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Montgomery at Northwest

Montgomery (3-3) is one of the most improved teams in the district, winning three straight games before facing Muncie last week. The Raiders have already won two more games than in any of the past two seasons and have a strong, young foundation to build upon.

Tonight will also be a preview of the playoffs, as all seven teams in District 4 Class A are eligible for the playoffs, and if the seeded teams entering tonight hold out at the end of the regular season, Northwest Montgomery will be in the quarterfinals. There is a possibility.

Montgomery’s defense allowed two touchdowns or less four times in six games, holding a Wyalusing team to just three points in a tough battle against Troy, the state’s top Class AA team. Sophomore linebackers Cam Walz and Trace Fuhrman both had games with 20 or close to 20 tackles, and five players averaged five or more tackles per game. Last week, quarterback Parker Pershing surpassed 1,000 career yards, running back Coy Bryson surpassed 2,000 career yards and Hayden Wilt caught 61 passes in less than three seasons.

Northwest College (1-5) won its first game two weeks ago, defeating New Hope Solebury 17-14. Quarterback Jace McCoy threw for 934 yards and ran for 240 yards. Noah Arnette, RJ Moyer and Shane Hempel all have at least 20 catches.

Lewisburg of the Midwest

If Lewisburg (6-0) wins tonight, it will clinch its first league championship since 2010. The Green Dragons have already secured a share of the HAC-III title after defeating Loyalsock 27-13 last week. Lewisburg also ranks ninth among the top 10 Class AAA teams in the state and is also high in the district standings.

Linebackers Quinn Michaels and Dan Alabakov have helped spark a swarming defense that has allowed just one team to reach 20 points over the past five weeks. That includes impressive shutout performances against Warrior Run (5-1) and Loyalsock (4-2). Lewisburg is playing well on all three defensive levels, with Sudeep Yenireddy and Matteo Cardello intercepting passes last week. Michaels had three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

Jeremiah Davis leads the area in rushing and needs 43 yards to reach 1,000 yards tonight. Quarterback Chase Wenrich is effective, and Jalen Walker and Nick Coleman form a quality receiving corps. Freshman tight end Owen Ferron is also developing into a weapon.

Midwest (0-6) has lost 14 straight games dating back to last year. He has scored just 13 points this season and gave up 43 in the first half against Bloomsburg last week.

Wyalzing in Canton

Canton (3-3) has been hit hard by injuries this season, especially up front the last two weeks. They may still be a dangerous team, but recovery is the top priority as the perennial district championship favorite looks to build momentum going forward.

Canton opened the season 3-1 and racked up 93 points after showing impressive firepower in consecutive weeks against Athens and North Penn-Mansfield. Quarterback Ben Fitch surpassed 2,000 career passing yards and over 1,000 rushing yards last week. Bailey Gardner has scored a touchdown in Canton’s first five games, and Aydin Holcomb is among the top 10 in the area in catches. Linebacker Dawson Burgess missed multiple games with an injury but returned and recorded two interceptions.

Like Canton, Wyalusing (3-3) started the season strong before injuries started to take a toll. But the Rams trailed Troy by just eight points at halftime a week ago despite losing standout running back Dylan Johns. Aiden Hunsinger has improved greatly in Johns’ absence, rushing for 380 yards and four touchdowns over the past two weeks. Wyalusing hasn’t thrown much this season and has only gained 14 yards.

Troy at Wellsboro

Wellsboro (1-5) has made huge strides over the past three weeks, earning its first win, leading Towanda in the second half and nearly coming from behind last week against Athens. The Hornets face a tough opponent tonight, so the results may not highlight the team’s progress. Still, Wellsboro has a great foundation with a number of underclassmen in the lineup.

A big part of that has been played by freshman quarterback Griffin Morrall, who has played his best football over the past three games. He has thrown five touchdowns in those contests, with two of them scoring multiple touchdowns. Marek Mascho was a reliable receiver and Jonathan Karl scored two touchdowns for Athens. Ryder Bowen was a mainstay at running back and had a wild run in the 40-8 win over Cowanesque Valley, gaining 301 yards and scoring four touchdowns. He also led the team in tackles, and Jacob Dean had three sacks against CV.

Even in a game in which Wyalusing controlled the clock a week ago, the Trojans gained 13.8 yards per play in their fifth mercy rule win. Quarterback Evan Woodward was one of the top playmakers in the district, throwing for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Brenden Gilliland is explosive as both a rusher and a receiver, rushing for 181 yards on just seven carries against Towanda two weeks ago. The starting defense hasn’t allowed more than one touchdown in a game, and special teams has been great, with Mason Smith returning two punts for touchdowns and Lincoln Chimix converting a kick for an extra point. ‘s performance shined.

CMVT in Cowanesque Valley

CV (1-5) had a strong showing last week against South Williamsport, taking a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter but losing 23-19. It was a good sign for a team that scored its final 30 points to win its first game two weeks ago in a 50-21 win at Sayre. Versatile sophomore Dave Hess had over 100 rushing and receiving yards in that game, totaling 324 yards and four touchdowns.

Quarterback Graham Hess ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns against South, moving toward becoming the second CV quarterback in the 2000s to pass for 1,000 consecutive yards. Jevon Ake caught a touchdown and intercepted a pass in three different games. Sophomore linebacker Keegan Lane is having a great season, averaging over 11 tackles per game. If he continues at his current pace, Lane will reach 200 career tackles by the end of the season.

CMVT (4-2) is having its best season in more than a decade. Jenkintown slowed CMVT a week ago, but the Rams have been building on last season’s strong performance. A year after Braxtin Brown set the program rushing record with 2,246 yards, he has a chance to surpass it. Brown ran for 1,345 yards and topped 300 yards twice. A year ago, he ran for 291 yards and a touchdown in CV’s 34-26 win at CMVT. But the Rams can also throw the ball, and Logan Bracey and Axton Koser are both reliable receivers, totaling 57 catches for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns last fall.

Milton at Central Columbia

Milton (2-4) has been plagued by injuries, but still managed two gutsy come-from-behind road wins over Shikellamy and South Williamsport. The Black Panthers trailed by seven points late in Shikellamy, but won in overtime and erased a 15-point deficit in the final nine minutes of the game to lead South 22-21.

The defense withstood Mifflinburg a week ago, but special teams mistakes doomed Milton. It was smooth sailing for Milton, who improved to 2 wins and 1 loss, and had a tough battle against Montoursville, their only away loss. Monty Fisher led the team in receiving and had over 100 yards rushing a week ago. Chris Doyle also had a 56-yard touchdown run. Lucas Ditty picked off a pass last week, catching six passes for 102 yards and one touchdown and was a big part of South’s comeback.

Central (1-5) has lost five straight games since the start of the season with a record of 41-0. The following week, they struggled throughout the first half against Mount Carmel, but after that, they struggled to get going. Running back Ty Regan rushed for a career-high 179 yards and a touchdown in the Silver Bowl, gaining over 80 yards in each of his first three games. Cole Hammer is in his third year as a starter at defensive end, during which time he was one of the district’s sack leaders.