Lady Wildcats gearing up for 2023-24 season
By Bees O’Brien
MILL HALL, PA- Central Mountain Lady Wildcats basketball head coach Scott Baker isn’t focused on replacing just one player in order to gain success in 2023-24. The Lady Wildcats will use a strong team effort to improve on their 7-win campaign from a year ago.
That one player was Kiahna Jones. Jones led Central Mountain in points, rebounds, blocked shots and free throw percentage, but as head coach Baker said the goal is not focusing on replacing Jones, or one player in particular.
“We never look at it in terms of replacing with another player.” said Baker “Rather, we recognize that we may need to play a bit differently as a team.”
Central Mountain does return a pile of talent with court experience and that will go a long way in fighting a grueling PHAC-1 schedule.
The Lady Wildcats do return their second leading scorer in Taylor Doyle and strong guard play from Ava Doyle as well.
Coach Baker has a strong 19 player roster with 3 seniors. Danica Kelly, Keely Rohrbach and Morgan Temple making up the senior class.
The Doyle sisters, Macy Plowman, Lena Walker and Jacey Tripp make up the juniors on this season’s squad
Sophomores Morgan Davis, Elise McKean, Aubrey Eiler and Grace Keohane will be joined by a large freshman class made up of Kaitlyn Scarborough-Perez, Audrina Whitman, Alaina Carnahan Shailynn Fullerton, Camdyn Weaver, Cora Seyler and Mya Krout.
Coach Baker will be assisted by Jamie Kessinger and volunteer assistant Tim Keohane.
Central Mountain’s schedule kicks off in a non-conference showdown with District 6 foes Bellefonte on December 4 on the road. The Lady Wildcats will remain on the road the following night when they travel to District 9’s Dubois followed by another road trip on December 8 against another opponent out of District 6 in Penns Manor.
Central Mountain will remain on the road the following week with road trips to Bald Eagle Area and their PHAC-1 opener at Mifflinburg before they finally have their home opener against Milton on December 14.
Mifflinburg, Jersey Shore, Bloomsburg, Danville and Lewisburg all were playoff teams from a season ago that all appear on Central Mountain’s upcoming schedule. Jersey Shore, Bloomsburg and Lewisburg all qualified for the state playoffs as well.
Head coach Scott Baker’s Lady Wildcats are up for the challenge to surpass last season’s efforts, but a brutal schedule will promise to be challenging in Mill Hall.
