Wildcats Gearing Up For 2024 Season, Will Be Tested in 4A
By Bees O’Brien
MILL HALL- Central Mountain head football coach Travis Thompson will be faced with plenty of challenges in 2024. Thompson’s Wildcats went 3-8 in 2023 and finished second in District 6’s 5A playoffs, but a change to the 4A classification may pose a challenge for the second-year coach’s squad.
CM fell to Hollidaysburg 37-0 in the District 6 5A finals a season ago, but the days of getting a bye to the title game have evaporated with the move down to 4A. There’s a total of four teams in the district at the Wildcats’ new classification. Bellefonte, Greater Johnstown and Juniata join Central Mountain in the 4A classification, which means that there’s more teams to contend with.
“Dropping down to 4A this year, the playoff picture becomes more competitive to get in.” said Thompson “We need to win games and that will happen and that will happen by controlling the tempo of games, capitalizing on mismatches, running the football and taking away teams’ offensive threats.”
Central Mountain ran the ball extremely well last season behind the rushing of graduated Rocco Serafini. Gunslinger Thomas Sprague and star wide out Connor Foltz have also departed due to graduation, so Central Mountain has plenty of voids to fill.
Hunter Hoy and Khye Kissel will be battling to be the Wildcats’ starting quarterback. Thompson praised both of them on their offseason work.
Cooper Bottorf will be given the task at developing a Central Mountain running game. Bottorf will be transitioning from offensive guard to fullback this season, in hopes of establishing a solid run game.
Isaiah Maldonado and Ricky Rohrbach will give CM some speed at the wide receiver spots.
Kole Corman and Kai Fravel will be leaders on defense in 2024. Both started a season ago as freshman and will be counted on as experienced leaders.
Central Mountain’s schedule will be challenging with the likes of Williamsport, Selinsgrove, Mount Carmel, District 4 2A contenders Troy and the annual brawl with Jersey Shore to close out the regular season.
Central Mountain opens up against a tough 5A squad in Mifflin County on August 23 in Mill Hall. The Huskies downed CM 41-6 last season in Lewistown.
The Wildcats will have already had a tough scrimmage against Loyalsock this past Saturday to sharpen their skills before the opener at home against Mifflin County.
