Hornets Fall To Muncy, 23-20
By: Ed Weaver | NTL Sports | August 31, 2025 | Photo courtesy Dr. Robert Bair
The Wellsboro Varsity Football team suffered their second straight loss to begin the 2025 season, falling 23-20 to Muncy at home on Saturday evening.
"We had our opportunities to win tonight, we have to get over this hump and get these guys to get rid of the doubt that creeps into their heads," said Wellsboro head coach Matt Hildebrand. "We gave up a score right before the half and we had the ball on the one-yard line and couldn't punch it in. We have to have that extra gear and find that sense of urgency. These kids have done a lot of things right in the off season, we just have to get it to translate to game time."
Muncy put points on the scoreboard on their very first drive of the game. They put together a five-play, 76-yard drive, highlighted by a 49-yard run by QB Andrew Walters, then a 14-yard from Walters to Nathan Rogers for the score. The extra point missed, giving the Indians an early 6-0 lead with 7:24 left in the opening quarter.
Wellsboro answered back right away, putting together an eight-play drive, all on the ground, that went for 48 yards. After a great return by junior Max Mascho, sophomore Griffin Morral and Mascho alternated runs before Morral scored from two yards away to tie the game. Senior Finn Matthews' extra point just cleared the cross bar, putting Wellsboro up, 7-6 with 2:31 remaining.
Senior Marek Mascho intercepted his first Muncy pass on the Indians' ensuing possession, then later caught a 14-yard strike with 11:37 left to play in the half from Morral to put Wellsboro in front, 14-6. Muncy, however, answered right back as Walters scored on a two-yard run with 6:38 left. Muncy then took the lead on a 34-yard field goal by Austin Hartzel, then scored for the final time with eight seconds left in the half on a 41-yard pass from Walters to Rogers. At the half Muncy led 23-14.
After the half the Hornets cut Muncy's lead down to three points as Morral scampered into the end zone from 11 yards out with 6:57 left in the third after hitting sophomore Kody Enck on an 11-yard pass and 10-yard pass to sophomore Reed Richardson earlier in the drive.
Wellsboro had a shot to take the lead with just over eight minutes left in the game, but were held on on four consecutive downs from inside the five-yard line.
"It's not for a lack of effort," continued Hildebrand. "There's just a couple of things and we're close. We let this one slip away from us tonight, but Muncy is a good team and we played right along with them and definitely had our opportunities to win."
Morral finished 8-for-16 for 77 yards and a score, and also rushed 16 times for 51 yards and two scores. Marek Mascho caught 4 passes for 38 yards and a score while Enck caught three passes for 29 yards. Max Mascho also rushed 9 times for 26 yards. Defensively Enck led the Hornets with 9 tackles, Marek Mascho and junior Levi Champaign had 7 tackles apiece, and senior Hayden Stevens added six stops. Marek Mascho intercepted a pair of passes for 70 yards and junior Gideon Lawton also picked off a pass.
For Muncy, Walters completed 13-of-18 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 103 yards on 16 carries. Rogers finished with 67 yards on 4 receptions and two scores and Carter Feigles added five catches for 65 yards.
Wellsboro (0-2, 0-1 NTL Large School Division) travels to Wyalusing Saturday while Muncy (1-1, 1-0 NTL Small School Division) travels to Cowanesque Valley Friday.
Ed Weaver is the owner of Circle W Sports in Wellsboro, PA, is the Sports Director for The Home Page Network and the creator of WellsboroAthletics.com and WellsboroFootball.com. You can follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.
