For each of the Central Mountain teams, the spring sports season has come and gone. In fact, the entire 2025-26 scholastic sports season is done. For the seniors, it’s time to either move on from sports or for a few, to prepare for the beginning of their collegiate careers. For the underclassmen, it’s time to head into their off-season training programs.

However before we get to that, let’s recap the spring that was.

On the tennis court, it was a season of near misses. While the boy’s tennis team finished with an overall record of 3-13, it was often a case of close, but not close enough as a common pattern was that of losses by 3-2 scores. Joey McCluskey playing out of the No. 1 singles slot along with Tim Brinker at No. 2 had solid seasons overall. However, the lack of consistent roster depth behind them made team victories elusive in far too many matches.

McCluskey and Brinker are both seniors so coach Jeff Brinker will have some work to do to replace them at the top of the Wildcat lineup in 2027. The Wildcats did see some youngsters gain very valuable experience this season and improve significantly as the season progressed.

RALPH WILSON/For The Express Central Mountain's Camden Weaver throws during a high school softball game against Williamsport at Williamsport on Tuesday

Among that group was Brayden Spedding, Ben Brinker and Gage Scanlan. Coach Brinker recognizes that for the team to get over the top in matches next season, those three and others will need to improve in the offseason. He is excited to see what they will do to prepare themselves to assume leadership roles on next years squad.

In track and field, the CM boys went 2-4 and the girls 1-5 in meets. While team wins were tough to come by for coach Scott Bair’s teams, some impressive individual performances were achieved. What is extremely encouraging is that most of those solid individual performances came from underclassmen.

Grace Keohane, Damien Winner, Sarah Hall, Josiah Allert and Wyatt Heeman who each were regular scorers for their teams are key departures who graduate. At the same time, some youngsters who are on the verge of big things will return. That group includes Macia Owens, Sofia Kelly, Zaylie Warren, Cora Svec, Lane Walker, Lucy Walker, Abigail Winslow and Christian Briggs among others.

Coach Bair recognizes that much improvement needs to occur in all areas for his teams to earn wins next spring and acknowledges that it is up to the athletes to make those improvements in the off-season. There are some good athletes present but the big question is, will enough athletes do the work required to create a team with the depth needed to be successful in meets next season? In time, the answer will be revealed.

The softball team had a solid season that ended sooner than most hoped. A 12-5 overall record was surely positive especially considering the question marks that the team had entering the season. What put a slight damper on things for some was the District 6 final loss to Mifflin County, a team that the Wildcats had defeated twice in the regular season. A lack of consistency was a factor that impacted CM throughout the season.

Felix Oquendo of Central Mountain slides safely into home base and scores in the top of the 7th inning in Williamsport. Central Mountain won, 3-0. DAVE KENNEDY/For The Express

Some afternoons it was the offense while on others it was the defense. However, despite that, there were some outstanding seasons put into the books by a few individuals. Seniors Aubrey Eiler and Cirstyn Watson were always solid and occasionally outstanding for their team. Junior Camdyn Weaver was a force both at the plate and in the circle as she put together an outstanding season. More on that and her to come.

Losing Eiler and Watson to graduation will surely hurt. However, joining Weaver to form a solid core for next season will be Payton Williams and Aubrey Miller along with Reagan Weaver who missed this season due to a knee injury.

Obviously, others will need to step up as well, but coach Taylor Thompson seems confident that the experience gained this season and the early playoff exit will fuel the fire needed to prepare her athletes and team for a solid season in 2027.

There are some glaring similarities between the baseball and softball teams this season. Just as the softball team had a solid regular season and a quicker than expected exit from playoffs, so too did the baseball team. After a 14-4 regular season that saw them share the HAC crown with Williamsport, they entered the district playoffs as the No. 1 seed, but ran into a solid Hollidaysburg team in the District 6 final where their season came to an abrupt end.

There will be significant turnover on the Wildcat roster as 10 players are set to graduate. That includes most of the starters and the entire pitching staff. There are some youngsters waiting in the wings looking to fill the holes left by those graduations.

TIM WEIGHT/For The Express Central Mountain’s boys tennis team went 3-13, but had a number of narrow 3-2 losses throughout the year.

However, what those youngsters are right now are prospects, not proven players at the varsity level like Blake Walker, Watt Probst, Darius Shade, Austin Frank and others. They will need to chart their own path to continue the tradition of excellence that is Central Mountain baseball.

Athlete of the Spring

This is usually a very tough decision. There were some athletes that had very solid spring seasons. Joey McCluskey on the courts, on the track, Macia Owens, in the field Sofia Kelly got better as the season progressed, Aubrey Eiler was a spark plug for the softball team, Blake Walker had another solid baseball season as did Watt Probst who was always steady.

They are all deserving of mention. However, no CM athlete had the season that Camdyn Weaver put together for the Wildcat softball team. She was outstanding at the plate where she had a .540 batting average with six home runs and 39 RBIs. As the Wildcats ace in the circle, she had 86 strikeouts.

She gets the nod here for CM Athlete of the Spring.

Team of the Spring

This one is a bit tougher. It would be easy to call it a tie between the baseball and softball teams. Similar records, similar endings. However, I’m not going to do that and instead I’ll give the nod here to the baseball team on the strength of their victories over Hazleton, Williamsport once which eventually earned them a tie for the HAC title, Punxsutawney, DuBois and State College.

Those very solid wins over quality opponents marks the difference here between the two teams.

Looking Ahead

As a high school coach myself, I know the value of the offseason in terms of player development. In fact, to me there is no better time for individual development than the offseason.

What will the CM athletes do with their offseason? Will those athletes who had solid seasons rest on them and expect automatic improvement next season or will they use their successes and perhaps struggles too to motivate them to work toward better performances and results next season?

How about the athletes that had seasons that they weren’t happy with? Will they sit and sulk their way through the off-season? If they do, they can be assured that baring some type of miracle, the same type of outcomes awaits them next season.

The ball is in the court of each individual athlete and the time to decide is now.

To those athletes I warn that the time will come when your season will ask you a very important question. That is: what did you do in the offseason to prepare for this?” What will your answer be?

Remember, the answer will not be revealed by what you wish for or say, but rather in what you do now to be able to perform when your season rolls around.

My advice? Prepare. And note that if you do not emphasize strength development in your offseason routine, you will never perform to your full potential. It might not be fun, but it is indeed necessary.

Best of luck to all CM athletes as you work this offseason to become a better version of yourself during the 2026-27 scholastic season. Rest assured, time is not going to stop. Work hard and work smart.