Wildcats take improbable 39-32 overtime win
COAL TOWNSHIP, PA – Central Mountain probably should not have won their game against Shikellamy, played at Kemp Memorial Stadium at Shamokin High School Friday night. But someone forgot to tell the Wildcats who trailed the Braves 32-24 with only 1:21 to go, prospects looking bleak after leading for much of the game.
But win it Central Mountain did, going 60 yards in 50 seconds to get within two points at 32-30, then coming up with a 2-point conversion to tie the game at 32-32 with 49 seconds to go.
Overtime looming? Maybe not as Shikellamy, instead of sitting on the ball to go into overtime, saw a Brave streak up the sideline with Wildcats’ Connor Foltz and Brady Wolfrom in pursuit; somehow, at the two-yard line, from behind, they were able to knock the ball from his arms and into the end zone just short of a Shik score and the lead. Instead, it was a touchback, so instead of the Braves’ adding to their lead, Central Mountain got the ball back, down by eight, and shortly thereafter the game went into overtime, all even at 32-each.
In OT, starting from the 10, CM wasted no time scoring. Rocco Serafini, who only got stronger as the game progressed, picked up nine yards on the first down; after a loss of a yard on the second play, Serafini surged in from the 2-yard line and Peyton Jones’ extra point put the ‘Cats on top, 39-32.
Then it was Shik’s turn with the ball: an incomplete pass, a five-yard penalty, an incomplete pass, another incomplete pass broken up by Benjamin Temple and then on fourth-and-10, a Connor Foltz interception, a 39-32 (yes, improbable) win and a wild, wild Wildcat celebration.
It was a night with many heroes, a night with electrifying plays from both teams, and ultimately, the improbable ‘Cat win.
After a scoreless first period, CM jumped to a 10-0 lead on a 2-yard Thomas Sprague to Serafini pass, a Jones extra point and a Jones’ 25-yard field goal.
Shik answered with a Luke Snyder 69-yard run and the half ended with Central Mountain up 10-7.
The Wildcats took the second half kickoff and moved 65 yards, Serafini setting up the score with a 33-yard run and the touchdown coming on a Sprague to Foltz 12-yard swing pass; Jones’ extra point made it 17-7 for CM.
But back came Shik: shifty freshman Thomas Pollack notched a 65-yard touchdown run but the extra point was no good and the Wildcat lead was at 17-13.
On the ensuing kickoff, Shik’s Snyder leveled Foltz on the kickoff return, forcing a fumble, a Brave recovery and soon a Brody Rebuck to Snyder 5-yard pass, the extra point good and the lead 20-17 for Shikellamy.
Central Mountain turned the ball over on its next possession and Rebuck ended a Brave drive with a 1-yard run, but a run for the extra point was no good, the score 26-17 in favor of Shik; things looking bleak for the “Cats.
The Wildcats turned the ball over on downs on their next two possessions and it was even more bleak.
But then the final minutes of fireworks: A quick CM score on a Sprague to Serafini 59-yard pass, the extra point making it 26-24 in favor of the Braves.
Shik answered back, scoring a t-d with 1:27 remaining, but again missed the extra point and CM remained just one score behind, down 32-24, setting up the final drive which saw a 30-yard Serafini run and the 33-yard Sprague to Foltz score, followed by the Sprague to Xavier Persun 2-point conversion knotting things at 32-32, setting up the CM win in overtime.
The 33-yard pass to Foltz allowed him to set a new career receiving yardage record, breaking the old mark set by Tyler Pavalko. Foltz finished with five catches for 109 yards (and two scores), running his 4-year total to 1,506, to Pavalko’s 1,485.
Sprague finished 14-of-32 for 249 yards, three t-ds and three interceptions. Serafini had another standout night on both sides of the ball. He rushed 25 times for 114 yards and caught three passes for 69 yards, scoring two touchdowns on the night. Dominic Longworth had two receptions for 54-yards, including a 47-yard pass which deflected off the arms of teammate Hunter Hoy.
Persun had but one catch on the night, but it was the 2-point conversion, a play coach Travis Thompson said was designed to go to him.
An ecstatic Thompson could not praise his team enough afterwards, about how they overcame adversity and have learned how to win, off to a 2-1 start after a winless campaign a year ago.
With their second win in a row, the Wildcats will return home next Friday to host the Mifflinburg Wildcats, now 2-1 after a 48-28 loss to Shamokin, another future CM opponent.
CM 0 10 7 15 7 = 39
S 0 7 13 12 0 = 32
