Trending
SELINSGROVE-- As uncanny and tough as Central Mountain's season has been so far, the Wildcats faced more adversity. Injuries, tough competition, adjusting to a new roster with young guys--it's all been a part of Central Mountain's early season woes.
On the road for just the second time this year the Wildcats (0-4) had their hands full against the Selinsgrove Seals (2-2). Despite keeping the game at a one-score deficit after the first quarter, the Seals scored 20 unanswered points between the second and third quarters to hand Central Mountain a 41-13 loss, its fourth consecutive.
"We had a lot of positives. I hate to keep going back to it but it was closer than it looks scoring wise," Central Mountain coach Travis Thompson said after the loss. "We were driving before a fumble and (if we don't fumble) and put another score on the board it's a one-score game. So, I'm proud of the guys with how they battled back."
The big storyline of Friday night's loss was senior quarterback Hunter Hoy, who exited the game in the middle of the second quarter after being tackled on a QB scramble and staying down in serious pain. Hoy fumbled and lost the ball in the process, but a scary scene unleashed where Hoy was seen on his back for 15 minutes, unable to move before eventually being stretchered off the field by EMS.
The magnitude of Hoy's injury brought silence to the stadium and shook Central Mountain up, and it dictated the remainder of the game.
"You can't be ready for an injury like that in the second quarter," Thompson added. "It shook a lot of our guys to the core and it's tough to ask them to play a football game after that. I'm proud of the way they rebounded. We're all thinking about Hunter right now, thoughts and prayers to the family."
In an even game statistics wise--Central Mountain had 132 rushing yards and Selinsgrove 153 and the Seals had 144 passing yards to Central Mountain's 103--the difference in the game came on big plays. The Seals converted its first four drives to touchdowns on quick plays and on special teams, forcing Central Mountain to consistently play catch-up or to play in a scoring battle.
Seals fullback Ethan Miller led Selinsgrove with 87 rushing yards on eight touches while Gavin Bastian caught just three passes for 112 yards but finished with four touchdowns. His first was a 35-yard punt return after a three-and-out by Central Mountain.
Central Mountain's positives came in the second half, where the Wildcats scored one of its two touchdowns when Isaiah Maldonaldo, Central Mountain's third-string QB, found wide receiver Jase Seltzer streaking down the field for a 95-yard connection. Maldonaldo didn't enter until the second half, after second string Khye Kissell entered and eventually got injured.
Maldonaldo finished with 100 passing yards and a touchdown. Seltzer caught three passes for 101 yards to go with his touchdown. Before his injury, Hoy rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown while Jake Weaver carried the ball 17 times and finished with 35 yards.
After Bastian's punt return TD, Central Mountain responded with Weaver and Hoy pacing the Wildcats down the field as Hoy rushed in from 12 yards out.
REFLECTION MOMENT
When both teams noticed the severity of Hoy's injury, both teams began by taking a knee as the stadium fell silent. As time went on, the Wildcats went into a team prayer and many Wildcat teammates were seen emotional along the sidelines.
It was a pivotal moment for the Wildcats, who were having a rough season and up until that point were in a competitive game--including on that drive--but it brought life back full circle.
"We're out here playing a game but at the end of the day we care about family more," coach Thompson said when asked about Hoy's injury and the slight hiatus from play. "We took a moment to reflect and keep Hunter in our thoughts, talked about how to move forward and try to refocus on the game at hand."
Selinsgrove owned the remainder of the first half. Central Mountain had three consecutive three-and-out scenarios where Selinsgrove picked up three consecutive touchdowns. Bastian scored on a 33-yard connection from QB Rocco Amato and Seals fullback Ethan Miller rushed from four yards out after that drive began at the 39-yard line. Selinsgrove scored its final touchdown of the half on a 1-yard rush by Bastian, his third TD of the half, after Miller rushed for 39 yards on the drive to give Selinsgrove a comfortable, 27-7 lead at recess.
Hoy couldn't contribute to Friday’s game after the second quarter, but his rushing success early on helped the Wildcats accomplish what it needed to later on in the game.
"In the first half Hunter was able to run and Hunter was having a hell of a game because the (offensive) line was making blocks," coach Thompson said about the first half effort. "Hunter being out didn't change anything for our offensive line blocking wise. We went back, refocused, drew up everything that we needed to do again and came back out in the second half and executed."
LASTING EFFORTS
With another win essentially in Selinsgrove's pockets late in the fourth quarter, Central Mountain decided it was not going to quit. No matter the circumstances, the Wildcats' up-and-coming stars decided to make some noise for themselves on the defensive end.
Sophomore Gavin Heverly, sophomore Kole Corman and Kai Fravel all made tackles-for-loss in the last eight minutes of the game. Particularly on Selinsgrove's second-to-last drive of the game, on a fourth-and-goal at Central Mountain's 5-yard line, Weaver came up with a huge stop on Seals sophomore QB Rocco Amato and forced a turnover-on-downs.
On a play where the Wildcats could have given in on one last Selinsgrove touchdown and blame the circumstances of the game, the defense stepped up.
"That was huge. That's one of the things we pride ourselves on is being able to stop the run, play hard, play physical and fly around," coach Thompson said about the second half defense. "And that's a testament to them saying, 'hey, we're not going to give up. You're not going to break our back and we're going to make you work for every inch.'"
"My hats off to the defense and they were able to capitalize right away with a huge play right off the bat. It was really awesome. It was a big morale boost but we still have a long way to go," coach Thompson added.
It led to Central Mountain's final score, a big play from Maldonaldo to Seltzer for 95 yards. The Wildcats gave up one final touchdown with 34 seconds remaining but without the last touchdown and without a fumble the drive before the touchdown, Central Mountain had the opportunity to cut the game to a one-score game.
Central Mountain is in a good spot. Despite the circumstances of injuries and a rough start to the season due to some good opponents, the Wildcats are confident and are picking up hope in bits and pieces.
They may not be where they want to be in this exact moment--riddled by injury and winless--but Central Mountain is continuing to build its program, step-by-step, brick-by-brick.
"Mal (Isaiah Maldonaldo) stepped up big time," coach Thompson stated. "He used to sling the rock for us back in the day. He hasn't done it in awhile since he's transitioned to (wide) receiver. It's nice that he could step out and really perform as well as he did. I hate to take moral victories but I told the team we're so close to being a 2-2 or even 3-1 team.
"We're young, we're going to grow and move on from this," coach Thompson concluded.
Selinsgrove 41, Central Mountain 13
CM 7006-13
SE 14 13 7 7-41
SCORING
First quarter
SE-Gavin Bastian 35 punt return (Noah Walter kick), 9:14
CM-Hunter Hoy 12 run (Mycah Carson kick), 3:15
SE-Gavin Bastian 33 pass from Rocco Amato (Walter kick), 1:57
Second quarter
SE--Ethan Miller 4 run (kick missed), 8:37
SE--Gavin Bastian 1 run (Walter kick), 4:02
Third quarter
SE--Bastian 70 pass from Amato (Walter kick), 11:03
Fourth quarter
CM--Jase Seltzer 95 pass from Isaiah Maldonaldo (kick missed), 6:00
SE--Andrew Martinez 45 fumble return (Walter kick), :32
TEAM STATISTICS
CM SE
First downs 8 10
Rushes-yards 35-132 21-154
C-A-I 4-7-0 6-7-0
Passing yards 103 144
Total yards 235 298
Fumbles-lost 3-2 1-1
Penalties-yards 4-25 5-50
Turnovers 2 1
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: CM-Jake Weaver 17-35 yards; Hunter Hoy 5-64 yards, TD; Isaiah Maldonaldo 5-6 yards. SE--Ethan Miller 8-87 yards, TD; Brett Rice 10-48 yards; Gavin Bastian 1-1 yard, TD; Rocco Amato 2-13 yards.
Passing: SE--Rocco Amato 6-7, 144 yards, 2TD. CM--Isaiah Maldonaldo 2-4, 100 yards, TD; Hunter Hoy 2-3, 3 yards.
Receiving: SE--Gavin Bastian 3-112 yards, 4TD; Jake Beddall 1-12 yards; Wyatt Teats 2-20 yards. CM--Isaiah Maldonaldo 1-2 yards; Jase Seltzer 3-101 yards, TD.
Records: Central Mountain 0-4. Selinsgrove 2-2.
Next game: Central Mountain at Shamokin Friday, 7pm. Selinsgrove at Williamsport Friday 7pm.