Ryan Tokar, CYA Basketballthe cold weather sets in and snow and ice blanket the ground. But CYA Basketball aims to keep its players active, learning, and having fun, all while improving their skills and advancing their fundamental knowledge of the game. The organization offers a wide range of programs, from skills clinics for our kindergarten…

Make March Madness Appearance Alisha Yocum The Mount St. Mary’s Men’s Basketball Team captured the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship with a decisive 63-49 victory over the Iona Gaels on March 16. This win marked the Mountaineers’ 22nd victory of the season, setting a new record for most wins in a single season as…

With Michael Betteridge Mountainball Has Always Been Legendary As April sanity triumphs over March madness, we look forward to our spring high school sports season. It is certain that our Lady Cougars softball team will be exceptional. With Taylor Smith back on the mound, and an experienced, solid infield behind her, this may be one…

Ryan Tokar, CYA Basketball CYA Basketball held its annual Shoot-a-thon fundraiser on Sunday, February 2. This is the largest annual fundraiser for our program and proceeds go towards necessities like gym rentals, uniforms, equipment, paid officials, and league fees. As is the case every year, our amazing community came out in support of the program…

With Michael Betteridge A Tree Has Roots When I was young, I discovered a book in my Grandma’s attic one day, entitled The Bellows Genealogy – John Bellows the Boy Emigrant of 1635 and His Descendants. As I read through the tattered yellow pages of the book, I began to see names that I recognized:…

Two Catoctin Youth Association wrestlers, Jackson Wivell and Willie Fletcher, competed in the Maryland State Wrestling Association State Championship in Salisbury, Maryland. They both placed fourth in their weight class amongst other competitors across the state.“We couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments!” –CYA Wrestling.

Catoctin Girls Basketball Lady Cougars defeated Williamsport 43-39 to win the CMC Championship on Tuesday, February 25. The win improves their record to 17-6 on the season heading into the playoffs.  Cougars came out running in the first quarter, pulling ahead for a 15-10 lead. In the second quarter, they had some foul trouble and…

Catoctin High School (CHS) Sports Boosters is a parent-based organization that provides support for all CHS athletes, sports teams, and coaches. The Sports Boosters program is needed to cover the additional expenses not covered by the very limited Athletic Department budget. They raise money through fundraisers, concession sales, sponsorship, and membership. All of the money…

with Michael Betteridge Over the past 13 years, the average snowfall in our area has been 22 inches per year. In the 2022-2023 snow season, we received two inches of snow for the entire year.  Last winter season, our total was 16 inches. In the past three years, we have received 33.1 inches of snow.…

One month after announcing the country’s second Division I flag football program, Mount St. Mary’s has hired Sandi James (pictured right) to serve as the team’s first-ever head coach. “I am super excited to make HERstory as the first Head Women’s Flag Football coach in Mount St. Mary’s history,” James said. “My goal is to…

with Michael Betteridge Confession Is Good for the Soul Traditionally in this column, I’ve always reserved January as a time to look back at the last year, to take stock of the new year, and to make some bold predictions. Let’s take that journey together again. For the past several months in this column, I…

Talking Hoops with Catoctin’s New Boys Basketball Coach Alisha Yocum Meeting Coach Mike Wagner for the first time, you’re instantly struck by his warm and approachable demeanor, which naturally puts those around him at ease and leaves them smiling. Many believe this energy could be exactly what Catoctin’s Boys Basketball program needs. However, his journey…

Jeremy Johnson, Catoctin Youth Association (CYA) Football & Cheer President To be a part of anything special, you must have a group of people around you who have a common purpose or goal. In our youth sports program, we rely on positive support from leadership, coaches, parents, volunteers, and community members. Our community, year after…

with Michael Betteridge We Are Blessed Last month, we were tracking the progress of our Catoctin Cougars sports teams, who were a disappointing 8-23 a month ago. Let’s see how we finished the fall season. Our Cougars football team finished the regular season 2-7. That’s a regression from last year’s 3-6 record.  They ranked 22nd…

with Michael Betteridge History Doesn’t Repeat Itself… Sports Columnists Do High school fall sports in November means playoffs, and the playoff structure is always a moving target.  The governing body of high school sports, the MPSSAA (Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association), determines which schools are in the four divisions: 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A.…

Alisha Yocum On a warm autumn day at Eyler Park in Thurmont, as Catoctin Youth Association (CYA) football players and cheerleaders take the field, spectators settle in for a thrilling game. The air hums with energetic play-by-play commentary from the loudspeakers—phrases like “That’s enough for a Catoctin first down!” and “There’s laundry on the field!”…

with Michael Betteridge What Happened To Mountainball? High school sports opened the fall season officially on Tuesday, September 3, with golf, soccer, and volleyball. The following day, girls flag football and field hockey kicked off. The opening fall season sports week continued on Friday, September 6, with football, and then cross-country track on Saturday, September…

Thurmont’s Potter Pirates Play for Coach at Cooperstown Alisha Yocum In 1996, Louis “Coach” Presutti, along with his father and son, visited the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. During the visit, Presutti’s father expressed a wish that every child in America should have the opportunity to play baseball in Cooperstown. This idea…

with Michael Betteridge If Rodeo Was Easy, They’d Call It FootballMy 21-year-old granddaughter, Maida, lives on a farm up in Ortanna, Pennsylvania. She is an accomplished barrel racer, competing often at the Chambersburg Saddle Club. For many years, I coached her brother, Stephen, in Fairfield youth football. My daughter, Corinne, their mother, and her family…

Alisha Yocum Each year, Thurmont Little League (TLL) selects some of its top players to represent the league in All-Star Tournaments. This time of year typically showcases some of the best youth baseball in the area, and this year was no exception. All tournaments follow a double-elimination format. The 8-10 All-Star Team played in the…