Winter Sports Practice Begins for Central Mountain, Bucktail

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP/RENOVO /FARWELL, PA – It was a long time coming, but preseason winter sports practice began on Monday for student athletes in the Central Mountain and Bucktail High Schools. Nov. 20 had been the PIAA-established start-up date for winter sports season practice, but the Keystone Central School District has been on remote learning since early November and all extra-curricular activity had been shut down until this week.

In the meantime Gov. Tom Wolf had put a three-week clamp on sporting activities; that shutdown ended Monday for Central Mountain, Bucktail and other schools across the state. Because the Wildcats and Bucks had no preseason practices, the PIAA has said they must hold 10 practices before any outside competition. The lone exception is Central Mountain swimming; the PIAA requiring five practices for swimming. The Wildcat program this year is a co-op with Bucktail and the team is practicing for the first time at the Western Clinton County Recreation Authority pool in Renovo.

Central Mountain athletic director Steve Hafele said he is working this week on completing the schedules for the sports teams. It is understood the Heartland Conference has a team dual meet wrestling tourney scheduled for Jan. 16 where participating are to include host Jersey Shore, Central Mountain, Williamsport, Shikellamy, Danville and Mifflinburg.