TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain's Gavin Heverly (2) returns a kick during a football game against Shamokin on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, at Malinak Stadium.

There have surely been better weeks for sports at Central Mountain than what was experienced last week. While it was not a busy week, the teams that played unfortunately were unable to find a win. Despite it all, one team finished their season while a couple of others played their final regular-season contests in preparation for district playoffs.

For the girls’ soccer team, it was a 0-3 week as its season came to an end.

On Monday in Williamsport, the CM ladies were defeated by a 6-2 score. The goals for Wildcats were scored by freshmen Lily McGonigal and Ashlyn Zener, with each young lady assisting on the other’s goal. Freshman goals have been a theme for CM this season. A good sign for the future.

Playing their final home game of the season on Tuesday, the Lady Cats were dropped by Bloomsburg 4-0. Then, on Thursday, CM closed out their season with a 7-0 loss at Montoursville, as it ended its 2025 campaign with just the one win.

Nonetheless, there’s a lot of enthusiasm for what the future could bring, pending growth from the many young ladies that gained a lot of experience this season.

The volleyball team had their final warm-up for playoffs as they hosted perennial Class A power West Branch on Monday evening. Both teams came into the contest with identical 13-0 records in match play.

It was a back-and-forth affair as the two teams traded wins in the first four sets before the deciding fifth set was won by the visitors to take the match 3-2 and hand CM its first match loss of the season. Despite the loss, the match offered CM the type of competition they need as they prep for the start of District 6 playoffs.

The boys’ soccer team played their final regular season game at Altoona on Thursday, hoping for a win heading into playoffs. However, it was not to be for the Wildcats as the home team scored two goals in each half to capture a 4-1 win.

CM’s lone goal came off the foot of senior Dylan Bechdel on an assist from classmate, Tim Brinker. The Wildcats concluded their regular season at 8-6-3 overall.

Coach Billy Hook’s team has been extremely competitive against very solid competition all season. Do they have a run in them that could lead to a district championship? The answer to that is soon to come.

On the gridiron on Friday night in Troy, the Wildcats had their best offensive performance of the season as they gained over 320 yards and 29 points in the contest. Unfortunately, though for the Cats, the defense would surrender over 500 yards and 70 points on the night.

CM’s offense was well dispersed as the line played perhaps their best game of 2025. Dalton McDermott led the Wildcats on the ground with 97 yards and a touchdown run while quarterback Kyle Everett added another 47.

Everett also had a nice game through the air. The sophomore continued to show growth as he appeared poised in the pocket and took some shots down the field in the passing game. His efforts accounted for 130 yards through the air with two touchdowns passes. His scoring tosses went to Mario Serafini and Mason Masorti.

Central Mountain also got a big kickoff return touchdown from speedster, Gavin Heverly. Kicker Mycah Carson added a field goal in the contest.

Team of the Week: Given that there were no victories for any of the teams last week, we will not name a team of the week. However, what we will do here is credit those teams who struggled at times and or had long seasons but stuck together and continued to play hard, display a competitive spirit and show growth. It’s not easy when you’re losing. There were a couple of CM teams that surely struggled this season to be competitive or win but by sticking together, continuing to work hard and enjoying a game they love, they will receive the rewards of their efforts down the road. That is truly what high school sports are all about.

Athlete of the week: Kyle Everett continues to develop as the Wildcat’s signal caller. Just a sophomore, he will surely be recognized in this section in the future. Gavin Heverly has shown heart and toughness returning kicks and playing defensive back for the Wildcats this season.Pound for pound, he is as tough as they come. There are others who while they may not have great stats are deserving of recognition for their overall commitment to being the best student-athlete that they can be. With that said, this week’s honor is going to Lady Wildcat freshmen soccer player, Lily McGonigal who led the team in goals scored and had a solid first year for CM.

Looking Ahead: Playoff matchups are set for the boys’ soccer and girls’ volleyball teams. Qualifying as the No. 4 seed in District 6 AAA, the boys will travel to Hollidaysburg on Thursday to take on the top seeded Tigers. The No. 1 seed in the District 6 AAA volleyball tournament, the Lady Cats will host No. 4 seeded Bellefonte next Monday, Oct. 27. The football team will wrap up their season when they make the short trip to Jersey Shore on Friday night to take on the Bulldogs. The Cats will hope for an upset of their rivals to avoid a second straight winless season. The District 6 Cross-Country Championships are at Mifflin County High School on Saturday.