If you blinked, you might have missed it. The 2024 high school football regular season is in the history books, and those qualifying for the District IV playoffs begin their hoped-for quest for PIAA gold this weekend.
The season passed has seen its share of exciting games, record-breaking performances, and stunning developments extenuated by perennial state champion Southern Columbia experiencing four losses to Wyomissing, Mt. Carmel, Danville, and Mifflinburg. But all those teams entering district play have one thing in common: all are 0-0, and their dreams are still alive.
Among the championship hopefuls are Sean Tetreault’s Muncy Indians, who have rebounded in a big way from last year’s loss in the district finals and are looking to claim another Class A crown.
“The kids ended last year with a bad taste in their mouths and were excited to get back to work and grind,” Tetreault told the media earlier in the year. “The kids stepped up and told the coaches they were willing to play whatever position they have to for us to be successful.
“Heading into this season, we knew we had graduated a lot of talented seniors, but we had a good core of guys coming back. Any time you are bringing back players like Austin Johnson, Landyn Wommer and Stiles Eyer, it is great to have those athletes and senior leaders on the field for us.”
While optimism ran high, the Indians opened the season with a 28-21 defeat at Warrior Run.
“In that loss to Warrior Run, we left a lot of points off the board with dropped passes and other mistakes. As a result, it was a reinvigorating sense of the work we had to do. They had to work hard to get to their goals, and that loss fueled them to not leave any doubt that they had to work hard every day.”
Going into last Friday’s game at Hughesville, the scoreboard has been spinning ever since as Muncy’s offense has been rolling. During weeks two through nine, they have outscored opponents 428-119, three times topping 60 points—each time inflicting the mercy rule. Most of the points given up have come after the starters have left the game.
Mercy rule games can be a double-edged sword. It is beneficial to have young players receive additional playing time, but it comes at the expense of limiting the starter’s sharpness to stay ready for the playoff games ahead.
“It is one of those things we talk about to our kids all the time,” Tetreault added. “It doesn’t matter who we play or the score of the game; we are going to play hard for four quarters or forever long the players are on the field. So, for our kids, we want to jump out to an early lead, and if the starters don’t get as much work as they need as they would have for four quarters, but when they are on the field, they know they are playing hard. If they give us 100% effort when they are out there, that is all we can ask for.”
The trio of Johnson, Wommer, and Eyer have all seen their share of spectacular play, as exhibited in a 49-21 win at South Williamsport earlier this season. Johnson was ‘Bragaloneian-like’ rambling for 214 yards and four touchdowns; Wommer scored on a 97-yard scamper while catching a 58-yard TD from Eyer.
“Austin Johnson has rewritten the record books here at Muncy for touchdowns and rushing. Landyn is a great second back to have, and his skill set keeps opponents honest because they can’t just concentrate on Austin. Stiles has been a two-year quarterback for us. He knows how to put us in the right play and keep us going. All three of them are very unselfish. They don’t care who’s having a good game; they are just happy the team is having success.”
A few years ago, Muncy added a new weight room to its athletic complex. Led by all-state lineman Ken Hampe, the facility is being put to good use with 14 players topping 200 pounds.
“We emphasize to our kids that if they are playing the line, they can’t be 130 pounds. They put in a lot of work in the weight room with Coach Mike Davis. The results have really helped us because the players have added weight and are playing the physical brand of football we like.”
No strangers to the playoffs, Tetreault and his tribe, are shooting for district gold, having won three consecutive crowns in 2018-19-20.
“We talk about it all the time. We want to have a home playoff game. We are going to have one in at least the first round, and we’ll let the chips fall where they may. We are excited. We’ve chalked up our fourth league title in a row. This senior class knows what it takes to win the NTL, and now we are looking forward to getting back to the district playoffs, playing physical football, and playing hard for four quarters.
