South Grinds Out 57-20 Win Over Muncy To Capture D4 Class 1A Championship
Tagged under: District 4, Gameday Hub, News, Playoffs
Ed Weaver | November 18, 2023
MUNCY – Ryan Casella and Kaiser Kistner and carried the South Williamsport Mountaineers to a 57-20 win over Muncy to capture their first District IV Class 1A championship since 2014, avenging an 29-28 overtime loss back on October 6.
“Finishing was huge because we’ve gone through so much adversity, injuries, close losses, but you know we worked through it and went to back to work. It means the world to me because I love this group. Where they’ve come, where they are now, it’s just amazing,” South head coach Chris Eiswerth said. “I didn’t want to talk anything about revenge during the week, but it was special. Working hard, coming back and achieving what we didn’t do the first time around, it made it really cool.”
The duo rushed for a combined 54 of the Mounties’ 63 offensive snaps and accounted for 296 yards, 162 by Casella and 134 by Kistner. Landyn Gephart also added an even 100 yards rushing. Overall, the Mounties rushed for 402 yards. South Williamsport did not attempt a passing play in the game and only punted once.
South Williamsport took the early lead after their defense held Muncy to a three-and-out on the game’s opening drive. Starting at midfield, the Mounties put together a nine-play drive, culminating in a 3-yard run by Casella. Casella also ran in the two-point try after a Muncy penalty, putting the Mounties up 8-0 with 5:42 left in the opening quarter.
Muncy answered on their ensuing drive, needing just three plays to find the end zone. On 3rd and 11 from the South 46, QB Stiles Eyer found Landyn Wommer on a 46-yard pass. Muncy made the extra point, cutting South’s lead to 8-7.
South found the end zone again on their second drive, needing just six plays for Kistner to plow in from 3 yards out. South kicked the extra point this time, increasing the lead to 15-7 with 43 seconds left in the quarter.
Again Muncy answered back for another score as Eyer and Wommer hooked up again, this time from 65 yards out, cutting the lead to 15-13 with 10:14 left in the half. That would be as close as the Indians would come, however, as South went on to score 28 unanswered points.
Following Muncy’s second score, South Williamsport struck again on a 5 yard run by Kistner midway through the 2nd quarter, followed by a one-yard QB sneak by Tadd Lusk to put South ahead 29-13 right before halftime. The Mounties added another score on their first drive of the 2nd half on a 10-play drive capped by Casella to make it 36-13.
Lusk hit pay dirt from 3 yards away with 2:38 remaining in the 3rd to increase the lead to 43-13 before Muncy ended their scoreless skid on a 4-yard run by Austin Johnson, making the score 43-20.
South’s final score came with 4:33 remaining in the final frame on a 2-yard run by Casella.
South Williamsport (10-2) will take on District VI champion Cambria Heights, 27-13 winners over Purchase Line, next Saturday at Williamsport’s STA Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
The NTL Small School Division champion Indians finish the 2023 season with a 10-2 record.
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