Senior Night as 2-0 Wildcats welcome 0-2 Bloom Friday
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – If ever there’s a time for a letdown for the Central Mountain football team, it might be Friday night. The Wildcats are coming off an emotional, wildly exciting 35-34 win over Shamokin last Friday and this Friday they welcome to Malinak Stadium an 0-2 Bloomsburg Panther team, the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
It’s Senior Night Friday as Central Mountain recognizes the 2021-22 senior band members, cheerleaders and football players. The special pre-game recognition begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on therecord-online, along with the football game.
As for the football game, the task in practice this week for coach Shanon Manning and his staff had to be one of keeping the Wildcats looking forward, not reflecting back on last week. On paper Bloomsburg comes in as the underdog, but the Panthers’ record is deceiving, a 34-14 opening game loss to Loyalsock (2-0), followed by a 41-0 loss to defending AA state champion Southern Columbia (2-0) last week.
That schedule makes it hard to get a read on Bloom. Southern Columbia held the Panthers to just 29 yards of offense, 26 on the ground on 23 rushes and three yards through the air on 2-of-10 passing from quarterback Liam Zentner; he also had two passes intercepted.
Bloom has a relatively small roster (28 players listed) and was roughed up a week ago. How the Panthers respond we’ll find out Friday night at Malinak Stadium. Central Mountain is scheduled to go back on the road next Friday, Sept. 17 at Williamsport (1-1).
COVID issues have forced some alterations to this weekend’s football schedule: already cancelled was Thursday night’s Union/AC Valley at Bucktail contest, the Clarion County school notifying Bucktail earlier this week the team would not be making the trip.
Two other Friday games were cancelled and the schedule shuffled: Hughesville was to play Wellsboro Friday night, but Wellsboro scratched; and Danville was to play Lewisburg but the Green Dragons scratched. As a result, Hughesville will play at Danville on Saturday night.
