Central Mountain 7/8 football ties Southern Columbia, 38-38

MILL  HALL, PA – The Central Mountain junior high football team (grades seven and eight) used a big play offense to battle to a 38-38 tie with visiting Southern Columbia on Thursday. The tie left the young Wildcats at 2-0-2 while Southern Columbia is now 1-3-1 on the season.

It was a game of explosive offensive firework, Central Mountain’s eighth grade quarterback Everett Kelling throwing for 262 yards on an 11-for-18 day. Kelling threw for four touchdowns and scored the game-tying touchdown on an 8-yard run with 8 seconds remaining to forge the 38-38 tie; a ‘Cat extra point rushing try was unsuccessful.

Kelling’s touchdown strikes went to Yalik Carter, three of them for 56, 62 and 60 yards, and one to Hunter Donley for 45 yards. Carter also picked off a Southern Columbia pass with 10 seconds remaining in the first half and returned it 80 yards for a score. That made the halftime score 30-26 Southern Columbia after Kelling ran in the 2-point conversion.

The lead went back and forth in the second half until the young Wildcats tied it up in the waning seconds.

The junior Wildcats will next be in action on Wednesday, Oct. 13 at Mifflin County.

CM  0  26  0  12 = 38

SC   14 16  0   8 =  38