Undefeated Milton visits Malinak Stadium Friday night

By John Lipez

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – There are likely a lot of mid-state football fans surprised to see Central Mountain off to a fine 3-1 start this year; there are likely even more surprised to see that the Milton Black Panthers head to Malinak Stadium Friday night with a sparkling 4-0 record.

Milton has struggled mightily in recent years, including a 1-6 mark a year ago and 0-10 the season before that. So Panther fans have to be elated to see their team with its 4-0 start under fifth year head coach Phil Davis.

Milton has averaged 41 points a game, led by freshman running back Chris Doyle (5-10, 190) who heads to Central Mountain with over 700 yards rushing. It should be noted their opponents have a collective 3-12 record so far, meaning that Friday night likely will be a serious test for the visitors. Central Mountain also hosted Milton a year ago and handled the Panthers by a 49-6 score.

While Milton comes to Bald Eagle Township off a 48-6 thrashing over Towanda, Central Mountain is coming off a difficult 21-14 overtime loss at Williamsport last Friday, the first for the Wildcats after a 3-0 start.

The game was tied 14-14 in the fourth period when a Wildcat drive stalled and the ‘Cats were forced to punt. The ball was mishandled by a Williamsport player at the Millionaires’ 30-yardline and ‘Cat Zack Weaver recovered. Central Mountain used the clock and moved the ball to Williamsport’s 12-yardline and set up would have been a go-ahead field goal with 25 seconds to go. Field goal kicker Tyler Weaver, restricted to just kicking duties due to a shoulder injury, kicked what appeared to be a successful 30-yard field goal.

But a Millionaire jumped off side, a dead ball foul, so the play did not count. Instead the ball was moved to the 7-yardline for a 25-yard field goal try, but the snap was high and Weaver had to fall on the ball at the Williamsport 21. The Millionaires took a knee for the final seconds and the game went to overtime.

Williamsport, from the 10,  scored on its second play, an 8-yard pass from Frankie Morrone to Keith Freeman; Connor Poole’s extra point made it 21-14 and Central Mountain had its chance from the 10-yardline. The Wildcats got a 5-yard run from Micah Walizer, but three pass attempts fell incomplete in heavy Millionaire traffic and Williamsport got the win.

Wildcat coach Shanon Manning acknowledged “it was a great football game….proud of the kids’ effort, but we’re not looking for moral victories.” He said there were lots of positives to take from the game and termed the Millionaires “a talented football team.”

Manning said the Wildcats made too many mistakes, the inability to kick the go-ahead field goal at the end of regulation and the inability to score from Williamsport’s one-yard-line after driving there following another Williamsport turnover, this in the second period.

Manning noted the Wildcats were shy two mainstays in Anton Stratts, out for the season with a knee injury, and Tyler Weaver, restricted from offensive and defensive duties because of his shoulder injury. He said the Wildcats will go to work to “right this ship” in preparation for the Heritage Homecoming Malinak Stadium clash Friday against Milton. John Lipez and Steve Turchetta will have the live audio/video stream on therecord-online