TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Central Mountain’s Connor Foltz runs during a game last fall.

With under one minute remaining in Friday night’s game against Shikellamy, wide receiver Connor Foltz was thinking one thing– make the go-ahead touchdown reception to tie the game and possibly send it to overtime for a chance to win the first conference game of the year.

On a spectacular play that capped off a magnificent drive, Foltz caught a 33-yard pass from QB Tom Sprague to not only score but also break another Central Mountain record.

Coming into Friday’s game against Shikellamy, Foltz needed just 91 yards to surpass Central Mountain graduate Tyler Pavalko for most career yards in Wildcat history. After Foltz’s 109-yard performance in the Wildcats’ latest win, the senior receiver pushed his total to 1,687 for his career.

Two weeks ago, Foltz broke Pavalko’s career receptions record, and this week was another occasion. Foltz is continuing to write one heck of a high school football career on both sides of the football, and Central Mountain fans will remember Foltz as one of the greatest leaders and playmakers of the program.

Foltz has been one of Central Mountain’s go-to guys since the senior has touched the turf at Malinak Stadium his freshman season. The four-year varsity standout has only increased his yards per season. As a first-year varsity player, Foltz squeezed out 64 yards in five games as the team’s third-best receiver behind two seniors in Peyton Johnson and Ryan Pentz.

By sophomore year, Foltz skyrocketed that number up to 946. Despite a tough junior year last season, Foltz fell just shy of 500 yards with 482.

And this season Foltz already has 195 yards in his pocket with at least seven games remaining in his career. The two-sport athlete is on track to eclipsing the 2,300-yard mark when his career is all said and done.

“It feels good,” Foltz said after the game when describing the feeling after breaking the record. “I told my boys I need 91 (yards) this week, I told them I was getting it this week. It would’ve been better to break it at home but this was a big game…tough team, good game to break it.”

THE MEANING OF WINNING

Shortly after winning its first game against Bloomsburg at home two weeks ago, the aurora in the Central Mountain locker room was ecstatic. The Wildcats enjoyed that win but didn’t let it get to their heads. Central Mountain went right back to work and figured out how to win on the road. That’s a testament to a developing program that’s starting an upward trend after a stinky 2022 season.

Although it’s just two wins through three games, Friday’s win was a statement to themselves. It was an affirmation that the feeling of winning a game- by a big margin, small margin or an ugly game- is a good feeling as long as a ‘W’ is marked on the results.

“It feels good to finally get some wins, it’s definitely a different feeling,” Foltz mentioned. “It feels a lot better than last year.”

There were games last season against Bloomsburg and Shamokin-winnable road games- where Central Mountain threw the towel in. The dynamic, the verbiage, the spirit-it has all changed this year.

“They didn’t give up on themselves and they stayed in the game. At certain points it would’ve been easy to roll over and revert back to a losing way but they persevered,” coach Thompson said. “Leaders stepped up…it was a gutsy win.”

OFFENSIVE LINE POWER

Those wins didn’t come easily-by far. Okay, maybe against a Bloomsburg team that laid down late in the third quarter and the entirety of the fourth. But against Shikellamy, there was no momentum whatsoever.

That was until the offensive line made some powerful blocks and paved the way for 367 yards in the win. That’s the most yardage the Wildcats have put up in two seasons as the highest last season was 292 in a loss at Mifflinburg. Ironically in last week’s game against Bloomsburg the Wildcats came up with 292 total yards.

“When I get meaningful touches it’s because of my (offensive) line. They put in great blocks for me, then I can make a cut,” Serafini said. “I couldn’t do anything without my linemen. My quarterback is throwing me passes and it’s all coming together…it’s awesome.”

That same offensive line helped protect QB Sprague to throw 249 yards and three vital touchdowns that moved Central Mountain into the win column.

The power of Alex Coakley, Gavin Bilbay, Giovanni Tarantella, Dylan Baker and Cooper Bottorf are helping steer the offense in the right direction. Other guys that don’t often get mentioned are Xander Kemmerer, Brayden Diehl and Tucker Henry, among others, who have also made key defensive stops.

STILL MORE TO COME

Of the biggest differences in this year’s squad compared to last year’s is the ability for multiple guys to be effective playmakers. In last season’s offensive scheme, the Wildcats offense was mostly predictable with a Serafini run or a screen throw to Foltz in the flat on a designed play.

Coach Thompson and his staff are doing a solid job mixing up both pass and run plays while keeping multiple guys involved in plays, which keeps defenses on its heels.

Foltz and Serafini are the head of the offense, but there are other Central Mountain’s receivers that can make plays as well. Senior Dom Longworth is right behind Foltz in receiving yards per game at 60. Although he hasn’t received as many touches as Foltz or Serafini has, he’s still a valuable piece of the offense.

“It’s just a testament to how many great athletes we have,” coach Thompson said. “We have guys out on the field running defensive backs off that are making other people open. So, even if he (Longworth) isn’t catching the ball he’s still a great asset to us.”

Longworth was used more as a decoy in these first three games, but coach Thompson has faith in his guys that if their number is called to make a big play, they will make it. Longworth has already proved that-catching a 59-yard tipped pass on a broken play on Friday, and running back Carnell Noone proved it with a huge 70-yard return against Bloomsburg.

Other Central Mountain offensive guys in Ashton Bennett and Xavier Persun, both tight ends, will also be crucial in how the Wildcats move along in its season. The Wildcats must play their cards right and take what the defense gives them each week regardless of who is making the plays.