Balanced attack makes Muncy a dangerous team | News, sports, jobs

DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Landyn Wommer of Muncy looks for space against Delone Catholic at Cedar Cliff in Camp Hill. Muncy won 41-17.

Stiles Eyer completed seven passes against Delone Catholic. Five produced first downs and another touchdown.

Paxton Derr caught three of those first down passes and Gavin Barrows made a leaping catch for 38 yards. Landyn Wommer added 75 yards rushing and also added a first down catch. Yes, Austin Johnson had a fantastic game and ran for 332 yards, but Muncy once again showed that it is not a team with one big weapon, but a well-rounded unit with a deep arsenal.

It’s been that way all season and the offensive depth has helped Muncy make history. The Indians (12-2) have reached the Class A state Final 4 for the first time, have won more games than any Muncy team and will face Bishop Guilfoyle in the state semifinals on Friday.

“Austin really showed his abilities (last Friday),” safety Dominic Guardini said after a 41-17 state quarterfinal win. “But we have a lot of guys who can play for us and score touchdowns.”

Muncy otherwise wouldn’t be one of the top four teams in the state. Johnson is having a sensational season, but Wommer has racked up more than 1,300 rushing yards and Eyer 1,000 passing yards. Derr and Barrows made timely catches and Cam Kamerer is an exceptional tight end.

Setting all those wheels in motion is a high-quality offensive line, so it’s all 11 players doing their job, which has contributed to an average of 47.3 points and 427.7 yards per game for this offense. That was evident again against Delone as Muncy generated 537 yards and took a 34-10 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We are not a one-dimensional team. We can pass the ball and we can move the ball and do whatever it takes. Derr said. “But when you have players like Austin and Landyn, you don’t have to throw the ball a lot because they run so fast.”

Still, Muncy has shown he can throw the ball well and Eyer has rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the second year in a row. He also went 3 for 3 for 68 yards on a game-winning drive in a 47-46 state tournament win in the first round against Lackawanna Trail, finding three different receivers during that march.

Eyer was efficient again against Delone, completing 7 of 10 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. His most impressive sequence was perhaps the last of the first half, even though it resulted in no points. Muncy took over at its own 11 with just 35.4 seconds left, but Eyer hit Barrows for a 38-yard completion before running for seven yards, giving the Indians a chance at a long enough 41-yard field goal , but just next to it.

“Stiles is the ultimate quarterback you want at center, running the offense,” Muncy coach Sean Tetreault said. “He is cool under pressure, keeps his composure and his eyes on the pitch, and he extends the rules of the game. He is a great leader in attack and helps us make the right connections.”

Johnson and Wommer share quite a connection in the backfield and are statistically one of the best in area history. That duo has amassed 4,036 yards and 62 touchdowns. Just as importantly, they complement each other and make it more difficult for the defense to target just one of them.

“Our offense has everyone focused on Austin Johnson, but it’s great to have multiple guys we can spread the ball around to,” he said. Tetreault said. “Gavin Barrows made some big plays. Cameron Kamerer plays great at tight end, Landyn Wommer is a great running mate and Paxton Derr does everything.”

All of those players, including the linemen who paved the way, have also gone to another level this postseason. Kamerer caught a 64-yard touchdown against Lackwanna Trail, Derr came up huge on the final drive that night, Barrows showed his big-play ability against Deloen and Wommer has six touchdowns in the playoffs, bringing his season total to 29 and in five different ways scored.

In many ways, Muncy mirrors the 2014 South Williamsport team, which also captured a District 4 Class A championship and reached the state semifinals. That team had a running back who produced video game numbers in Dominick Bragalone, as well as plenty of other playmakers behind an excellent offensive line.

Fullback John Peters ran for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns, Matt Boone threw for 1,260 yards and 20 touchdowns and wide receiver Riley Thomas earned all-state honors, catching 44 passes for 768 yards and 11 touchdowns. Muncy and South even mirror each other at tight end, with future Columbia standout Tyler Scheonwolf providing the kind of blocking that Kamerer is doing now.

Like that South team, Muncy doesn’t have one player who is finding success. Instead, it’s an entire group connecting and thriving together to win as one.

“It’s great to have the guys that we all play for each other,” Tetreault said. “We talk all the time about just staying on schedule and doing our work and assignments and we’ll be fine.”