley also were in on sacks as Williamsport reached eight wins for the first time in 10 years.
2. Montgomery (9-1): Montgomery had the week off after earning a bye into the District 4 Class A semifinals. The Red Raiders host Canton Friday and are trying to reach their second straight championship. They will enter on a six-game winning streak and also have won 12 consecutive home games. The winner of Canton-Montgomery will play the Muncy-Line Mountain winner the following week for the championship.
3. South Williamsport (9-2): The offensive and defensive lines continue cooking and dominated Warrior Run along both fronts as South romped to a 49-7 District 4 Class AA quarterfinal win. The Mounties outgained Warrior Run, 411-190 and scored touchdowns on seven of their first eight possessions. Garrett Lorson continued his late-season binge, topping 200 yards for a second straight week; rushing for 163 and four touchdowns. Eli White went over 1,000 yards, gaining 86 and scoring a touchdown on seven carries. Cade Lusk also scored and intercepted a pass, as did Colton Paulhamus. Levi Butler made history when he hauled in a Cole Gerber 14-yard touchdown for the game’s first score, becoming the program’s all-time catch leader with 101. Gavin Lumbard and Kaiden Paulhamus collected sacks and South won its seventh straight game while earning a spot at Bloomsburg in Friday’s semifinals. The Mounties started the season with just 23 players but have become South’s sixth team since 2012 to reach nine wins.
4. Montoursville (7-4): Eck joined an exclusive club at Montoursville, becoming the fourth in program history to reach 2,000 passing yards in a season. The junior quarterback joins Mark Mussina, Brycen Mussina (twice) and Hunter Shearer after throwing for 138 yards against Lewisburg. Eck made some precise throws against Lewisburg; ran for a touchdown and built on a season in which he has made big strides after a quality sophomore campaign.
"I wasn’t even aware of that but that’s pretty cool because 2,000 yards is a big deal in high school football," Holmes said. "The type of kid he is, I couldn’t think of someone who deserves it more. He’s a team-first player. He wants o win football games. He’s out here putting it on the line every Friday. That’s a big accomplishment and I couldn’t be happier for him."
5. Jersey Shore (6-5): Jersey Shore’s defense played one of its best games at the best time and held a running game which gave it first seven weeks earlier in check. Jacob Gee and Aidan Patts played excellent games up front, as did Jayce Fetzer, Isaac Shirey and Tyson Fisher who frequently helped bottle up inside runs. Jason Jennings and Dalton Rehrig intercepted passes and Conner Yingling produced a sack. Pauling shined in the secondary, also throwing for 191 yards and three scores and rushing for a 10-yard touchdown in which he broke five tackles. Carter Rhinehart (118 yards) topped 100 yards for a seventh time and helped change the game with a 63-yard touchdown after McCray forced a fumble inside the 5-yard line. McCray also caught four passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Jersey Shore’s nine straight finals appearances are the second-most strung together by any District 4 team this century except Southern Columbia.
Players of the Week
Zeke Sechrist, Jersey Shore and Bailey Gardner, Canton: Sechrist continued his outstanding senior season, igniting Jersey Shore’s impressive defensive performance at Shamokin. A year removed from missing the season with a torn ACL, Sechrist made 15 tackles, including two for loss. Most of his stops were near the line of scrimmage and he also ran for 52 hard-earned yards.
Gardner put together the best rushing performance by a District 4 player this season and his 262 yards are the most by a Canton player during the 2000s. Gardner ran over, around and away from Northwest defenders, also scoring six touchdowns, which tied an area rushing scores record in the 21st century. Five of Gardner’s six touchdowns came from 15 or more yards and four from 20+, including an 80-yarder. He averaged 14.6 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns during a 4 minute, 31 second third quarter blitz which put Canton ahead to stay.
Game of the Week
Jersey Shore at Shikellamy: Jersey Shore exorcized some demons at Shamokin and now has an opportunity to try and exact revenge against a team which beat it by 29 points in Week 5. Shikellamy (10-1) has won seven straight games and features the same kind of exciting playmakers Jersey Shore does. The Bulldogs are trying to win their first title since 2022 and Shikellamy since 2010 and this has the makings of a riveting final.
–Masse may be reached at cmasse@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @docmasse