Wildcats Challenge Bulldogs, But Fall, 21-9
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – The Central Mountain football team gave the state’s number two ranked team, Jersey Shore, all it could handle Friday night, but the Bulldogs rode several big plays from Owen Anderson to a come-from-behind 21-9 win.
Wildcat coach Jim Renninger was pleased by the effort from his squad which had fallen by a 55-7 count to the same Bulldog team a month ago. Renninger had nothing but praise for his entire team and noted the ‘Cats were defeated by “a really good football team.” He said his team “played their guts out, but can do better,” a reference to the Saturday, Oct. 31 District Six Class 5A championship game against Hollidaysburg.
Renninger said “a couple plays” made the difference in the ‘Shore contest and certainly the Bulldogs’ Anderson contributed his share, especially down the stretch. After a scintillating 61-yard touchdown run by Central Mountain’s Ryan Pentz had given the Wildcats a 9-7 lead late in the third quarter, Anderson stepped up.
The Bulldog senior, who had scored his team’s only first half touchdown, returned the ensuing kickoff to the CM 35 yard-line and followed up with a 1-yard touchdown run to put ‘Shore up by a 14-9 score. The score remained unchanged until midway through the final quarter when Bulldog Cam Allison boomed a 57-yard punt to the CM 1 yard-line. Shortly thereafter the Wildcats had to punt and Anderson fielded it at Central Mountain’s 37-yard-line and returned it for the score; Allison’s extra-point made it 21-9 and all but sealed off any hopes for a Wildcat upset of the 6-0 Bulldogs.
Central Mountain had taken a 3-0 lead in the first period on a 29-yard field goal from Tyler Weaver, set up by a Pentz 17 yard run. ‘Shore re-took the lead a short while later when Brandon Wheary hit Anderson with a 10-yard pass for the first of three Anderson t-d’s. The score stayed 7-3 ‘Shore through the end of the first half.
To that point and well into the second half, Central Mountain played ‘Shore nose-to-nose in a bruising defensive battle, the Wildcat ground game vs. Bulldog quarterback Wheary. The Wildcat defense shut down the Jersey Shore ground attack for much of the night but Wheary went 10-of-24 passing for 190 yards. Pentz paced CM’s running game, picking up 168 yards on 25 carries; he was backed by Micah Walizer who rushed 12 times for 73 yards against a Bulldog defense that crowded the line of scrimmage all night. Quarterback Brett Gerlach finished 9-of-26 passing for 44 yards with one interception; he was sacked three times.
Wildcat senior players, band members and cheerleaders were recognized before the game. It was Military Appreciation Night and the team wore camouflage jerseys for the occasion.
Central Mountain, now 4-3, will play at Mansion Park in Altoona at 1 p.m. next Saturday, Oct. 31, Hollidaysburg the opponent. The Golden Tigers, 3-2, were to play Exeter Township Friday night but that game was cancelled with reports circulating that the Hollidaysburg school is dealing with a coronavirus issue. According to the Hollidaysburg Facebook page Friday night, their high school is closed through Tuesday, including all extra-curricular activities, operating by virtual learning only; a decision to follow as to when they will reopen.
| Oct. 23, 2020 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | TOTAL |
| VISITING TEAM | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| HOME TEAM | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
