South Williamsport coach Chris Eisworth remembers the first time he saw his current seniors play. They were in middle school at the time, but there was nothing to indicate that anything special was going on.
On the day Isworth played in the middle school game, the Mounties didn’t win. They never won…literally.
Last Friday in Muncie, these seniors formed the backbone of the district champions, and they did it in dominant fashion. South defeated top-seeded Muncie 57-20 to win its first District 4 Class A championship since 2014. This is only the fourth team in South’s storied soccer history to win a district championship.
Four years ago, I don’t think there were that many people who were paying attention to that junior high school team, believing that they would leave their mark on the program’s history. What a rise!
“Coach always said we were basically coming up from nothing.” Two-way starter Landin Gephart said after running for 103 yards and intercepting a pass for a touchdown against Muncy. “I hardly won anything in pee, I didn’t win anything in middle school, and now to be here and do this is really amazing.”
There is no magic pill that created this change either. And South isn’t a borderless school that can bring in players from anywhere every year. This ascension is a story of old-fashioned hard work. It’s built on countless hours of practice, weightlifting, camping, sacrifice and preparation.
This is about accepting that the coach knew not who his players were, but who they could become. The players and coaches worked together to help bring out the best in each other each season. Now, the seniors have built quite a legacy and will look to build on it Saturday night when they take on District 6 champion Cambria Heights in Williamsport in the state quarterfinals.
“I’ll never forget that day (when I saw the seniors play in middle school). They were little kids, eighth grade, and they could barely miss the snap.” Eisworth said. “It’s very rewarding to see them do what they have now.”
These seniors faced unprecedented circumstances during their first high school season. The coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on the 2020 schedule, with South opening the season two weeks later than most other District 4 teams. However, that team overcame many obstacles and reached the District 4 Class AA championship with a 5-2 record, beating Troy in the semifinals before losing to Southern Columbia.
Ryan Casella started at linebacker on that team as a freshman, and several others earned playing time. More important than the experience gained was the taste of victory. This season was the first time these players represented their school in the championship. They understood not only the results, but also what it takes to produce those results.
This was a huge step forward, and South continued to climb the ladder over the next two years. In fact, this group, which had never won before, will finish its high school career without experiencing a single losing season.
“When we were freshmen, I watched (All-American running back) Zach Miller and the players lead us to the championship game, and I realized if I worked hard enough, I could do the same thing. .” center Owen Byrd said. “It opened our eyes.”
As their roles grew over the next two seasons, so did their eyes. South has had back-to-back winning seasons, avenging a regular-season loss to Wellsboro in the 2019 quarterfinals and advancing to last year’s Class A semifinals. Each of the first three years ended with losses to eventual district champion Southern twice and Canton a year ago.
But with so many seniors joined by quality underclassmen, South had high expectations heading into the 2023 season. However, while Canton and Muncie had a thrilling victory over the Mounties by a combined seven points, the team was hit by injuries and illness. To win that championship, South will have to dig even deeper.
For a team that came this fast, that wasn’t a problem. The South continued to advance despite setbacks. First, they avenged Canton at Miller A. Moyer Field with a thrilling 24-18 victory, dethroning the two-time defending champions. South then scored on another shot at Muncie, playing its best game of the season and clinching both an unlikely championship and a district revenge tour.
The journey continues, but South wants more. Still, look at the heights this group has climbed.
“It shows that we persevere and believe in each other. We play as a team. We strive for each other and it’s all about the team.” Two-way starter Kaiser Kisner said after running for 134 yards and two touchdowns against Muncy. “It feels good to do that. It’s a big accomplishment.”
Eisworth has long said winning is a nice bonus. Don’t get me wrong, he and all the coaches want bad wins, but he also knows that high school sports are often about lessons learned on and off the field. You can achieve greatness without winning, whether the scoreboard shows it or not.
What sets this current senior class apart is that they have experience winning both. Even though they didn’t win in middle school, they never stopped competing. They embraced all the lessons the sport taught them, kept improving, kept believing, and wrote an amazing comeback story. That’s why Eisworth knows the championship banner that will soon be hoisted at Rodney K. Morgan’s Stadium will mean a lot.
Every championship is important. But to go from not winning anything to winning a district championship and having a chance to win it all? It feels like something ripped from a Hollywood script.
“I probably cried more on the way to and from Troy (where he teaches) than I’ve ever had on any team. You invest yourself emotionally and it was amazing. .” Eisworth said. “They came to the weight room, we made them run hard, and they’ve been in good shape. They’ve overcome injuries, they’ve overcome challenges in the classroom and on the field, and they’ve come together. It’s a really special group.”