Resiliency is a word that can best describe the 2015 Emmaus football team, in particular senior running back Kyle Boney.

The Green Hornets, much like a year ago, started the season at 1-4. With two, or even just one more loss with half of the season to go, they would have missed the postseason. While many teams would drop their heads and give up the season as a lost cause, Boney and the upperclassmen led a second-half surge in winning four of the last five games to finish the year 5-5 and qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs. The lone loss was to eventual District champion and PIAA runner up Parkland.

“It was tough, don’t get me wrong,” Boney said. “It was hard looking at yourself and knowing that we were 1-4, but we played some tough teams and we still fought until the very end.”

Emmaus would go on to win its two playoff games, defeating Williamsport 61-22 and Reading 56-13 to win the Eastern Conference championship. Boney had 477 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns in the two playoff games.

Those two games were just a small sample of the special season that Boney had. He tallied 317 carries for 2,452 yards and 40 touchdowns. But being the workhorse wasn’t something new to him, nor was it unexpected.

“I knew coming into the year that I was going to be counted on to lead the team and to take a lot of carries,” said Boney. “Coach [Randy] Cuthbert came up to me in preseason and just said to be ready. But we had a really good year as a whole offense. My offensive line did a great job paving the way for me to get all of those yards and touchdowns. The receivers did a good job blocking as well.”

All that led to the senior being named to the state’s Class 4A All-State team, earning a Mini-Maxwell Award and the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference’s South Division Offensive MVP.

The way Emmaus’ offense is set up, it uses their running backs early and often. In 2014, Andy Davidson racked up the yards and carries each game. Davidson and Boney shared the workload last season until Boney picked up an injury midway through the year. He still was able to learn a lot from the University of Army freshman.

“I kind of had to wait my turn if you will,” Boney said. “Andy and I shared the carries last year until I got hurt, but then he was getting all of them towards the end of the year. He was a big help to me and I learned a lot from him with how successful he was then and now.”

After he graduates in June, Boney plans to attend a junior college to continue his academic and athletic career, and then potentially move on to a four-year school after one or two years. Lackawanna College and ASA (NY) are two of the finalists that Boney will choose from sometime near National Signing Day next month.