The 2017 fall season has come to a close for the local teams. For the players and coaches, highs and lows fill every season, but a few moments stood out.

As Loyalsock’s football team headed to the locker room the rumblings from the fans started to sound like the end of the season. The conversations turned toward the “it has been a good season” variety as the Lancers ended the opening half down 24-7.

They were thoroughly outplayed. Lewisburg’s freshman running back Maxwell Moyers ran through the Lancers defense with little resistance. The Dragons recovered an onside kick, and everything seemed to be clicking.

The Green Dragons scored on their opening possession, recovered an onside kick, stopped the Lancers on a fourth down, and converted a field goal. It was all rolling in favor of Lewisburg until a spirited speech from the players lifted the Lancers for the second half.

Connor Watkins, who finished with 333 passing yards, completed a 52-yard pass to Gerald Ross in the final five minutes of the opening half to get Loyalsock on the board. Watkins then connected with Sam Newton for a 73-yard toss and catch for Loyalsock’s second touchdown. Watkins would later step in front of a pass and return it 47 yards for a touchdown and hit Jacob Waltz for a 74-yard passing touchdown.

Loyalsock also scored on a 90-yard touchdown from Hunter Webb, who rushed for more than 100 yards in the process of helping the Lancers’ defense regain its footing. The win propelled the Lancers to a run that resulted in a District Championship and PIAA Playoff appearance.

Another emerging star for the Green Dragons made her impressions on the area on the pitch. Lewisburg’s Chloe Michaels was a bright spot for the Dragons, who survived a tough season filled with injuries.

Michaels held down the backline for the Dragons and seemed to get better and better as the season progressed. Early on in the campaign, she was key in stopping Montoursville’s offense as it attempted to move to 6-0. Michaels always seemed to be in a position to make a play and if it wasn’t for a loose ball finding its way to a Montoursville player the 1-0 outcome might not have happened.

Michaels continued her stellar play and nearly helped the Dragons knock off Warrior Run late in the season. The Dragons just missed the postseason but ended the season with a three-game winning streak. Over the run to close out the season the Dragons gave up just one goal in three games. The defense will be key in the turnaround and Michaels will be a big part of it.

Sometimes the number in front of a team during the playoffs might not tell the entire story. A deeper look into the meeting of teams might tell a story of two rivals coming together.

That’s exactly what happened when No. 2 Southern Columbia matched up against No. 10 Warrior Run in the District 4 Class A playoffs. The Defenders have always had a good defense, but it was on full display throughout the postseason meeting.

Southern Columbia posted just three shots on goal throughout the 80 minutes of play. The Defenders only recorded two shots, but they made them count. Early in the game, Warrior Run sent a ball on goal and received a break when a Southern Columbia defender hit the ball into her own net. It was a turning point in the game as the Defenders used their stout defense to contain the Tigers.