RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Williamsport’s Tevin Williams (11) advances past a pair of Wyoming Valley West defenders during a high school football game at Williamsport on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024.

1. Jersey Shore (1-0): Looking at the big picture, how Jersey Shore won last Friday could be bigger than the fact that it did win. With the Bulldogs facing marquee opponents nearly every week, them knowing they can overcome adversity and shine when things look bleak should give them a huge boost going forward.

2. Williamsport (1-0): Last week was the fifth time during the past two seasons that Williamsport has held an opponent to one or no touchdowns. Offense can come and go but if that defense remains strong on a consistent basis, Williamsport will have quite a strong foundation to build upon. That goes double if it starts creating turnovers as well.

3. Montoursville (1-0): Montoursville winning the way it did last Friday served a happy bonus since so many promising freshmen and/or young players received significant playing time. They looked mighty good, too. That is especially encouraging and signals that good things could be brewing in coming years. Make no mistake, though, this team is good right now and a win tonight could cement that status.

4. Loyalsock (1-0): Jeremiah Johnson picked where he left off a year following an outstanding sophomore campaign. Johnson was a difference-maker on both lines and made six tackles, two for loss, while adding two sacks. Johnson has power and speed and the three-year starter provides quite an anchor up front.

5. Warrior Run (1-0): For the first time since 2019, Warrior Run is not fighting uphill and has a chance to gain some early-season momentum. As was the case for Jersey Shore, Warrior Run also can benefit from digging deep and rallying late to beat a strong opponent. Warrior Run has made big strides the last two years and that game could make another key turning point.

6. Lewisburg (1-0): Cohen Hoover is not just one of the district’s best kickers, but one of the state’s best. He proved it again last week, drilling the game-winning 30-yard field goal, giving him 10 over his last 13 games. Hoover also helps the defense in the field position battle, drilling his kickoffs which resulted in six touchbacks a week ago.

7. Milton (1-0): After many starters graduated, some may have written off Milton. This reporter gets the feeling that is fueling Milton and that it is playing with a chip on its collective shoulder. This group has grown accustomed to winning and starting with two straight road wins against quality opponents would be quite a feather in its cap.

8. South Williamsport (1-0): Going back to last season when he became the starter in Week 6, quarterback Tadd Lusk has thrown 15 touchdowns. Last week also was the fifth time during that stretch in which Lusk threw multiple touchdowns. Oh yeah, he also made a team-high eight tackles in the Athens win last Friday.

9. Canton (1-0): Last night’s game at South which ended after deadline, was the third in two years between the last three District 4 Class A champions. South and Canton played two thrillers last year, the road team winning each time by six points. Like South, Canton is young this year but showed last week while it remains dangerous.

10. Muncy (0-1): Muncy missed some opportunities to break open the Warrior Run game and it ultimately cost it. Still, those mistakes are easily correctable and this remains a strong team capable of putting together another strong season. Right now it’s just a matter of forgetting that game and not letting it bleed into tonight.

11. Hughesville (1-0): After dropping a series of close games last season, winning the opener in dramatic fashion could give Hughesville a lot of confidence going forward. The Spartans possess quite a stable of linebackers as well, and Luke Stutzman, Brenden Fisher and Chase Fowler all had big games.

12. Central Mountain (0-1): As young as Central Mountain is, there could be some growing pains but this team has a lot of upside. Most important, it enjoys the grind and one can always work with a team that keeps working.

13. Montgomery (0-1): Building off that, Montgomery learned on the job last year with a lot of freshmen and sophomores starting for the first time. It was not an easy transition but the experience and offseason work led to a strong effort against Hughesville last Saturday. If one is looking for a sleeper this season, Montgomery might be that team.

14. North Penn-Mansfield (0-1): Keep an eye on junior linebacker Ian Snyder. He was all over the field against Wyalusing in the opener. Snyder made a career-high 10 tackles, all solos.

15. Cowanesque Valley (0-1): Tim Freeman is back this season and that provides CV a nice building block. Freesman was one of three freshmen three years ago who became the first in area history to eclipse 1,000 yards in a season. He also is an excellent linebacker and was among the team’s leading tacklers his first two seasons.

16. Wellsboro (0-1): Building off a breakout campaign a year ago, Marek Mascho was a Swiss Army Knife against Montoursville, scoring a touchdown and generating 218 all-purpose yards. He also intercepted a pass and performed well on special teams.

17. Bucktail (0-1): Last week’s loss was more about five turnovers than it about anything else. Clean that up and Bucktail can make progress. Give this team credit, too. It has only 18 players but keeps fighting on.