Wildcats looking to remain strong in 2023-24

By Bees O’Brien

MILL HALL, PA- A 24-game winning season, a PHAC-1 title and a state playoff berth is what Central Mountain’s 2022-23 squad accomplished. Now the Wildcats will be looking to follow that campaign up with even more success this upcoming season.

It won’t be easy. Central Mountain lost some top tier talent to graduation, but that is the way things go in high school athletics.

Leading scorers Hayden Pardoe (21.0 ppg), Jack Hanna (17.0 ppg) and key players like Levi Schlesinger and Essex Taylor have all graduated, but head coach Tyler Bardo understands that life must go on within the Wildcats’ program.

“We move on.” Said Bardo of his departed stars “That’s the beauty of high school athletics. Every single team is different every single season. This current team decides it’s habits that will write it’s own chapter for Central Mountain basketball.”

Bardo isn’t going into 2023-24 starting from scratch. He has a huge talent pool amongst returnees that begins with Hunter Hoy. Hoy is the Wildcats’ top returning scorer at 8.4 points per contest. Hoy was also among the team leaders in field goal percentage (50%), assists (2.2 apg), steal (2.1 spg), three-point shooting with 29non the season and he led Central Mountain with a 71% free throw percentage.

Also, amongst Central Mountain’s returning letterman will be Brady Myers, Dom Longworth and Xavier Persun. All three Wildcats appeared in all 27 games a season ago.

“They have on-floor experience in big moments.” Coach Bardo said of his letterman “As always returning players are expected to, in whatever role they may carry, model the “how” with which we do things.”

That “how” will be tested both within the PHAC-1 schedule and a solid non-conference slate.

Conference foes include local rival Jersey Shore, Mifflinburg, Milton, Selinsgrove, Shamokin and Shikellamy.

Shamokin, Mifflinburg and Milton were all playoff teams a season ago and Jersey Shore tested the Wildcats in their second meeting last season.

Non-conference opponents of interest include their opener on December 1 in Mill Hall against Bellefonte, Claysburg-Kimmel, Montoursville, at Tyrone, District 4 2A powerhouse St. John Neumann, Chestnut Ridge, Dubois, Lewisburg and their annually clash with 6A Williamsport out of District IV.

Central Mountain has the talent to make another run at a district title and state playoff berth, if they put in the work to reach the success of last year’s squad.

“Our goal doesn’t really change season to season.” said Bardo of his team and outlook. “We want the best version of ourselves each day. If we achieve that, we’ll be grateful for whatever opportunity we’re afforded.”

The outlook in Mill Hall seems to be very positive for Central Mountain to once again rise to the cream of the crop in District 6. There’s plenty of talent to keep this team at a high level throughout the 2023-24 season.