PIAA Class 1A Semi-Final: A look at South Williamsport
Tagged under: District 4, News, Playoffs
Ed Weaver | November 30, 2023
Steelton-Highspire vs South Williamsport, Friday, December 1, 7 PM at Shamokin
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2023 Schedule
South Williamsport is having their best season under head coach Chris Eiswerth since 2016, and their 2nd best year since going 13-2 in 2014 when they made it to the Class 1A semi-finals. The Mounties are coming off a 33-0 shutout over Cambria Heights last week, where they combined for 319 yards of total offense (252 rushing, 67 passing). South Williamsport scored touchdowns on all four first-half possessions en route to their sixth consecutive win.
Keys on Offense:
Run the football. The two-headed attack of Ryan Casella and Kaiser Kistner have led the Mounties all season-long, and they must do so again this week. Last week against Cambria Heights the duo accounted for 224 of South’s 252 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Two weeks ago in the District IV title game against Muncy, the Mounties did not attempt a pass the entire game. South Williamsport must control the time of possession and limit Steel-High’s Alex Erby’s looks on offense.
Keys on Defense:
Stop Alex Erby. The Navy commit, and defending state champion, is having another tremendous season. The Rollers’ offense is averaging 45.1 points per game and are coming off a 43-25 win over Lackawanna Trail. The Mounties’ defense is giving up just 16.5 points per game this season and will need to keep an eye on Erby every snap and keep him in the pocket. While it’s cliche to say, “the game will be won in the trenches,” it could not be more important for South Williamsport to pressure Erby and get him out of his comfort zone. South Williamsport forced four turnovers in last week’s win, doing so again this week could tilt the game in their favor.
Coach Eiswerth’s Thoughts
Hear Coach Eiswerth’s comments from earlier this week in a two-part interview with Lindsey Bennett.
Thanks to Scott Lowery for information from last week’s game.
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