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‘Program leader’: Corman’s milestone was special moment for senior, Central Mountain

By HENRY HUBER 6 min read

While doing what he can to help his team win has always been Kole Corman's primary focus on the football field, the Central Mountain senior walked into Malinak Stadium with a second on his mind.

The 2025 Mr. PA Football nominee entered Friday's contest against Mifflinburg four stops away from breaking the program record for career tackles, a record that's been held by an esteemed Wildcats in Logan Houtz since 2010. Averaging over 14 tackles per game, it was more a matter of when than if, but it still provided nerves as he prepared for the game.

"I don't get super nervous before games, but I was really antsy before this one," said Korman. "I was feeling it, you know. Counting the tackles in my head."

With Houtz standing on the sideline waiting to pass off the torch, he wouldn't have to wait long.

Corman needed just one drive to cut the tackles-to-go in half, recording back-to-back stops on Mifflinburg's first offensive drive to get within two and doing it by his lonesome on the latter. Then, two tackles early in the second secured him the milestone, as he logged tackle No. 367 of his career to surpass Houtz just 14 minutes into the game.

Following his fourth tackle, play took a pause as Central Mountain's PA announcer and home crowd took a few moments to give the noteworthy senior his flowers. Corman received the game ball for achieving the milestone, with Houtz himself being the one to hand it to him. It was a surreal moment for the Wildcat.

"When it came over the loudspeaker, I was flooded with emotions. I half didn't understand what was going on because we were in the middle of a drive," said Corman on the moment.

"I got to shake Logan Houtz's hand. He's a great, great athlete that came through the school. Much respect, he's an absolute animal. And I'm just really happy that I could accomplish it at home in front of the fans."

Corman went on to put together a strong all-around performance, recording ten tackles to eclipse double figures for the sixth time this season and forcing a fumble that was recovered by teammate Gavin Heverly. And that wasn't even the cherry on top, which came just under a quarter later.

Deep in the third quarter facing a second and five, Corman received the ball on a trick play that showed him nothing but green grass on a shovel pass towards the left sideline. He'd make the most of the opportunity, turning on the jets, outrunning Mifflinburg's secondary on his way to a 45-yard touchdown and scoring on just the third reception of his season.

"We had that drawn up as a breakout play, and I saw that gap," said Corman. "We have a running joke at practice. They're always on me, saying, 'I'm a North-South runner. I don't make cuts.' So, I made it. I cut once, saw the pylon and just went for it. I was dead after it, I know that."

While it ultimately didn't result in a win, as the Wildcats went on to drop their 29th straight game, it's a play - and a performance - that emphasized what Corman has brought to the table throughout his three seasons as a starter. Through all the losses, he's never lost his edge. He trusts his teammates, and they have plenty of reasons to trust him.

"You see it even on the extra points. He doesn't take a play off, and that's one of the reasons he's earned the accolade of being our school's career leader in tackles," said Central Mountain head coach Travis Thompson on Corman.

"There's not a kid that works harder. He's a great leader on and off the field, and I couldn't be prouder of him. He's been a three-year team captain for us for a reason, and he's going to deserve another first-team all-conference accolade this year at linebacker. He's got a bright future ahead of him."

And when it's all said and done, Central Mountain's new career tackles number will be a tremendous challenge to beat.

Corman heads into his 28th start with 373 career tackles to his name, with 98 of those coming in 2026 and 157 coming in his junior campaign. He needs just 27 tackles - nine tackles through the next three regular-season games - to become the first Wildcat to surpass 400, and he's done it all without starting his freshman season.

"I love to play the sport," said Corman when looking back on a memorable night on Friday. "I've been a fan of the sport since seventh grade, and the emotions were coursing tonight."

IMPRESSIVE WINS

Though recent weeks haven't been kind to Express area teams, given their injuries and tough losses, two squads weathered their hurdles to pull off notable wins on Friday. Bellefonte and Jersey Shore each improved to 4-3 with wins over 4-2 teams in Philipsburg-Osceola and DuBois respectively, doing so despite multiple impactful injuries.

The Red Raiders held a Mountie offense averaging 26.5 points per game to six points in route to a 14-6 victory that got them above .500 for the first time since 2024.

Damarcus Law entered the contest averaging over 100 rushing yards per game, and they kept him below 40 yards on a clip of 2.6 yards per rush without multiple linebackers and linemen, crucial defenders for stopping the run. Philipsburg-Osceola finished under 150 yards, as Bellefonte held it scoreless through the last three quarters.

And while the Bulldogs saw leading receiver and defensive back Carter Rhinehart return after missing three games, they still went into Friday's road contest against DuBois without second leading tackler Chase Ellison and kicker Gabriel Welshans. They've been without starting running back Kash Herritt since the start of the season, and current starting running back Zeke Sechrist is playing through a knee injury.

However, none of those obstacles prevented Jersey Shore from pulling off a 28-14 win on the road.

Sechrist showed little signs of being held back, surpassing 100 rushing yards for the first time while totaling a team-leading 11 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack on defense. And Rhinehart shined in his return, turning nine receptions into 125 yards to surpass 100 yards for the fourth time in four complete games.

Those wins set the tone for what could be exciting conclusions to each respective season. Bellefonte has won two in a row since starting 2-3, and the Bulldogs ended a three-game skid against a storied opponent a long way from home. Each pulls tough Week 8 draws with respective rematches against Richland (7-0) and Hollidaysburg (4-2), but don't be surprised if they avenge last year's losses on Friday.

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