As the winter scholastic sports regular season enters its final phase, it’s also the banquet circuit’s time for fall sports as schools pause to break bread together, look back at completed seasons, and thank those who played the game and supported the various programs.
Recent attendance at one such event, the South Williamsport football gathering, made evident the bond that develops and the importance the game holds for coaches, players, and parents alike, an aspect of school and community life.
At the program’s conclusion, fifteen-year Mountaineer head football coach Chris Eiswerth took time to share his thoughts on what has been a labor of coaching love.
“It has really been a blessing when I look back to when I started coaching in 1996. You are a young kid. You think you know what you are doing, then you learn about the good, the bad, and the ugly of what coaching is all about. When I think back on the relationships and the special people that I met, it all seems to blend into one big family.
“I still have people who invite me to weddings, contact me at Christmas, and on other special occasions in their lives. It is a broad family of the kids you’ve coached and their parents. Not everybody is happy all the time, but the majority of the time, people have appreciated your efforts. That’s how it has worked for me.
“I’ve coached at four or five places. South is kind of like the purpose of what it is all about for me. It is my home, my school, my wife is from South Williamsport. We were two families that competed at South. We love South Williamsport, and for me to be able to do this for as long as I have, has been a blessing. Hopefully, we can continue to keep this thing rolling. We have a good group of young people coming up, and that is exciting.”
Although Eiswerth’s home sits but a long touchdown pass from Rodney K. Morgans Stadium, 2025 was truly a ‘homecoming.”
“I taught fourth grade in the Troy school district for twenty years and have wonderful friends there. I made that journey up Route 15 and 14 every working day through all the elements. This fall, I started a new career at South Williamsport as the Dean of Students at Central Elementary. That is bringing new challenges, but it is equally a blessing. This job gives me another hour to sleep in the morning, and I don’t have to dodge the deer!
“It made it even more special because when you enter a season when you are starting a new quarterback, new running backs, and new offensive linemen, and are looking for help at receiver. Then, just a few weeks before August practice began, Levi Butler decided to give football a try.”
Eiswerth literally ‘walked into’ the discovery of Butler’s budding football career as he was taking a stroll around the South Williamsport park complex, where Butler was involved in a pitching workout. A conversation ensued, resulting in Butler’s decision to add football to what was already a standout baseball and basketball career for the three-sport athlete.
Together, with sophomore quarterback Cole Gerber, who was 0-8 in passing attempts during limited freshman action, the duo combined to rewrite the South Williamsport passing game record books.
At a school known for running the football, the 6’3 Gerber established school records for pass completions in a single season (155), pass completions in a game (21), 1,451 passing yards in a single season, 6 TD passes in a single game, and 193 passing attempts in a single season. Three of these records date back to 1988.
Butler, who scored nine TDs while gaining 728 yards through the air, set school records for 63 pass receptions in a single season and 13 catches in a single game.
“Our bread and butter at South has been the running game, but those two and the protection the linemen provided gave us another dimension,” Eiswerth added. “It was amazing. As I look back and go through some of the games that were televised, the first thing the announcers were discussing was that South Williamsport is throwing the ball more. What we were doing was based on need. We had a young offensive line, but when the opponent packed the box, we were able to parlay the skills Cole and Levi had, and it was cool to see that magic happen.”
Asked to describe what his coaching means to him, Eiswerth grew reflective.
“Friends, family, mentoring, love, and commitment are the words that come to mind. I’ve had so many friends, and I still try to help people get coaching jobs. Sometimes they may coach for a few years and decide to hang it up. I tell them, they just got started. If you are fortunate enough to go through life and find your purpose, that is a gift from God. When I think about coaching, and what’s happened for me, that sums it up.”
