Central Mountain Closes Season at Jersey Shore
‘Cats and’Dawgs’ Continue Rivalry
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP—The Central Mountain football season, as it turns out, appeared to peak in mid-September when the Wildcats had a 2-1 mark and some optimism after their initial three games.
But as September turned to October and now November, it’s been a rough stretch, one with a six game losing streak as the Wildcats prep for a season-ending contest at down-river Jersey Shore Friday night.
Central Mountain heads to Shore’s Thompson Street Stadium with a 2-7 record, stark contrast to the playoff bound 7-2 Bulldogs but a chance for Wildcat redemption as the season comes to a close.
Jersey Shore is not quite as good as the once-in-a-generation 2014 edition which produced an undefeated regular season. But some principals return from that squad, including do-everything running back/linebacker Levi Lorson, the semi-pint-sized athlete (5-9, 193) who makes the Bulldogs go.
All Lorson has done in this his senior season is carry the ball 275 times for 1,764 yards. That works out to 6.4 yards per carry, 196 yards a game, resulting in 17 touchdowns. And he’s not shabby on defense, as shown by his team-leading 61 tackles.
Lorson is complemented on both sides of the ball by senior teammate Bryce Charles (6-0, 250). Charles as a fullback is the lead blocker for Lorson and has also carried the ball 56 times for 340 yards, a 6.1 yard per carry clip, scoring two touchdowns. The Bulldog nose guard on defense, Charles has made 30 tackles, a team-leading 12 of them for a loss.
Bulldog losses this year came to Montoursville by a 42-25 score in late September and two weeks ago humbled on the road by Selinsgrove, 42-10. But ‘Shore bounced back with a 56-0 demolition of Bald Eagle Area last week and likely will be ready to welcome their upriver rival in Central Mountain.
Jersey Shore humbled the Wildcats a year ago, taking a 35-7 halftime lead on the way to a 56-13 win. The only bright spot for Central Mountain in that game was Justin Neff, the Wildcat junior standout returning kickoffs 84 and 85 yards for CM’s only touchdowns.
Neff has had an injury-plagued season so far, but when healthy has been outstanding. His play was limited by an apparent shoulder injury in the second half of last week’s 62-7 loss to Double-A power Southern Columbia.
The result wasted another fine night for Neff who scored the Wildcats’ only points on a 90-yard kickoff return midway through period two (he had another 90-yarder called back on a penalty). He also completed 7-of-9 passes for 50 yards, all in the first half, Carson running the offense for the rest of the game.
The ‘Cat-‘Dog Friday night encounter will be aired on AM1230 WBPZ and online at therecord-online and wsqvradio.com.
