Montoursville Cruises Past Central Mountain 44-7
By Nicolas Severini
MONTOURSVILLE-The Montoursville Warriors made it two wins in a row Friday night, easily dispatching Central Mountain 44-7 at Memorial Stadium. The win extends an emphatic stretch for Montoursville, who have now outscored their opponents 93-7 over the last two games.
Despite the lopsided final score, it took until the end of the first quarter for the Warriors to break through. With 1:45 remaining in the opening frame, facing a fourth and long from their own 40, Montoursville quarterback Jimmy Mussina launched a 60-yard touchdown pass to Michael Reeder, who evaded the deep safety for the score, giving the Warriors a 7-0 lead.
Mussina, who hadn’t thrown a touchdown pass in three games, quickly found his rhythm, adding another score just six minutes later. He showed patience in the pocket, eventually connecting with James Williams for a 22-yard touchdown to double the Warriors’ lead to 14-0.
Christian Banks extended Montoursville’s lead to 21-0 with a 39-yard touchdown run, marking his seventh consecutive game with a rushing touchdown. An interception by Ethan Bloom on Central Mountain’s next possession put the Warriors back in scoring position, and Mussina capitalized with his third touchdown pass of the day, this time to Todd Crawford.
The Warriors’ defense capped off the half with a sack-fumble recovery in Central Mountain’s end zone, resulting in a safety that brought Montoursville into halftime with a commanding 30-0 lead.
One play into the second half, Hayden Harvey broke loose for a 90-yard touchdown run, activating the running clock. Montoursville added their final score in the fourth quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run by Alexx Felver, sealing the 44-7 victory.
Central Mountain managed to avoid a third consecutive shutout thanks to Jake Weaver, who powered through for a 9-yard touchdown late in the game. Weaver finished with 22 carries for 82 yards, while Jase Seltzer provided some key contributions in the passing game with four receptions for 52 yards, including a 29-yard catch on a trick play from Khye Kissell.
Despite the loss, the Wildcats found some bright spots to build on as they prepare for another tough road test against Mount Carmel next Friday.
