By Mark Nance / Sun-Gazette Correspondent Lewisburg’s Jeremiah Davis (3) ran the ball against Loyasock in the first quarter. The Green Dragons are 6-0 and ranked No. 2 in the Sun-Gazette power rankings.
1. Jersey Shore (5-1): Hollidaysburg will be the fourth defending district champion Jersey Shore has played this season. They also competed against state-ranked Shamokin and 6A Williamsport. You better believe this is a seasoned team.
2. Lewisburg (6-0): Jeremiah Davis needs 43 yards to reach 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season. The area’s top rusher has topped 100 yards in 10 consecutive games. Ironically, the last team to hold Davis under 100 points was tonight’s opponent, Midwest.
3. Montoursville (4-2): Speaking of back-to-back running backs, Montoursville junior Christian Banks has scored in every game this season. Dating back to last year, Banks has scored in seven of the last eight games and has rushed for 100 yards or more six times in 10 games.
4. Warrior Run (5-1): Cameron Millheim does a great job of turning defense into offense. The senior cornerback returned both interceptions for touchdowns. Millheim also broke up six passes.
5. Muncy (5-1): Muncy has risen to the top of the area defensive leaderboard in yards and points per game. And even those numbers are somewhat deceptive, as starting pitchers have held all but one team scoreless over the past five weeks.
6. Williamsport (4-2): The past two weeks have been frustrating, but Williamsport still controls its destiny as far as earning home-field advantage in the District 2-4 Class 6A playoffs. It should be pretty exciting to have a shot at winning the district for the first time since 2016.
7. Loyalsock (4-2): Loyalsock lost last week, but the defense continues to improve. The Lancers held Lewisburg to a season-low 241 yards. They also became the first team to hold Lewisburg to less than 300 yards.
8. Hughesville (3-3): Hughesville has quietly built a reputation for great wide receivers. Aiden Barrett has played well in his first year at Lycoming and has passed the torch to Connor Knight, who has excelled this year. Carson Stackhouse could be next, having scored or rushed for at least 100 yards in three straight games.
9. Montgomery (3-3): I think Montgomery was disappointed with last week’s results, but they still got here pretty quickly. The Red Raiders haven’t had a winning season since 2001, but ending the drought is well within reach if they keep trying hard.
10. Canton (3-3): Canton has been plagued by injuries the past two seasons. Eight nights ago, the Warriors were using wide receivers to back up their front line. Obviously, that creates a difficult situation, but it also reveals the strength of the players’ will to get to the line.
11. South Williamsport (3-3): Nothing has come easy this season, but South has shown great determination over the past two weeks, winning games by a combined eight points. For one of the youngest teams in the region, learning how to win in tough conditions is ideal for the team’s development.
12. North Penn vs. Mansfield (2-4): Win or lose, North Penn vs. Mansfield has certainly been an exciting game over the past five weeks. And despite a late run in last week’s game, North Penn Mansfield’s ability and potential were highlighted as they held a 21-17 lead in the second quarter against Warrior Run.
13. Milton (2-4): Milton played decent defense last week. But when you have as many injuries as the Black Panthers, special teams mistakes can be devastating, and Milton allowed three touchdowns in that department.
14. Wellsboro (1-5): Marek Mascio is one of several underclassmen to play for the Hornets. He has improved in recent weeks, moving up to 10th among area receivers in catches.
15. Cowanesque Valley (1-5): CV presented South with its biggest challenge since the Mounties joined the NTL. This bodes well for another young team that is building a quality foundation for next season.
16. Central Mountain (0-6): I know it sounds like a broken record at this point, but Central Mountain has a team that can help this team climb the ladder over the next few years. We have some exciting young players. Underscoring that is sophomore linebacker Cole Coman, who had a program-record 21 tackles last week.
17. Bucktail (0-5): Quarterback Brody Pentz ranks second among area players in rushing yards per game. And despite only having eight games scheduled, Bucktail is on pace to surpass 1,000 yards for the second year in a row. He already has 1,233 total yards and 11 touchdowns.
Northwest Montgomery (3-3) is one of the most improved teams in the district and has won three straight.
Central Mountain PPG—7.2, PPA—46.2; YPG—189.8, YPA—380.5 Central Mountain Notes: Central Mountain (0-6) …
