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Henry Huber on football: CM’s opener painted a promising picture for future

By HENRY HUBER 6 min read

Walking off the field at Don Malinak Stadium on Friday night, there was a sense of satisfaction mixed in with Central Mountain's disappointment.

Though the Wildcats once again fell to rival Mifflin County to kick off the season, there was a stark contrast between the night's defeat and the previous three. Between 2023 and 2025, the Huskies won the matchup by a combined score of 124-12. And this past Friday, Central Mountain landed inches short of making it a one-score game with time to spare.

While it remains to be seen if that was more due to Central Mountain's development or Mifflin County's loss of talent, early indications point towards the former. Much promise and progress jumped off the page throughout the 28-19 loss, both in terms of the final stat line and what was presented off it.

"Absolutely," answered Central Mountain football head coach Travis Thompson when asked if he felt progress was present on Friday.

"We got our offense rolling early; we were able to move the ball well. And defensively, we made some great stops on third down and forced them into some fourth-and-long situations."

Offensively, the Wildcats struggled to make things happen passing wise, but the run game showed immediate potential. Where starting quarterback Kyle Everett struggled to get his receivers involved, he made up for with his legs, leading an effort that saw the team average 5.5 yards per carry.

On multiple occasions, the junior proved the speed work he did over the summer was worth it, as Mifflin County had issues dealing with his second burst in the open field. That was most evident on his 55-yard touchdown in the third quarter, which cut the deficit to 21-13. It was also on display on a 24-yard run to the right side line that helped set up the team's second score, as well as his first carry, which was nearing 20 yards before Mifflin County forced a fumble.

Ultimately, he finished with 133 yards on 11 attempts, good for an average of 12 yards per gain. His previous career high was 89 yards against Mount Carmel last season.

Alongside Everett, Kole Corman and Kai Fravel each had success in short-yardage situations, with Corman punching it in from the goal line twice. Fravel, Cahle Fredericks and Alex Johnson had big runs that helped set the Wildcats up for first downs. But the unsung hero was ultimately the offensive line, which paved the way for that success.

"I think our line as a whole is much improved from last year," said Thompson. "They've put in a lot of time, and I think you can see that. Pass protection was good; Kyle had time back there even though there were a couple sacks."

"Our line did very well. I think Kyle ran the ball extremely well tonight," he added.

The same could be said on the defensive end. In terms of defense and special teams, two blemishes stick out, being the 81-yard passing touchdown and 75-yard kickoff return in the third quarter. But aside from that, the unit as a whole stood out, most notably its line, with Mifflin County's two other scores coming on greatly shortened fields.

The defense stiffened up deep in its own territory on four separate occasions, forcing four turnovers on downs in those scenarios - including one at the goal line - to keep the Huskies from building on their lead. Tanner McCall and Kyle Everett each got to the quarterback for a sack, Kole Corman and Jacob Rembold combined for 24 tackles and the team as a whole combined for 15 tackles for loss, imposing its will at the line of scrimmage.

Statistically, it was a performance that - though dampened by two fumbles and occasional penalties - was impressive given the program's recent struggles. While there were flashes to years past, particularly when the Wildcats surrendered 21 unanswered points with the help of costly mistakes, the outing was interlaced with an attitude of belief that hasn't been present in years.

That was displayed most clearly through the first 17 minutes of game time. It was also evident in the team's responses to adversity late.

Central Mountain forced three straight stops to start, got into Mifflin County territory in two of its first three drives and held a 7-0 lead after stuffing the Huskies at their own 1 midway through the second. Prior to the costly fumble that turned the tide, the energy - both on and off the field - was overwhelmingly in CM's favor.

And after falling behind 21-6 less than two-thirds of a quarter removed from a lead, the Wildcats responded well on two separate occasions.

They didn't crumble when Mifflin County opened the third with an 81-yard pass, securing a stop before putting together their longest touchdown drive of the night (81 yards) to cut the deficit to one score. And when the Huskies immediately responded with a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff, Central Mountain patiently awaited its next opportunity and came one two-point conversion short of making the most of it.

Those responses likely wouldn't have materialized from the teams of 2024 and 2025. They were a product of confidence acquired by hard work over the offseason, confidence the team previously lacked.

"We haven't had luck in the past. I've never won a high school football game, which is pretty unfortunate. Losing's never fun, but I think we're turning things around," said Central Mountain senior Gavin Heverly prior to the season. "We've started realizing that we need to change something in order to win. So, I think we're doing that, and we're going in the right direction."

It remains to be seen if that progress and change in mindset will lead to wins down the road, especially with the schedule steepening in upcoming weeks. But Friday's performance paints a promising picture when it comes to putting the team's 23-game skid to bed, whether that's against Warrior Run this week or in the weeks that follow.

Henry Huber is the sports editor at The Express. He can be reached by email at hhuber@lockhaven.com. Follow him on Twitter/X at @HenryHuber_.

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