Feb 27, 2025
Muncy celebrate their 48-37 win over Northeast Bradford at Milton High School. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
MILTON―The stuffed animal mascot Muncy adopted earlier this season stands perched atop the scorer’s table each game. That it is named Fluffy is perfectly ironic.
Because the girls’ basketball players are the complete opposite. Fluffy is brightly colored and seemingly cheerful. They players are fighters. Call them gritty, determined, ferocious, relentless … Any competitive adjective works.
Muncy combining all those qualities with talent, strong execution and quality coaching has made it District 4’s best team.
Again.
Addi Eyer scored 19 points, her cousin Anna Zalonis valiantly played a brilliant game through illness and every player did her part as Muncy captured its second straight District 4 Class AA championship Thursday, defeating top-seeded Northeast Bradford, 48-37. A year after winning the program’s first district title since 2001, these resilient Indians (20-5) become the first repeat champion in program history, leading the final from start to finish.
Muncy celebrate their 48-37 win over Northeast Bradford at Milton High School. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
“It really is surreal. It’s all the team coming together,” Zalonis said after scoring nine points despite being sick the last three days and vomiting at halftime. “Doing it with the team that I love in the sport that I love is everything.”
“These girls work so hard, and they always get after it,” Muncy coach Craig Weaver Sr. said after winning his sixth district championship as a girls’ basketball coach and ninth overall, counting tennis and softball. “I just can’t say enough about these girls and what they’ve done.”
Muncy completed a super run through districts, never trailing in any of the three games and winning all by double-digit margins. It also completed a Revenge Tour, beating Northwest and Northeast Bradford teams which had defeated it earlier this season by 25 combined points. The Indians also made it consecutive seasons in which they have topped NEB as the district’s top seed in the final.
This team is the first Muncy squad to win at least 20 games in 24 years and will host the District 2 champion, either Mountain View or Elk Lake in the state tournament’s opening round next Friday.
“I think that it’s more so just relieving. Once we hear that buzzer go off it’s like, ‘Yes, we did it!’” Eyer said after adding five assists, five rebounds and four steals in a virtuoso performance. “It’s great. We got the job done and it was just relieving and exciting to come out with the win.”
Muncy celebrate their 48-37 win over Northeast Bradford at Milton High School. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
That relief came after Muncy held off a NEB second half comeback. The Panthers (21-6) cut a 16-point third quarter deficit to eight midway through the fourth but Muncy masterfully ran the clock, played stifling defense and allowed just one more point from there.
Whether it was exhaustion from playing so hard, relief or a combination, Muncy barely celebrated its triumphant accomplishment. There were no dog piles, no jumping, just Eyer tossing the ball to the referee and players lining up for handshakes.
Make no mistake, though, this team is excited. Before receiving their gold medals, the players serenaded the students and fans who filled up Milton’s gym, all signing the alma mater. Following the boys’ final they then cut down the nets, took pictures and received well-wishes from countless fans. What they did on the court Thursday will long stick with these repeat champions, but all the things they experienced afterward likely will be remembered even more.
“It’s especially exciting because both years I got to do it with my sister,” Addi’s younger sister Ava Eyer said after scoring nine points, grabbing eight rebounds and making three steals. “These were the only two years I could, so it means a lot.”
Muncy shows how much basketball means to it every time it takes the court and that spirited effort immediately was on display. Addi Eyer opened the game with a jumper, Zalonis hit a 3-pointer and Rosie Zalonis (7 points, 4 steals) converted a 3-point play, putting Muncy ahead, 8-0 less than three minutes in.
Ava Eyer of Muncy fights for possession of the ball with Mallorie Maynard (4) of Northeast Bradford at Milton High School. Muncy won, 48-37. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
The momentum kept building from there as the Eyer sisters both hit late 3-pointers which gave Muncy a 29-15 halftime advantage. Both Eyers and Zalonis drained 3-pointers in that quarter and Muncy closed the half on a 14-4 run after NEB had pulled within four.
“The energy was so valuable,” Ava Eyer said. “Going with speed and knocking down shots was big for us.”
“We literally sit there and motivate each other to get energized before the game,” Addi Eyer said. “If we don’t have our mindset fixed on energy and intensity, we’re not going to come out that way.”
Addi Gresh scored inside early in the third quarter and Alexis McKeta scored off a putback, giving Muncy its biggest lead, 36-20 approaching five minutes into the third quarter. McKeta and Emma McCormick shined off the bench, McKeta grabbing five rebounds and McCormick making two steals.
Still, NEB charged back as Leah Beebe and Mallorie Maynard drilled 3-pointers which quickly cut the deficit to 37-28 entering the fourth quarter. Addi Eyer scored off two drives to push the lead back to 13, but NEB answered with a 5-0 run and had it down to eight with plenty of time left.
Emma McCormick of Muncy passes the ball around Kara Dughi of Northeast Bradford at Milton High School. Muncy won, 48-37. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
The last two times these teams had played, they split thrillers with the winning team hitting the go-ahead shots in the final seconds. Just when it appeared they might be on the verge of doing it again, Muncy seized control and produced, considering the situation, its best possession this season.
Addi Eyer made a series of crucial plays throughout the game and, coming from the left wing, she made a monster one when she grabbed an offensive rebound. From there, Muncy would have made fictional “Hoosiers” coach Norman Dale smile as they brilliantly ran the offense, passed the ball around and burned precious time.
After 80 seconds, Eyer found her cousin Rosie Zalonis for a layup and Muncy led, 43-33 with nearly two minutes remaining. Eyer, a four-year starting point guard, handled the ball the most during that game-changing possession and capped it in perfect fashion.
“Our senior leadership really came through there,” Weaver said. “We wanted to slow it down, we wanted to take time off the clock and if they had an open shot, they were allowed to take the shot and Addi Eyer made a great play, bringing the ball back out and letting us run a minute and 20 seconds more off the clock.”
Eyer came up huge again when she made a steal which led to two clutch Rosie Zalonis free throws. Any hope NEB had of making a last-second comeback was erased by a play which perfectly symbolized who this Muncy team is. Ava Eyer made a steal, but her shot was off the mark. Pushing her sickness to the side again, Anna Zalonis sprinted down the court, grabbed the rebound and scored off a putback, putting an exclamation point on this hard-earned repeat championship.
Ava Eyer of Muncy puts up a shot over the defense of Northeast Bradford at Milton High School. Muncy won, 48-37. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Moments later, all the players received their gold medals before grabbing the championship trophy. Fittingly, the held it high together because all have put their fingerprints upon the team’s success again this season–even Fluffy.
“You really can’t script it any better,” Anna Zalonis said. “They (the Eyer’s and her sister Rosie) are blood-related but we’re all family members. It’s awesome.”
MUNCY (48)
Addi Eyer 8 1-2 19, Ava Eyer 3 1-2 9, Rosie Zalonis 2 3-3 7, Addi Gresh 1 0-0 2, Anna Zalonis 3 1-2 9, Emma McCormick 0 0-0 0, Alexis McKeta 1 0-0 2, Rachel Paulhamus 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 6-9 48.
NEB (37)
Leah Beebe 4 0-0 12, Lillie Maynard 2 1-2 5, Becca VanDerMark 1 2-2 5, Mallorie Maynard 2 2-2 8, Lilah Hughes 1 1-4 3, Kara Dughi 2 0-0 4. Totals 12 6-10 37.
Muncy 15 14 8 11―48
NEB 8 7 13 9―37
3-pointers: Muncy 6 (Ad. Eyer 2, Av. Eyer 2, A. Zalonis 2); NEB 7 (Beebe 4, M. Maynard 2, VanDeMark).
Records: Muncy 20-5. NEB 21-6.
Ava Eyer of Muncy drives past Becca VandeMark of Northeast Bradford at Milton High School. Muncy won, 48-37. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Rosalie Zalonis of Muncy puts up a shot as she’s guarded by Leah Beebe of Northeast Bradford at Milton High School. Muncy won, 48-37. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Addison Eyer (15) of Muncy pushes the ball up the court under heavy pressure from Lillie Maynard (12) of Northeast Bradford at Milton High School. Muncy won, 48-37. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Rosalie Zalonis (3) of Muncy puts up a shot against Northeast Bradford at Milton High School. Muncy won, 48-37. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
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