Mifflin County takes season opener from Wildcats, 14-7
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – Friday night wasn’t the outcome Central Mountain fans were looking for in the Wildcats’ season opener before a nice sized crowd at Malinak Stasdium.
Mifflin County made two first half touchdowns stand up on the way to a 14-7 win. The victory ended a Husky 17-game losing streak and the loss showed an inexperienced Central Mountain team areas that need cleaned up as the season progresses.
Wildcat head coach Shanon Manning said inexperience is not an excuse, “but sometimes when your young kids, you can’t get better unless you play…we just need on developing players.” He noted his team “cleaned some things up in the second half and got a lot better…we found some player combinations” that helped shut down the visitors in the final two quarters.
Manning also said, “I need to do a better job; we’re trying; I have a lot of work to do.”
Central Mountain had an early opportunity to score when the Huskies turned the ball over on downs on their 30-yard line after a botched punt attempt, but the Wildcats could get no closer than the 25 and Mifflin County regained possession.
The Huskies then mounted a 75-yard-old touchdown drive, junior running back Deakon Schaeffer going in from six yards out. Punts marked much of the rest of the first half until Mifflin County used a long punt return from Isaac Wilson to get to the CM 17-yard line. Schaeffer capped off that short TD drive with another six-yard run and with the extra point, the Huskies led 14-0.
The second half saw a lot more punts, seven in all. The only scoring came from the Wildcats after a Husky fumble at their own 14-yard line. The junior passing duo of quarterback Brady Myers and receiver Connor Foltz got the Wildcats their touchdown on a fourth and seven pass completion from 11 yards out. Peyton Jones’ extra point made it 14-7 with 2:16 to go in the third period. Central Mountain would get the ball back several more times but did not threaten.
Schaeffer’s success running was a key for Mifflin County, carrying 23 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile the Huskey defense kept Central Mountain in check, holding the Wildcats to less than 100 yards of offense. They did a particularly good job on Foltz, holding him to a handful of catches and preventing any long completions.
Central Mountain will go on the road next Friday night, at Bloomsburg. The Panthers lost their opener by a 58-0 score to Danville.
MC 7 7 0 0 = 14
CM 0 0 7 0 = 7
