Lanky Wildcat hoopsters open Friday at home with Bellefonte
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – You bring back four starters from a year ago, five lettermen in all you have to feel pretty good heading into the upcoming basketball season. That’s the view for the Central Mountain boys’ team.
Returnees are seniors Cayde McCloskey, Ashton Probst, Ryan Pentz and Brett Gerlach, along with junior Jack Hanna. They are part of 13 returnees from last season’s roster; one of them Hanna, was a first team all-Heartland Conference pick as a sophomore a year ago; he led the team in scoring, averaging 12.9 points per game. McCloskey contributed 7.6 points a game a year ago and Probst, 5.9. Gerlach, a likely backcourt anchor with Hanna, has been limited thus far recovering from a football season injury.
The Wildcats finished 7-13 last season but improved greatly during the season, finishing as the District 4/6 runner-up and played in the first round of the PIAA playoffs, falling to Lower Dauphin.
Fifth year Head Coach Tyler Bardo is working with a varsity/jayvee roster of 22 and says he is seeing a great combination of size, athleticism and skill from those in grades nine through 12: “We are an athletic group with good size and length. We anticipate depth and seeing many bodies touch the varsity floor throughout the season.”
Bardo said the team needs to be mentally tough, stating “We play in a tough league and district with a lot of returning experience much like ourselves. We go on the road 13 times during the 22 game schedule. The ability to regroup day in and day out and be supportive of one another through that grind will determine a lot.”
As for goals, the head coach first listed a return to postseason play. “The expectation is that we maintain a focus on our processes, not our results, in the attempt to be consistent and progressive toward that goal.”
Bardo said the Heartland Athletic Conference will again be difficult, telling The Record, “Literally every team has tremendous upside with quality players and coaches. I look for a lot of teams in HAC-1 to make great strides as the season progresses. In District 6 Class 5A, Bellefonte and Hollidaysburg have a lot of experience returning.” As for the Heartland, he cited Shikellamy (reigning champion) and Selinsgrove, adding, “We will need to be gritty and thorough in our performances.”
The Wildcats will get an early season look at District 6 competition as they open at home on Friday with rival Bellefonte, game time 7:30 p.m. A three-game road trip follows next week: Tuesday, Dec. 12 at Jersey Shore; Thursday, Dec. 16 at DuBois; and Saturday, Dec. 18, a 3:30 p.m. contest at District 6 Class 6A foe Altoona.
