Wildcats Host Red Tornadoes Friday

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP — Hey-hey. Look at those Central Mountain Wildcats … a team that struggled to win a game the last couple years, a team lugging a 10-game losing streak after Labor Day weekend this year.

Here we are, the 2015 season at the one-third pole and the Wildcats have won two in a row, looking to make it three when they face 1-2 Mount Carmel at Malinak Stadium this Friday night. The most recent win was a 34-13 victory at Central Columbia last Friday, putting the Wildcats at 2-1 on the season.

But this Friday won’t be a gimme.’ Mount Carmel, a school with a storied tradition, got off to a slow start, losing to two solid programs, Loyalsock 34-7 and Selinsgrove 14-7. But the Red Tornado got back on track last Friday with a 21-7 win over another successful program in Lewisburg.

Mount Carmel ran and ran some more in the win over Lewisburg, piling up 342 rushing yards on 50 carries, almost seven yards a clip. Kyle Karycki (sr, 5-11, 218) led the way with 143 yards on 20 carries, scoring twice. He was backed by freshman quarterback John Ayres (5-10, 175) with 18 rushes for 71 yards and Lane Tanney (jr, 5-7, 135) with 90 yards on just 5 rushes. Ayres was 2-of-4 passing for 63 yards and a touchdown.

Last year was the first-ever meeting between Central Mountain and Mount Carmel. The Wildcats moved to a 20-14 lead but the Tornado put up 40 answered points en route to a 54-28 win.

Last year’s game was also something of a coming out party for Central Mountain quarterback Justin Neff. The Wildcat junior scored four touchdowns a year ago, one rushing, one on a kickoff return and two receiving.

Neff was at it again last Friday in the Wildcat win at Central Columbia last week. He added to his stats as the team’s passing and rushing leader, ending the night with 47 yards on 5 carries and passing 14 times for 8 completions totaling 115 yards and two scoring strikes.

School officials have announced a special admission price for those participating in a teddy bear drive, all bear donations taken to the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. All new teddy bears collected will be distributed to children spending the Christmas holidays at the hospital.

Adults bringing a new teddy bear to the game will get in for half price; students with a teddy bear will get free admission.