Props to the Montoursville Warriors on a fantastic season. They are heading to the 4A PIAA State Championship. The outcome will be determined by the time we go to print. But win or lose. These guys are rock stars. We are so dang proud. I have many ties to their coaches and players. I hope they soak it all in. Unforgettable memories. Experiences that they will cherish. Only those who make these runs will understand. It just doesn’t happen.
Coach Jeremy Eck is the best in the business. Our relationship goes back to when he was just a youngster. Jeremy was a great athlete who played all the sports growing up. Eck was a hoopster in my first years of coaching. He later decided to focus more on baseball. No worries. We stayed friends throughout the years. I watched him win back-to-back State Championships as the head skipper at Loyalsock Township. I would see Coach Eck at Hepburn Lycoming with this same group of boys at our Minor A Tournament. Jeremy and I had many conversations in the local basketball gyms. I always enjoyed his perspectives. Yellowstone National Park is a solid topic. Eck is very passionate in the ways that he coaches. Animated. He always finds ways to push the right buttons. He already has two State Titles. And leading this team in 2025 to another shot is incredible. Major props.
Eck mentored some big-time players when he was at Loyalsock. Several all-staters and many Division 1 Prospects. They were expected to make some noise in those years. Winning a state title in any sport is an extremely difficult task. Coach Jeremy Eck won back-to-back. Tons of pressure. Everyone knows more. Lots of drama. Eck somehow got the job done. This Montoursville team is solid, but they don’t have the big names. They are playing great team baseball and continue to win games. This deep run in the postseason was somewhat of a surprise. Again. Eck got the job done.
“This trip is different,” Eck told reporters this week. “It doesn’t mean more or less. The memories and what we accomplished at Loyalsock will never go away. It’s all so special, but I always wanted to coach where I played. I have a great bond with a lot of the guys. I have been with them since they were very young. My son is on the team. My friends (Travis Wurster and Craig Weaver), who were my high school teammates, are on the staff. It is different.”
I saw his team play Williamsport at the Backyard Brawl. It was good to see my friend in action. I love the way he interacts with guys. His players respond. The Warriors came up short that afternoon, but I knew they would be just fine. Montoursville went on to beat Danville 7-3 at Bowman Field to claim the District Crown. They smacked Crestwood, Fleetwood, and Pope John II. Outscoring their opponents 30-3 in states. Punching a ticket to another State title game.
“I didn’t know if I’d ever get back as a coach,” Eck explained. “Montoursville is a very small 4A school. You need some luck. But the guys started believing and started jelling on and off the field. You get the kids in the community together and do what you can. They made it happen. The boys are having fun and playing loose. They have each other’s backs. We have theirs. I don’t know if they realize what they just accomplished. To be playing at Penn State on the last day of the baseball season. It’s not easy when you have to win five or six straight elimination games. It is something that we will always remember.”
I am thrilled for my friend for finding another way. Coach Eck will lead the Warriors later today. He was always the man. But to have big-time success at his alma mater makes it even better. Coaching today is rather tricky. His resume is quite impressive. Two State Titles. Maybe another. 8 District Championships in 13 seasons. That is spectacular. He has a great relationship with all of his players. He motivates and teaches with a passion. His players love him. That is what makes Coach Jeremy Eck so special. GO WARRIORS.
Cheers.
