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Tigers Roll Past Warriors in Dominant 48-13 Victory

Tigers Roll Past Warriors in Dominant 48-13 Victory

By: Carrie Miner Yaple | SportzWire | September 12, 2026 | Photo courtesy Carrie Miner Yaple

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP — Southern Columbia left little doubt Friday night about why it entered the game unbeaten.

The Tigers overwhelmed Montoursville from the opening whistle, combining a suffocating defensive effort with a high-powered offense to cruise to a 48-13 victory over the Warriors.

Southern Columbia improved to 3-0, while Montoursville fell to 1-2.

The Tigers piled up 549 yards of total offense, including 373 on the ground and 176 through the air. Southern Columbia found the end zone seven times, scoring four touchdowns on rushing plays and three through the passing game.

Leading the charge was running back Grady Garcia, who turned 16 carries into 194 yards and three touchdowns. Garcia broke loose for scoring runs of 3, 49 and 50 yards, repeatedly giving the Tigers’ offense excellent field position and momentum.

But the tone of the game was established just as much by Southern Columbia’s defense.

Montoursville reached fourth down on each of its first three possessions, and the Tigers denied the Warriors every time. The early stops prevented Montoursville from establishing any offensive rhythm and allowed Southern Columbia to quickly seize control.

Southern’s opening possession set the pace. The Tigers marched 79 yards on 10 plays, consuming nearly half of the first quarter before quarterback Ayden Hockenbroch connected with tight end Jace Malakoski for a 19-yard touchdown.

Hockenbroch was sharp from the start, completing his first four passes of the night.

The Tigers struck again late in the first quarter when Hockenbroch spotted Blaise Kissinger racing down the visitors’ sideline. Kissinger hauled in the pass and turned it into a 64-yard touchdown, giving Southern a 14-0 advantage with only 31 seconds remaining in the period.

Southern continued to add to its lead in the second quarter.

Garcia scored from three yards out with 3:44 left in the half, and Hockenbroch found Kissinger for a 16-yard touchdown with just over a minute remaining. The Tigers carried a commanding 28-0 lead into halftime.

Kissinger finished the night with 115 receiving yards and two touchdowns on five catches, while Hockenbroch completed 8 of 10 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns.

The third quarter belonged to Garcia.

The senior back ripped off touchdown runs of 49 and 50 yards, pushing the Tigers' advantage to 41-0. Southern's defense remained dominant as well, holding Montoursville to just 57 rushing yards on the night. Before Southern began rotating in its reserves late in the third quarter, the Warriors had actually produced a negative rushing total.

Montoursville finally broke through in the fourth quarter when Colton Conklin scored on runs of two and seven yards. Conklin accounted for both of the Warriors’ touchdowns and led Montoursville with 38 rushing yards.

Southern answered quickly. Kane Cecco broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run, restoring the Tigers’ commanding advantage.

The Warriors added their second touchdown with 4:28 remaining, but by then the outcome had long been decided.

Montoursville finished with 220 total yards, including 163 passing yards. Quarterback Elijah Eck completed 10 of 18 attempts without an interception.

Southern Columbia, meanwhile, continued to showcase the balance that has powered its unbeaten start.

The Tigers totaled 22 first downs to Montoursville’s seven and ran for 373 yards on 39 attempts. Hockenbroch’s efficient passing attack added another 176 yards.

After three quarters of one-sided football, Southern Columbia walked away with another convincing victory — and another reminder that the Tigers possess plenty of firepower on both sides of the ball.