Mifflinburg Spoils Wildcat Homecoming
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – There were glimmers of hope for the future but too many mistakes proved to be the undoing for the Central Mountain Wildcat football team, losing its homecoming contest to visiting Mifflinburg 42-20.
The Wildcats put up a season-high 458 yards of offense but a 3-touchdown second period unraveling was too much to overcome.
Central Mountain struck first, a Justin Neff punt return setting up a 37-yard drive capped off by a Logan Bathurst 3-yard run and a 6-0 lead. Mifflinburg would answer with a 65-yard drive for a 7-6 lead which stood through the end of the first period.
Central Mountain looked poised to regain the lead with an extended drive which ended with a Mifflinburg interception in its own end zone in the second quarter. Then the visiting Wildcats went on a three touchdown blitz to open a 28-6 halftime lead:
There was a 52-yard touchdown pass, a 72-yard punt return and an 85-yard fumble return and in the span of a handful of plays Mifflinburg had broken the game open.
The visitors added one more score in period three before Central Mountain answered with two ball control drives, one of 64 yards, one of 78 yards, both ending in scores from quarterback Bryce Bitner, the score 35-20 still in the third quarter.
Central Mountain had another drive well underway with a chance to get within a score midway through the final period but a Wildcat fumble ended that opportunity inside the Mifflinburg 10-yard line. Mifflinburg would add a late score and go home a 42-20 winner.
Hunter Weaver paced the ground attack with 138 yards on 29 carries before leaving with an injury; his replacement sophomore Bryce Mansfield helped out with 81 yards on six carries and the junior Bathurst finished with a career-high 60 yards on 13 carries.
The loss was the sixth in a row for the 1-6 Wildcats while Mifflinburg broke a 4-game losing streak and moved to 2-5.
Central Mountain goes on the road next Friday at Tyrone. The Golden Eagles suffered their first loss of the season after six straight wins, falling to Clearfield by a 26-14 score.
Friday was homecoming for the Wildcats, footballer Wyatt Sanders named king and soccer player Gabby Martin queen. There were also three new inductees in the Central Mountain Sports Hall of Fame: multi-sport star Lauren Dwyer, softball standout Taylor Lesser and basketball star Mallory Moore. All three were present to receive their recognition.
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