Chris Masse on football: Lewisburg’s Michaels are having their best year | News, sports, jobs

Quinn Michaels of Lewisburg (22) celebrates with his teammates at Montoursville High School. Lewisburg won 22-19. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun Gazette

Lewisburg’s Quin Michaels made numerous plays that stood out Friday in Montoursville. However, it was something that many might have missed and that led to a major turning point.

It also revealed a lot about the player that Michaels is.

Just after midway through the second quarter, Lewisburg trailed by 10 points when it faced a fourth-and-3 at the Montoursville 32-yard line. The Green Dragons ran outside with 1,000-yard rusher Jeremiah Davis, but the Warriors read it well and looked like they could make the stop.

But when Michaels made an excellent block at the edge, Davis was free and ran 31 yards to the 1. He later scored on a play, sparking a 22-unanswered-point run as Lewisburg won 22-19. Whether he has the ball or not, Michaels is a playmaker and a big reason the Green Dragons (8-1) have their best record since 2012.

“We try to do certain things and they stop us from doing that, so it was great to have him make that type of play.” said Lewisburg coach Eric Wicks. “We always say Quin is a playmaker for us and sometimes on a play like that you see him make a play without having the ball in his hands and that’s great to see.”

Wicks and his assistants have enjoyed watching Michaels over the past four years. Wicks became the team’s coach in 2021 and immediately hired Michaels at linebacker. Michaels made an immediate impact, helping the Dragons prevail and secure a spot in the district playoffs.

A strong foundation was in place and Michaels has built on it ever since. Now, as a senior, he is having his best year. Michaels, one of the area’s best linebackers, recorded 12 tackles against Montoursville and averaged nearly 10 per game while adding 14 tackles for a loss.

Michaels also has three interceptions, one of which he returns for a touchdown. He provides strong blocking at fullback, running for 211 yards and even passing Tim Tebow and throwing a jump pass to Owen Fellon for a two-pointer against Montoursville.

“I will be a leader no matter what. I will help the team as best I can.” Michaels said. “Whether it’s frontline battles, calling plays or whatever, I’m going to do it every time for my team.”

That’s what Lewisburg likes most about Michaels. He’s an excellent player, but he doesn’t play alone. It’s a team-first mentality and it runs through the entire squad.

Whether through his words or his actions, Michaels provides a powerful boost. That total package helped Lewisburg excel under pressure against Montoursville, as the defense allowed just three points on four of the Warriors’ red zone outings between the second and fourth quarters.

“The guys wait and watch and think, ‘Quin is going to make an appearance.’ They know Quin is doing everything he can.” Wicks said. “You know he makes plays whether it’s on offense, defense or special teams.”

Michaels has done this throughout his high school career, helping Lewisburg win 12 of its last 14 games. The Dragons reached the Class AAA District 4 semifinals last season for the first time since 2018 and are just a game or two away from being undefeated as they enter Friday’s rivalry game against Mifflinburg.

Michaels has also gotten better from season to season. He was the new guy as a freshman, but now he’s getting his master’s degree and his understanding of the game has improved light years from where it was three years ago.

“Playing with a lot of the older players, like Owen Ordonez and Ethan Dominick, they were great players and they taught me a lot.” Michaels said. “Having been a starter for four years, it’s slower for me because you have an idea of ​​what they want to run here and what the other team wants to run here, and that makes a difference for me and my teammates, because I can inform the teammates in the area.” Me.”

In this way, Michaels is like a coach on the field. His knowledge and talent came together again in Montoursville. After a sack by Danon Alabakoff, Michaels intercepted Jimmy Mussina on fourth down early in the fourth quarter as Lewisburg fended off another drive. Davis (144 yards) completed a 62-yard run four plays later and Chase Wenrich scored a 1-yard touchdown to make it 20-12. It was still a one-score game at that point, but Michaels picked off the defense on the 2-point attempt before hitting a wide-open Fellon for the 2-point conversion.

It was a hat trick as Michaels had now made significant plays in all three phases, in this case a two-point game.

“He helps us in so many ways. We know that if we want to be good, we have to get it out there in a lot of different ways.” Wicks said. “He just has the instinct to make plays and he just does it like it’s natural.

“He comes from a family of athletes and when he does something, it’s no big deal for him. It’s like, ‘Okay, let’s do the next one.’ That’s a great quality.”

And Michaels is a real player.

BREAKDOWN: Montgomery delivered an impressive win, defeating longtime nemesis South Williamsport 42-14 while not enforcing the mercy rule until midway through the third quarter. It was another highlight in a major turnaround season full of them as Montgomery (6-3) secured the program’s first winning season since 2001.

Montgomery’s offensive line dominated and Coy Bryson ran for 228 yards and three touchdowns as the Red Raiders built a 35-0 lead in the second quarter. The defense was equally impressive, allowing just 144 yards as Seth McClintock intercepted a pass and recovered two fumbles. Montgomery continued to dominate an opponent for the second straight week, winning six of his last seven games while playing well in all facets.

Montgomery travels to Cowanesque Valley on Saturday. A win there would give the Raiders the most wins in a season in the 2000s. This team has their sights set high for the future, but for now they can be happy knowing that they are by far the most improved team in District 4 this season.

EXTRA POINTS: Hughesville (5-4) gave its District 4 Class AA playoff hopes a big boost by playing outstanding defense in a 24-7 win at Wyalusing. The Spartans allowed just 194 yards and made a crucial fourth-down stop for the second straight game while leading by three in the fourth quarter. Haydn Maneval returned a fumble for a game-winning touchdown and Connor Anstadt and Conor Knight each caught touchdowns, with Anstadt rushing for a career-high 91 yards. Blake Davis threw for 156 yards and joined Landon Henry and Jon Fritz as the only quarterbacks in Hughesville history to score 20 touchdowns in a season. Keagan Smith hit his fourth field goal in two games and his 42-yard throw is the longest in the region this season… Williamsport nearly pulled off a major upset, building a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before Hollidaysburg in caught up in the last minute and won by 30 -26. Still, it was a sign of how dangerous Williamsport could be in the playoffs if it builds on the performance. Elijah Way, Zion Hughes and Tevin Williams combined for 207 yards and Jamel Bailey ran for 80 yards and a score. The run defense showed dramatic improvement and Samir Williams caught five passes for 124 yards and a score. Giovanni White added a 69-yard punt return touchdown for the Millionaires, who host Wilkes-Barre in a game with playoff seeding implications on Friday…Loyalsock running back Dolan Harman scored the most this season in a 48-7 loss to the undefeated Shamokin over 1,000 yards. Harman, a junior, ran for 98 yards, eclipsing 90 yards for the seventh straight game and has 1,082 yards and 12 touchdowns this season…Canton (5-4) is heating up at the right time and has 101 in the last two weeks after that Points scored victory over Sayre, 55-13. Ben Fitch threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns to Holden Ward, Aydin Holcomb and Zach Colton and added a 44-yard touchdown run. Ward passed for 102 yards receiving, Holcomb returned a kickoff 79 yards for a score and Michael Beers realized a lineman’s dream by running for a six-yard touchdown… Wellsboro continued to make progress, forcing in a 46-0 win Northwest lost six turnovers. The Hornets built a 39-0 halftime lead and also collected five sacks. Freshman quarterback Griffin Morral threw three more touchdowns, giving him seven in the last two weeks, and Ryder Bowen ran for 111 yards and two scores and added an interception. Lincoln Decoursey produced two sacks… Monty Fisher caught eight passes for 143 yards in Milton’s 48-28 loss to Mount Carmel. Izayah Minium threw for 166 yards and scored three total touchdowns in a game that ended in a tie midway through the second quarter.

Chris Masse can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @docmasse.