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FIRST FOR EVERYTHING: Central Mountain, Lock Haven University both get first wins of season

Central Mountain High School celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Shamokin High School. The Wildcats defeated the indians, 28-14, for their first victory of the 2017 season. CM plays Selinsgrove High School this Friday. (The Express/Tim Weight)

LOCK HAVEN – There’s been two local football programs that have always had some form of ties and connection: Central Mountain High School and Lock Haven University.

And with the already countless Wildcats becoming Bald Eagles through time, the two schools became even more tied together over the weekend with each team collecting their first win of the 2017 season.

Over in Mill Hall, you had the Wildcats secure their first victory of the year after defeating Shamokin, 28-14 – a feat that a lot of people, including myself, saw coming due to the Indians being a lowly football team. They now sit at 1-6 on the year. But a win is a win, and the Wildcats will take it.

In Lock Haven, you had the Bald Eagles of Lock Haven University accomplish the same feat of a first victory of the season. This happened after LHU steamrolled Cheyney University, 62-0.

Is this more evidence that this area’s sports scene is magical?

We’ll get to that more here in a moment.

But let’s start out with the Central Mountain High School victory over the weekend.

Before last Friday’s game, most of The Express staff had the Wildcats getting the win – particulary my managing editor Lana Muthler, who by the way overtook me for first place in the predictions standings for the staff. Yeah.. I’m not happy about that, but whatever. (Love you, Lana.)

The point is: We saw this coming.

Last year, the Wildcats got the win over the Shamokin Indians by a score of 15-2. This came at Shamokin High School. Granted you could say, “well, Shamokin is worse than last year. CM should’ve gotten the win.” True, but Central Mountain isn’t exactly a perennial powerhouse themselves. Both teams are significantly weaker than last season, so I don’t see that as a valid debate at all. But you know what is validated?

The Wildcats’ first win.

At halftime, CM was actually down by a defecit of 14-7. But in the second half, it was all Central Mountain – scoring 21 unanswered points and displaying an outstanding defensive performance that eventually led them to their first win of the year on homecoming night.

Here’s what Wildcats head coach James Renninger had to say when asked about his incredible defense by our reporter Shareik Flowers:

“I thought the defense played well,” Renninger said. “On [Shamokin’s] two big plays, we were in a cover three, and they just made a play on our corners who’ve been excellent for us all year. That happens, but our defensive ends really brought a lot of pressure. We tackled in the open field when we had to, overall it was a great defensive effort.”

That it was.

Just down the road at Lock Haven University, this was another scenario that Central Mountain High School and LHU had in common with the good folks over here at The Express: We all saw LHU getting the W in this one. But did we see a 62-0 victory that the Bald Eagles gave us?

I’m not so sure about that one. But Lock Haven University was most certainly impressive.

Not only was this the first win of the season for LHU, but the 62 points that was scored was the second most in school history.

Obviously, it was LHU all in this one, but the performance that stuck out the most and I’m sure the gameball was given to belonged to true-freshman quarterback Kyle Knight. But it wasn’t the passing that got people talking about Knight, it was the 181 yards on the ground and four touchdowns – and this coming in only his second career start with starting quarterback Jimmy Strickland being out due to a foot injury.

Quarterback controversy at LHU?

This could get interesting.

Adding to the impressive Lock Haven performance was another record-setter: The Bald Eagles backfield rushed for a school-record 460 yards. Along with Knight, Corey Blakey rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown, John Ford nearly had a 100-yard game himself with a total of 93 yards and a TD, and Ralph Hyland also got into the action punching in 66 yards on gameday.

“We ran the ball very physically,” said LHU head coach Dave Taynor. “It has been one of our strengths throughout the year.”

Hell, you can say that again. At least against Cheyney.

Another thing to point out from the Lock Haven University performance was the defense. Obviously, they had a shutout, but they also got two scores of their own getting into the record-setting points action themselves.

With the first wins of the 2017 season from closely-tied schools of Central Mountain High School and Lock Haven University coming on the same weekend, is this more proof that the sports scene in this area is a magical one?

I’d say so.

This is an area that has produced Little League World Series appearances, talent in the National Football League, thrillers in Central Mountain football games when they face off against rivals like Bellefonte and Jersey Shore, Major League Baseball games just 30 minutes down the road every year, an iconic Penn State University football program just over in State College, and now this.

This is more evidence that this area is magical, especially when it comes to sports.

You have two football teams who have been struggling and having long seasons, and they both come out – on the same weekend – and achieve their first wins of the 2017 campaign, and with one being in dominating fashion and the other being on homecoming night.

It may not mean much to a lot of people considering the records of these two teams, but if you’re invested in this area’s sports scene, you can’t help but to marvel at the magic.

You can’t help but to feel that incredible atmosphere in the air.

This is why sports are beautiful. And this area’s sports scene is no exception.

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