TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Central Mountain runs the ball against Bloomsburg in Week 1. The Wildcats eye their first win as Central Mountain hosts Selinsgrove tonight in Mill Hall.

Despite its early slump, the Central Mountain football team heads into Week 4 with a great opportunity for a successful weekend.

Unlike its last four opponents, which currently have a combined record of 8-1, Heartland-I foe Selinsgrove (0-3) holds the same number of wins as the Wildcats. They haven’t defeated the Seals in their last four attempts, with their latest win in the matchup coming in 2020. So, the two teams operating on a relatively even playing field gives Central Mountain a good chance to end multiple skids on Friday.

What they can accomplish depends largely on them, and multiple definitions can apply when it comes to the team achieving success. Not only will it be looking to put an end to its 15-game losing streak, but it’s also searching for its first points of 2025, having been outscored 119-0 through its first three games.

Though the end results say otherwise, Central Mountain (0-3) displayed positives in each of its first three games, reaching the red zone three times in its last two and being outscored by just seven points total in three first quarters. It may seem like grasping at straws but realistically, a few plays against Bloomsburg and Williamsport were all it took to prevent closer contests.

Of its three red zone drives in those games, two ended by way of turnover on downs and the third was flipped into an 80-yard pick six. Add a defense that can hinder the run and pressure the quarterback but struggles at preventing big plays, and those are the biggest contributing factors in keeping the Wildcats uncompetitive.

Offensively, senior running back Dalton McDermott and sophomore quarterback Kyle Everett are each coming off their strongest performances so far, with McDermott falling six yards short of 100 on 24 carries and Everett completing 61-percent of his passes against the Millionaires.

Mario Serafini, Mason Masorti and Ricky Rohrbach finished with three receptions each. And defensively, Kole Korman, McDermott and Hayes Donley continue to be standouts, combining for 27 tackles last Friday. Korman himself has already surpassed 50 on the season.

On defense, the players to key in on are seniors Brett Rice and Wyatt Teats. Rice has 184 rushing yards on the season and is a player the Seals have heavily relied on. And Teats is by-and-large the team’s leading receiver, with 14 receptions for 143 yards. Teats and Jake Beddall have big-play potential as well, with receptions of 36 and 40 yards respectively.

In looking to prevent back-to-back winless seasons, this stands as a solid opportunity for Central Mountain to do just that. Following this game, the road steepens, as Shamokin (3-0), Shikellamy (2-1) and Montoursville (3-0) will be up next for the Wildcats.