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Thurmont Babe Ruth Baseball Finishes Successful Season

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Thurmont Babe Ruth Baseball finished an excellent spring 2023 season. The organization fielded a total of six teams among the 14U, 16U, and 18U divisions of the Frederick County Babe Ruth League.

In the 14U division, Thurmont had three teams with small but mighty rosters.  The Nationals, managed by Jeff Kuhn, had one of the youngest rosters in the league, but they held their own during the season. The Nationals finished with a record of 6-12-1. The Cougars, managed by Joe Wehage, were in contention near the top of the standings all season, finishing with a record of 12-5. The Thunder, managed by John Code, finished the regular season with a record of 16-2, good for second place out of the league’s 17 teams. The Thunder capped off the season by winning the end-of-season tournament, with three mercy rule victories to bring home the league banner. 

In the 16U division, Joe Wehage’s Crusaders finished in fourth place out of eight teams, with a record of 7-9. 

In the 18U Wood Bat division, Thurmont fielded a pair of teams, finishing in the top two spots in the final league standings. Joe Rizzo’s Expos had a record of 8-5 during the season. Tim Castellow’s Cougars finished at the top of the regular season standings, with a record of 10-2. The Cougars wrapped up the season by winning the end-of-season tournament and taking home another banner for Thurmont Babe Ruth.

Courtesy Photos

18U Cougars Team

14U Thunder Team

SPORTSTALK

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The Future of Catoctin Cougars Sports

with Michael Betteridge

I started coaching football in Fairfield at the youth JV level. The kids I coached were in second and third grades. Today, that same group of kids are juniors and seniors in high school, and many of them are playing high school varsity football! I coached JV for two years, then mid-varsity, and finally varsity, with the same group of kids. I followed them through their development as young athletes and watched them grow from little boys into young men. It is an honor to be a part of their lives.

It was a lot of hard work with many hours of practice, from early afternoons until dark weekdays. From the scorching heat of August to the frozen turf of November, we practiced hard. On weekends, we traveled to games all over southern Pennsylvania. 

Coaching at the youth level required many skills: scheduling, logistics, medical, equipment, fundraisers, counseling, motivational training, and, most importantly, where the parents were involved, politics. And that was before we even took the field to play football. Youth coaches and administrators work long, hard hours. They attend year-round classes on safety, techniques, and organization. They must be certified, background-checked, and are held to the highest standards of community behavior.

Today’s youth sports programs are the reason that high school athletics excel. When I was young, all our small community had to offer in football was the Catholic League. Many of my friends were Catholic. I was jealous that they got to play organized football in elementary and junior high school, while all I could do was get in a pickup game out in the cow pasture. I tried to convince my Methodist mother to convert the family to Catholicism so that I could play football in junior high. “It wasn’t a good enough reason,” she told me, with a smile. We had little league baseball, but there were no other organized youth sports for kids my age.

Our children today are truly blessed. We’ve come a long way since my youth. We have youth sports in football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, field hockey, and volleyball. Catoctin youth sports are directly responsible for the talent we see today at the high school level in all sports categories. With years of experience playing together, by high school, our young athletes know exactly what to expect from their teammates. More importantly, our kids start playing together at an early age and form bonds that last a lifetime. Year after year, graduating Catoctin senior athletes step up to the microphone on Senior Day and talk about how much they will miss their teammates and how long they have been playing sports together at the ripe old age of 17.

Recently, I had the opportunity to broadcast the 10-12-year-old Thurmont youth baseball team on the radio. They are a very well-coached group of talented young athletes. As I sat in the press box before the game and watched the warmups, I realized that I was looking at the Catoctin High School baseball future out there on the field. I Googled the 2017 All-Star Little League team and laughed out loud. On that roster were Connor Crum, Joey McMannis, and Peyton Castellow, all Catoctin Cougars baseball graduating senior stars in 2023. During my broadcasts, The Thurmont Bucks 2023 Little League baseball team battled opponents from all over Central Maryland and put up some impressive victories, scoring 48 runs in three tournament games. That’s sixteen runs per game! Four or five years from now, Bradley Goddard, Eli Yocum, Parker Hahn, Ethan Tokar, and their Bucks teammates will probably be tearing up the 1A in baseball with Coach Mike Franklin at Catoctin, putting up similar numbers.

When you look around the region and you see sports powerhouse schools like Linganore, Oakdale, and Urbana, you wonder why, year after year, season after season, they continue to win. You need to look no further than LOUYAA (Linganore Oakdale Urbana Youth Athletic Association), the largest youth athletic association in Central Maryland. Successful high school sports programs look to these feeder organizations and work closely with the youth coaches and administrators to align their strategies and implement playbooks and cultures that are consistent.

Catoctin Cougars football coach Mike Rich, who is a product of the LOUYAA system, is building the same relationship with the CYA (Catoctin Youth Association) and Catoctin Youth Football. Coach Rich runs clinics in the offseason with the CYA and maintains a strong relationship with all the coaches and administration. The depth of this relationship is not just off the field, but on the field as well. Coach Rich explained to me that offensive strategies are largely based on the players and their unique skills. At the youth level, they work on teaching the same offensive fundamentals, but the focus is on building defenses that use high school terminology and play calling. Youth football players are completely familiar with what coaches want to do when they arrive at the high school level, as a result. The part of the relationship that Coach Rich enjoys most is the times when he and the youth coaches can just sit down, relax, learn from each other, and “talk football.” They take the time to meet regularly.

Our Catoctin youth programs from Little League to CYA are the secret to the Catoctin Cougars high school sports success. The level of community involvement in youth sports in Northern Frederick County is something that makes us proud to be Cougars. Drive by Leisner baseball field on any given day and try to find a parking space. Or try to find a seat in the stands or on the grass hills at a Catoctin football game, and you’ll understand why we’re the “baddest cats” on the mountain. 

Our youth programs are producing some awesome young athletes, coaches, and fans!

Check out the Catoctin Youth Association Facebook page, Catoctin Youth football, and the Thurmont Little League websites today, and come on down to catch a game real soon!

Tournament Time Is Here

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Ryan Tokar, Thurmont Little League

The regular season has come to an end at Thurmont Little League (TLL), but there is still a lot of baseball to be played! As the normal slate of games concluded, the league quickly moved into All-Star and tournament season. First up were the TLL In-House All-Star games for the T-ball and Instructional (Coach Pitch) divisions, which were held on Tuesday, June 13.

Representatives from T-ball included Lucy Liller, Gabe Shankle, Maverick Cox, Brailey Hammock, Carter Rodas, Brenton Tull, Billy Sullivan, Andrew Smith, Tinsley Young, Rylee Oden, Carson Lingg, Kellam Robertson, Tucker Long, Chance Grimes, Emmet Amyot, Everett Oxenford, Cash Burrier, and Ryder Murray.

The Coach Pitch rosters were made up of Jon Rose, Caleb Lynn, Caleb Valentine, Tyler Roderick, Declan Myers, Michael Mendez, Parker Ketterman, Wyatt Breeden, Addison Lingg, Abel Boone, Braxton Lovejoy, Eli Yanke, Jackson Boyer, Knox Devries, Colton Grimes, Logan Otto, Jett Derr, Brantley Steinhour, Chase Stine, Gage Baugher, Zachary Montgomery, and Michael McGinnis. Congrats to all of these future stars on a great season of baseball!

The Minor League division post-season kicked off with their In-House playoffs, which included a host of extremely hard-fought games, culminating in the Cougars becoming this year’s champions, overcoming a valiant fight by the Rays. Both teams put forth a tremendous amount of effort and displayed excellent sportsmanship throughout the game.

The Cougars were managed by Darryl Dextradeur, with assistants Kevin Rickerd, Kevin Rabbit, Anthany Wolfe, and Nathan Fritz. The roster included players Bryce Rickerd, Julian Thompson, Colson Wolfe, Payton Fritz, Logan Smith, William Fletcher, Liam Ecker, Brayden Constable, Joseph Fogle, Leland Beach, and Marshall Frey. Congrats to the Cougars on a successful campaign.

Next up was the Minors In-House All-Star Game, featuring Brayden Nash, Luke Wiles, Brooks Otto, Aaron Oden, Tyler Warfield, Bryce Yocum, Angus Riddle, Wade Wolfe, Julian Thompson, Bryce Rickerd, Payton Fritz, Marshall Frey, James Hewitt, Dennis Smith, Liam Delawter, Cole McCauley, Josh Tingler, Jace Fisher, Devin Riffle, Scarlett Riffle, Chris Kehne, Jerome Turner, Lewis Turner, and John Clements. These teams put on quite a display of athleticism for the fans in attendance and showcased the up-and-coming talent at TLL.

Additionally, there will be a Minors All-Star team traveling to play in the Emory Frye Memorial Tournament. Managed by Darryl Dextradeur, the team will be made up of Marshall Frey, Payton Fritz, Bryce Rickerd, Julian Thompson, James Hewitt, Cole McCauley, Brayden Nash, Brooks Otto, Dennis Smith, Garret Troxell, Luke Wiles, and Riley Workman.

TLL is also proud to announce a softball All-Star team for this year, represented by Madison Oden, Ella Rose, Ella Flanary, Hadley Crone, Dixie Eckenrode, Hannah Crone, Emma Stevens, Aubree Shull, Abby Shankle, Joclyn Cassidy, Kiley Long, Kathryn Bradhsaw, Kinsley Bowlus, Erin McGrew, Demi Hudson, and Tori Brown.

The Majors Division was represented by two teams in end-of-season tournaments as well. The second-place Warriors and Manager Chris Merriman played in the Dave Fogle Tournament at Frederick National Little League. The team gave it their all and made it all the way to the Championship game, but they came up just short against a very good team from Lower Montgomery County. Meanwhile, the Thurmont Bucks, coached by Rick Reeder, played in the Gregg Quedeweit Memorial Tournament of Champions right here at Thurmont Little League. The Bucks had a remarkable season, losing only one game in league play. They started strong with wins over Montgomery County Upper and Frederick American, but, ultimately, they would lose in a very hard-fought game to the eventual champion, the Brunswick Cubs, in the third round. Overall, it was a great season for these boys, and they made all of us at TLL proud.

There will be three All-Star teams representing TLL in District 2 Tournament play. The 10-12-year-old team, managed by Jeff Kuhn, includes Tucker Bryant, Callen Edmonston, Bradley Goodard, Parker Hahn, Shawn Livingston, Reed McCauley, Brayden Rickerd, Ethan Tokar, Weston Tyler, Jeremy Veronie, Bracen Webb, Eli Yocum, Noah Bradbury, and Luke Berg. The 9-11-year-old team began their District 2 Tournament on June 25. This team will be managed by Nathan Laird, and the roster includes Joey Blentlinger, Desean Brown, Nathan Camilleri, James Clements, Kaiden Dewees, Chase Dumas, Marshall Frey, Chance Kruger, Evan Laird, Wesley Meekins, Brooks Otto, and Riley Workman. Finally, there will be an 8-10 team, consisting of Levi Baker, Nemo Dewees, Payton Fritz, James Hewitt, Riggins Koenig, Cole McCauley, Brayden Nash, Owen Ott, Bryce Rickerd, Dennis Smith, Julian Thompson, and Luke Wiles. Darryl Dextradeur will also manage this team. Congratulations and best of luck to all the teams participating in tournaments this summer.

Be sure to check out next month’s edition for a full update on All-Star tournament play, as well as a recap of several fun events TLL will be taking part in this summer.

Fall registrations will be opening later this summer as well, so be sure to sign up to be a part of a tremendous organization!

The first-place Thurmont Bucks represented TLL in the Tournament of Champions.

Minors Division players celebrate after their Championship game.

SPORTSTALK

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with Michael Betteridge

Summer Is Here…

Let’s Celebrate

Most of us have seen the silly antics of NFL football players doing their handshakes, dances, and performances in the end zone after a touchdown. It’s not sports, it’s performance art at its finest. It started out with the “spike” years ago; at first, the officials threw a flag and called it unsportsmanlike conduct, then they let it slide. Soon, the spike was followed by a finger pointed at the sky and a sort of combination “thank you, God” and “We’re number No. 1,” depending on the player. Then, this performance art became Lambeau leaps, somersaults into the endzone, choreographed dances, political statements, and so on. It spread to other sports, which now permeates most pro sports as we know it. Pro-athletes are for sale to the highest bidder; their brand is more important than the team.

At high school and collegiate levels, overt celebrations were completely unacceptable—it sent the wrong message to young athletes.  These celebrations took the focus off the team and put it on the individual; it was disrespectful to opponents and simply not allowed. But, just like in pro sports, exceptions have crept in.

This Cougars’ high school season, we had a high visibility collision between culture, official rules, egos, and fair and consistent application of the celebration rules. An athlete raising one finger to the ceiling during an event could receive a disqualification, but a mosh pit celebration at home plate for a baseball player who hit a home run was fine. Why?

My favorite celebration recollection was several years ago in the gym at Catoctin High School during a basketball game. It was the last game of the season, and Catoctin had a big lead over its opponent.  Coach began putting his bench in the game to give them some floor time.  There was a very special kid named Cody who was a heck of a Cougars football player, but he wasn’t as good at basketball. He was a third-string basketball player, and he hadn’t seen any time in a game all season. So, when Coach put Cody in the game with five minutes on the clock, the crowd reacted with a round of applause for Cody. Then, something unbelievable happened.  His teammates all collapsed into a four-corner offense and fired the ball to Cody who was standing just beyond the three-point arc at the top of the key. His teammates managed to get the word to their opponent, who relaxed their defense for a moment; in that split second, Cody was wide open with the ball. Cody set his feet, took aim at the basket and launched the shot! The pin-drop silence fell over the crowd. The ball arced into the air with the faintest hint of backspin and gently swooshed through the net for a beautiful three-point basket. The crowd erupted into a deafening roar of celebration. It was as if Catoctin had just won the state championship.  Cody turned to the crowd and gave his best Hulk flex then dropped to the hardwoods and rattled off three rapid fire push-ups. Again, the crowd erupted. It was a moment I will treasure forever because in that moment of complete unity and accord between both teams and fans, everyone understood what had just happened, including the officials.  That was a common-sense application of the rules. No whistles were blown.  No flags were thrown.

Today, common sense seems to be in short supply on both sides of the equation. Catoctin track star, Brody Buffington, one of the fastest high school sprinters in America, was disqualified back in February when he looked back at his own teammates and raised his index finger into the air.  The track meet was in Hagerstown, but the DQ (disqualify) wasn’t announced until later.  Everyone who has ever competed in high school athletics in Frederick County understands the officiating in Washington County. His disqualification was biased, excessive, and lacked any common sense. The backlash spread throughout Frederick County and beyond, reaching all over the nation in newspaper and TV reportings, making Buffington somewhat of a local celebrity as a result. Three months later, in a head-shaking moment, Buffington did it again. And, this time, it wasn’t an individual event, but a team relay event that affected the whole team.  Remember what I said about common sense on both sides of the equation? 

But in all fairness, something else was at play. I asked a Catoctin football player why he thought they singled out Buffington. His answer was on target, “because it hurt the loser’s feelings.” He was right. In this “everybody is a winner” culture, you can’t point out that there are losers on the field. Because if you’re No. 1 then they are No. 2, and that’s unacceptable. There is another factor involved: the rules are different for different players in different sports.  You can pile up in a rugby scrum, or you can pile up on the pitcher’s mound after a big win in a delightful revel of celebration in baseball, but a raised finger is a NO-NO? You can drop to the floor and do pushups during a basketball game, but a gesture to the crowd by a track star is verboten. You can hurtle over the net and toss your racket into the air after winning a tennis match, but spiking the football will get you 15 yards. So, what’s the answer? 

Simple…save the celebrations until after the game is over. Also, someone has to remind the officials that their decisions affect lives for years to come, so use your God-given common sense. Don’t be stupid!

Now is the perfect time for celebrations, now that the season is over. Let’s celebrate Catoctin’s never give up “Little Football Team that Could,” who put a big scare into the only undefeated team in Frederick, and with one-point losses in their two final regular season games against top ranked teams, made believers out of all of us. How about celebrating the grit and determination of Catoctin’s boys’ soccer team or the girls’ soccer team, led by Nicole Andre, Natalie Hoys, and Molly Parsons? Don’t forget Catoctin field hockey, led by Anna Abruzese; Catoctin volleyball and Anna Belluomo; Catoctin lacrosse, led by Jameson Doll and Vince Reaver; Catoctin golf, led by Jordan Moore. Catoctin girls’ basketball ran all the way to the region finals, led by freshmen sensation Brooke Williams and sophomore point guard Taylor Smith.  Catoctin boys’ basketball went on a run with Robert Ruch Jr. and Colin Toms, led by Matthew Offutt. Catoctin boys’ baseball was sensational, led by Joey McMannis, Peyton Castellow, Connor Crum, and Joel Miller, battling all the way to the region final for the second year in a row after a state championship in 2021, the most recent addition to the Catoctin championship trophy case. And, finally, our Lady Cougars basketball team 1A Maryland State championship runners-up, with a story book season, led largely by a team full of sophomores. I’ll say it again: Now is the time to celebrate!

As a former coach, I was never a fan of in-game celebrations. My response to my players has always been, “Knock it off, act like you’ve been there.” There is nothing that gets under an opponent’s skin more than a calm, focused “that’s what we do because we’re Catoctin” swagger.  I’m throwing down the challenge to every Catoctin Cougars athlete and coach. How about you? Are you ready for some real Mountain Ball in September? The kind Fort Hill faced in November 2019 when they lost their first-ever road football playoff game right here in Thurmont?

To all my Catoctin Cougars friends: Have a great summer. You deserve it! 

2023 Hit-a-thon Blasts to New Heights!

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Ryan Tokar, Thurmont Little League

On Saturday, May 6, Thurmont Little League (TLL) held its 2023 Hit-a-thon. This is the largest annual fundraiser for the league, and proceeds go toward necessities like field maintenance, uniforms, concession upgrades, and general complex improvements. There were fireworks on and off the field, literally! This event seems to grow bigger and bigger each year, as players enjoy not only the competition of seeing who can hit the ball the farthest, but also who can gain the most dollars in donations. Our TLL families and the surrounding community stepped up once again. This year’s Hit-a-thon brought in over $29,000 in online and cash donations, the largest amount raised in league history!

The Hit-a-thon is an extremely fun event for our players. They have a great time competing against their friends and teammates, and all for a great cause. Players receive one hit for every $10.00 raised, for a maximum of 10 hits. They can continue to raise additional money above and beyond that in order to win prizes. A bonus hit is also awarded if a player brings a non-perishable item for the Thurmont Food Bank.

Prizes are given to the top overall fundraisers and also to the players who hit the ball the longest distance. The Majors and Minors Divisions are judged on where the ball lands, while Coach Pitch and T-ball divisions are given credit for how far the ball rolls.

Distance winners for this year’s Hit-a-thon were as follows: Majors—Nathan Camilleri (201 ft), Daniel Genemans (200 ft), and Nemo Dewees (194 ft). Minors—Carter Misner (145 ft), James Hewitt (144 ft), and Payton Fritz (138 ft). Coach Pitch—Chase Stine (157 ft), Logan Otto (143 ft), and Graham Pearl (141 ft). Finally, from T-ball—Maverick Cox (129 ft), Gabriel Shankle (120 ft), and Lucy Liller/Liam Lawrence tied (112 ft). TLL Softball had a great showing once again this year as well. Distance winners from our Softball program were: Dixie Eckenrode (116 ft), Hadley Crone (115 ft), and Victoria Brown (112 ft).

The overall fundraising winners this year raised some of the highest totals in event history. Congratulations to the following winners: Carson Unger (Coach Pitch Dragons) $1,960, Liam Lawrence (T-ball Blue Jays) $1,650, and Emma Stevens (Softball Mavericks) $770. They will each be awarded an Amazon gift card for their prize. In addition to the individual winners, the teams with the most overall donations earn a free pizza party at the end of the season. Highest earning teams were: T-ball Blue Jays—$2,910, Coach Pitch Dragons—$2,755, Minors Eagles—$1,445, Majors Nationals—$1,115, and Softball Mavericks—$1,335. Along with over $29,000 raised, the league also collected several hundred non-perishable goods which were donated to the Thurmont Food Bank to help those in need. TLL would like to thank the community, parents, and volunteers for their support. Without you, this event would not have been such a tremendous success.

Throughout the day, guests enjoyed treats from Crazy Dave’s Pizza, Snowball Waterfalls, and the TLL Concession Stand. After the dust had settled on the Hit-a-thon, team pictures, and a full slate of in-house games, an impromptu kickball game broke out on the Majors Field, with kids from all divisions enjoying themselves while waiting for it to get dark. Once the sun finally set on the day’s festivities, a huge crowd of TLL family members settled in to enjoy an amazing fireworks display, put on by Innovative Pyrotechnic Concepts. Everyone loved the up-close view of the show, which lasted for over 10 minutes and put an exclamation point on an already fabulous day.

The spring season is winding down, with games concluding in early June. We will then move on to the end-of-the-season tournaments and All-Star games. Look for more information in next month’s issue!

Thurmont Little League collects non-perishable food items for the Thurmont Food Bank

SPORTSTALK

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with Michael Betteridge

A Really Interesting Summer Workout Plan!

Most of my mother’s family lived for eight generations in a sleepy little hamlet on the Eastern end of Long Island, called Hampton Bays. My mother’s family was one of a handful of families that sailed over from Connecticut in 1640 to Southampton to establish the first English colony on Long Island. When nearby Hampton Bays was first settled, it was named Good Ground, and it was good ground, indeed. My childhood and my story were built on that good ground.

Back in the early 1960s when I was a young boy, Hampton Bays was a quiet little beach resort with beautiful white sandy beaches, pounding surf, an assortment of bays, inlets, ponds, woods, and small islands that a boy could explore alone for days upon days.  Around April, I would hatch my annual plan to begin nagging my Mom, so she would have no choice but to send me to Grandma’s for the summer. She would complain to my Dad about my incessant pleadings, and my father would say, “Great, pack him up and put him on a train to Long Island.” It worked! I was the luckiest boy in Maryland.

Every year at the close of the school year, they would banish me to Grandma’s for a summer of riding my bike, fishing in the family rowboat, the “Kontiki,” exploring the tiny islands that were scattered all over Shinnecock Bay, and camping out whenever and wherever I could. I thought I was very smart. My parents just wanted one less kid to deal with all summer and knew my no-nonsense Grandma would keep me on the straight and narrow. It wasn’t all a boy’s paradise. There were Sundays in the parlor wearing a suit and tie, where I was forced to watch Lawrence Welk with all my great-grandmother’s old lady friends from Rampasture Point. They would pat me on the head and tell me what a “fine young man” I was becoming. It was a price I had to pay. But, soon, I would make the short walk down the hill to Smith’s Creek, one of many inlets off the Bay, where Grandma and I lived in the “Shop.” The suit would hit the closet and the only summer wear necessary were shorts and a T-shirt.  Shoes were optional.

The Shop was a typical small beach shorehouse, like many that dotted the Peninsulas of that region. This one was very different. It was magical! It was a young boy’s hideaway. The rear of the house was built over the water on an attached dock, where you could row your boat right up to the house, tie it off, and walk in. It was filled with tools, nuts, bolts, fabric, rope, and twine, and it always had a faint smell of salt water and fish. My great-great-grandfather, Austin Alonzo Bellows, a bayman, built this little gem with his own hands. Grampy, as he was known, operated one of several large sailing vessels that took tourists over to the ocean beaches during the summer before the Ponquogue Bridge was built.   It was the only means of transportation for rich “city people,” and it was a lucrative trade for an old, retired whaler. There was no plumbing, only a wonderful little outhouse with a half moon carved in the door.

The Shop was Grampy’s home, repair shop for his sailboat, and a place to hide from the kids and women.  Grampy maintained an oyster bed under the dock, and when friends came to visit, Grampy would wade out into the bed, gather a bucket of oysters and shuck and serve them right there in front of his guests to their delight. Hence, the name “The Shop.”  By the time Grandma lived there, it had become old and rickety and, occasionally, during high tide, the back side of the house and docks would briefly be underwater. But for me, it was a dream come true.

I never met Grampy. He was born during the Civil War and passed away five years before I was born. They laid him to rest in Good Ground Cemetery behind the old Methodist Church in Hampton Bays.

During Hurricane Donna in 1960, the tide came up so far that we had to float Grandma’s furniture out of the front door of the Shop and drag it up to dry land. Imagine a young boy being allowed to doggy paddle around in Grandma’s house to find a stray floating chair or end table. What fun!  It was indeed a magical little house for a young boy.

When I returned every summer to begin a new school year in Maryland. I was bigger, stronger, faster, tanned, and in great shape to begin football season.  Rowing a 12-foot, heavy wooden rowboat a mile and a half out to the Bay and back every day to fish was building a strong back and big arms. Cutting all the old ladies’ lawns on the Point to get pocket money to spend at the summer Firemen’s Carnival on junk food and rides was building up some pretty powerful legs. I remember the coaches would look at me and say: “Wow, what did you do last summer?” Did you work on the ‘Sod Team’”? That was the coaches’ summer workout plan for young football players back then. They would work out arrangements with the local landscapers to get their players on crews that rolled up large, heavy clods of grass and carried them from the fields to the flatbed trucks in the heat of summer. That’ll get you into shape fast! We didn’t have gyms or weight rooms or football camps. My football friends just signed up to work on a landscaping crew, “busting sod” all summer and slept a lot. I think I liked my plan better.

These days, young athletes hit the weight room all summer, participate in umpteen organized sports activities, go to fill-in-the-blank camps and play on numerous summer travel teams. To me, it’s way too structured, but I can’t argue with the results. Kids are bigger, faster, stronger, and, in way, in better shape than we ever were.

I find myself wondering if the “juice is worth the squeeze.” Do we really have to turn young men and women into superstars? Is the constant pressure to train all year, to become “the best you can be,” a slogan seen on many weight rooms in Frederick County high schools, producing better people?

I look at Connor Crum, a football QB sensation; or Brooke Williams, a ninth-grade basketball phenom; or Taylor Smith, arguably one of the top five softball pitchers in Maryland and only a sophomore; or Joey McMannis, who will most likely end up playing Major League baseball with the Yankees or the Astros or some big league team in front of thousands of fans next year…and I wonder. In my entire high school four-year journey, there was only one kid from our school that made it to the Big Leagues: Pickles Smith, who played for the Kansas City Royals (and that was Sherwood High School, a school much larger than Catoctin). Oh yeah, Pickles’ success was due to his summer workout plan.  He busted sod every summer. He was buffed, and he could crush a baseball!

So, I watch these kids and wonder.  Are they having fun? Are we giving them the time to be kids before they have to grow up?

My dreams of the big leagues ended at Sherwood High School. But looking back, I’m OK with that. My workout plan was perfect for me. It was one I would never trade in a million years…summers at Grandma’s.

2023 Senior Student Athletes’ Signing Ceremony

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Catoctin High School’s student athletes who have committed to play a sport at various colleges participated in the Senior Signing Ceremony on April 25 in the Catoctin High School gymnasium.

Peyton Costellow signed with Hagerstown Community College to play baseball; Joey McMannis signed with the University of Maryland to play baseball; Jazmyne Howard signed with Dean College to play field hockey; Nathan Scheider signed with Lebanon Valley College to play football (not present at ceremony); JD McCallion signed with Lebanon Valley College to play football; Morgan Ridenour signed with Hood College to play lacrosse (not present at ceremony); Nik Contreras signed with the Community College of Baltimore County at Essex to play lacrosse; Jameson Doll signed with Greensboro College to play lacrosse; Colin Byrne signed with Greensboro College to play lacrosse; Grant Kelly signed with Bridgewater College to play lacrosse; Nicole Andrew signed with Hood College to play tennis; Brody Buffington signed with the University of Georgia to run track; Asher Clingerman signed with Salisbury University to run track; Alex Contreras signed with Highpoint University to run track and cross country; Abigail May signed with McDaniel College to play volleyball; Abby Moreland signed with Wilson College to play volleyball; Abigayle Bowley signed with McDaniel College to play volleyball; Michaela Windisch signed with Wilson College to play volleyball; Nate Kovalcik signed with Messiah College to wrestle.

Catoctin Athlete Sets the Bar High

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Blair Garrett

There are a lot of great athletes coming up in the Catoctin region.

We’ve had state championships in football and baseball in just the past few years. We’ve had phenomenal teams and coaches put together stellar post-season runs to give us years of exciting high school sports action.

But we’ve also had some students who have become standouts among the standouts. Brody Buffington of Catoctin High School has become one of those athletes.

Buffington’s performances for the track team this season have been electric, so much so that he’s become a nationally ranked runner in his categories.

“I’m ranked No. 2 in the nation in the 100 meter, and I’m fifth or sixth in the nation in the 200-meter dash,” Buffington said.

Buffington’s successes for the team were really something of a happy accident. Track had been an option to keep in shape for his primary sport, but once his shoes hit the track, the sky was the limit for the senior.

“Last year, I did indoor track to keep up with my conditioning for my outdoor sport, lacrosse,” Buffington said. “I found out I was really good at running, so I sacrificed lacrosse for an opportunity at track and field.”

Buffington’s efforts have translated into a lot of personal growth and plenty of post-high school opportunities. “ I’m going to run in college,” he said. “I committed to the University of Georgia.”

The University of Georgia has a special athlete headed its way come next season. Buffington has excelled in his short time with the Catoctin track team, setting multiple school and state records.

“He’s got the school record in the 100- and the 200-meter dash, and both of his records are the fastest in the state of Maryland,” Head Coach David Lillard said. Not only has Buffington made a splash at the regional and state level, but his appearance at the biggest of stages made a statement for the Catoctin standout.

“At Indoor Nationals, I got second place for the 60- and the 200-meter dash,” Buffington said.

Adjusting to a new sport as a high school junior is no easy feat. Becoming a nationally ranked athlete in that sport in such a short time seems near impossible. The past two seasons for Buffington have been a tight learning curve, but it’s no surprise that he’s exceeded expectations with a great coach and team behind him.

“He’s [Coach Lillard] molded me into the person I am today,” Buffington said. “I make a lot smarter decisions, I’ve sacrificed a lot, and he’s trained me to where I am right now, so I’m very grateful for my coach.”

The work isn’t done yet, though. Two huge opportunities to prove he’s one of the best in the nation still lie ahead. “I have a longer season than a lot of the guys because I have New Balance Nationals and the Junior Olympics over the summer,” Buffington said. I’m still putting in the hard work and going over the little details.”

The team’s season finishes with the turn of the month, but that hasn’t stopped Coach Lillard from polishing up on the parts of Buffington’s game that really make a difference.

“One of the main things we’re working on is the turn coming out of the 200 meter into the straightaway,” Lillard said. “We’re still doing some block work and still trying to work on some power, but the key thing is just trying to stay healthy and still trying to fine tune.”

With a steadfast work ethic and passion for improving on the details of his game, Buffington’s improvements are sure to carry him far into his post-high school career.

While Buffington graduates after this season, the team has plenty of up-and-coming athletes to look forward to for next season.

Keep an eye out for your favorite Cougar athletes hitting the track once again in late 2023.  

Brody Buffington competes at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in March 2023 in Boston.

Another Successful Opening Day

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Ryan Tokar, Thurmont Little League

The 2023 Spring Season is well under way at Thurmont Little League (TLL). Our five TLL Majors baseball teams kicked off their season by participating in the annual Garel Hauver Memorial Tournament, hosted by Brunswick Little League, on March 25 and 26. Despite heavy rains canceling many of the first day’s games, the weather held off for each team to get in two games over the course of the weekend. This is always a good way to begin the season and get the younger players their first taste of Majors-level competition.

After months of planning, opening day arrived on Saturday, April 1. Unfortunately, soggy weather, once again, forced the cancellation of our morning games and several activities; however, the sun came out eventually and made for a beautiful afternoon to celebrate and play ball. The complex quickly filled up, and everyone began to enjoy a day full of festivities and fun.

President Robbie Nash kicked off the league’s season by, once again, expressing how thankful he was for the tremendous outpouring of support the league receives on a yearly basis. At 11:00 a.m., players from the T-ball and Instructional divisions were introduced, along with their coaches and team moms. The second round of introductions was held at 3:00 p.m. for the Minor, Majors, and Softball programs.

Once again this year, the league held a memorial service for another TLL family member who is no longer with us. Jeff Koenig, who served as a coach for his three sons over the course of many years, passed away in June of 2022 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Jeff was a tremendous baseball talent who starred locally at Mount St. Mary’s University, where he was inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame. Up until the time of his passing, Jeff had been serving as an assistant coach for the Majors Orioles. He could be found sitting on a bucket in the dugout, chirping at the umpires right up until the very end. TLL is extremely thankful for Jeff’s years of dedication to the league and his presence will be greatly missed. The Koenig family was invited onto the field during the Majors/Minors/Softball ceremony. Jeff’s wife Erin gave a speech, and his sons Brady, Lane, and Riggins were introduced to say the Little League Pledge and throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Sheriff Chuck Jenkins recited the volunteer pledge before wishing all players good luck during the upcoming season.

On hand to throw out the first pitch for the T-ball and Instructional Ceremony were the siblings of Kyle Stine, a former TLL player who passed away from terminal brain cancer in December 2022 at age 14. The league also recognized current Minors player, Logan Smith, who is undergoing his own treatments for lymphoma. All TLL players will wear yellow ribbons on the back of their helmets this season in recognition of childhood cancer awareness in honor of both families and all others who have been impacted by this terrible disease. Several Majors players recited the Little League Pledge during this ceremony, while Umpire-in-Chief Blaine Young led the volunteer pledge. Blaine has been a constant fixture behind the plate and on the TLL Board for many years, so he was the perfect person to handle this responsibility.

Finally, members of the Thurmont Cub Scouts took the field to present the colors before the singing of our National Anthem. This year, it was performed by Thurmont Middle School students, Allie Bryant and Alaina Furry, who each honored our country with a beautiful rendition. Both of these young ladies have siblings who have played baseball at TLL for many years, and they were excited to represent their TLL family. To close the ceremony, Robbie thanked everyone for coming and also recognized the many volunteers and board members who made the event so successful.

After the ceremonies ended, families and players stayed around to enjoy delicious food from Stroker’s BBQ (who sold completely out in just a few short hours), along with ice cream and sandwiches from Glamourview Creamery. They definitely brought a smile to many faces with the size of their cups and cones. And, as always, there were other tasty items from the TLL Concession Stand. The brand-new slushy machine was a big hit among the youngsters in the crowd!

Other highlights of the day included a photo booth, complete with fun photo props; meet and greets with Keyote and The Oriole Bird; and a table of goodies from Woodsboro Bank. Facepainting by Elizabeth was back again, with her usual line stretching across the parking lot. And there was also a bounce house, provided by EBL Inflatables, to keep all the youngsters entertained. All in all, it was a wonderful day, with lots of fun for everyone who took part.

Fundraising is always a big part of the opening day ceremony, and this year continued that trend. The community showed up, once again, to support the league, as the basket raffles, concessions, and spiritwear tables generated over $13,000. People were excited to get their TLL t-shirts, hats, and hoodies and to take a chance at one of the 25 wonderful prizes.

The league would like to thank all the local businesses that donated to our baskets; without this support, we could not have generated the interest and raised the money that we did. To view a full list of donors, please check out the Thurmont Little League page on Facebook.

The next big event will be our hit-a-thon on May 6, which is the largest annual fundraiser for the league and helps to raise money for uniforms, field maintenance, and everything else the league needs to make a great experience for its players and fans. We are hoping to proceed with the fireworks display that was canceled on opening day due to the high winds in the evening. There will also be food trucks onsite. Crazy Dave’s Pizza and Snowball Waterfalls are scheduled for the afternoon.

Be sure to check out the next edition for a recap of that event and for all the other happenings from around TLL.

The Oriole Bird and Keyote greet fans during TLL’s Opening Day ceremony.

Courtesy Photo

SPORTS
TALK

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with Michael Betteridge

What Are They Putting In the Food at Catoctin High School?

Whatever they are feeding those kids up in Thurmont, it’s working. Two out of the four spring sports teams at Catoctin (baseball, softball, lacrosse, and tennis) are in first place, and the third team of the four, boy’s lacrosse, is in third place. All that from the smallest school in Frederick County!

The Catoctin baseball team is #1 in Frederick County and undefeated up until mid-April; the Catoctin softball team just knocked the undefeated Walkersville team out of first place in the county, with a tense 1-0 nail-biting win. The Catoctin Lady Cougars are now no.1 in Frederick County softball. The Lady Cougars will face Walkersville again at Walkersville on May 1. If you can, you probably want to make it over to Walkersville for that one.

The softball team’s average grade level is 10th grade, with two freshmen, five sophomores, and two junior starters. The team is batting .323 with a 41 percent on-base average. That means that one out of three times at the plate, they get a hit, and slightly less than half of their plate appearances produce runners on the bases. Top level college softball teams would be jealous of those stats.

And this is just the beginning! With the average age of this softball team not even in its prime yet, you can expect big things in Thurmont for the next three years under Coach Jessica Valentine who is in her 14th season at Catoctin.

Coach Valentine brought a winning tradition and legacy to this team as a former player who graduated in 2002. Coach Valentine went on to play college softball for Mars Hill University, just north of beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. One of the ways she has promoted the amazing Cougars’ legacy is with the “Wall of Fame” on the back of the Cougars softball dugout. Former players’ names and handprints are stenciled onto the concrete during homecoming. When this season’s players arrive at the field, the first thing they see are the names of winners from the recent past, like Courtney Eyler, Ashley Mayton, and Reagan Smith. They dream of some day having their name written on that sacred space. 

The Lady Cougars are an amazing softball team. Everyone on the team contributes, all the way down the roster, top to bottom. Whether its Catcher Megan Gray making backwards-diving foul ball catches at the backstop for the out, or the red-hot Taylor Smith throwing 70+mph underhand fastballs from the pitching mound, these Cougars are talented and deep. In the outfield, Maddie Ohler snags fly balls at the fence backhanded, looking over her shoulder, and then steps up to the plate and wallops a two-run homer over the fence in right center. She is joined by teammates Julie West in left field and McKenzie Lewis in right who routinely rob hitters of base hits in the outfield. At the plate, patience is a virtue, especially for third baseman Aubrie Courtney, who consistently takes opposing pitchers deep into the count to combine with her teammates for a league high 24 walks already this season. 

The infield tandem of Mazaleski at second and Reagan Smith at first base handle a lot of hot grounders, with right-handed batters swinging behind Smith’s blistering fast balls.  Over at shortstop, Kassidy Kreitz, with her cat-like reflexes, doesn’t let much get by her, and she is one of the most consistent base runners on the team. 

Meisner, Brawner, and Owens come in to relieve teammates as pinch runners and, in the field, to give the defensive starters a rest.

Just to give you some perspective on this young team: They have put up 79 runs in eight games, averaging almost 10 runs per game while only giving up 8 runs….only 1 run per game by the opposing team. That’s a 10-1 average per game.

Whatever they are feeding those kids, I’m going to invite myself to dinner because I need some of what they’ve got! Since I seem to be on a food thing, and with Cinco de Mayo just around the corner, I’ll wrap it up this way: THIS TEAM IS THE WHOLE ENCHILADA!

CYA Wrestling Ends Successful Season

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Aaron Meekins

CYA (Catoctin Youth Association) Wrestling’s March Madness began with the Mid Maryland Wrestling League (MMWL) Championships, held at Urbana High School on March 5. Here, teams from Washington, Frederick, and Carroll counties sent their best wrestlers to compete for mat supremacy in a double elimination or round-robin format, depending on the number of grapplers signed in for each weight class. The parking lot and gym overflowed with wrestlers, coaches, and spectators.

Out of the madness, a number of CYA wrestlers were able to reach the podium and bring home a coveted 2023 purple and gold trophy. Eighth-grader Ashton Thompson led the way, securing the only first-place trophy of the day for CYA in his weight class. Fellow eighth graders, Beau Andrew and Shane Smith, both brought home first-place trophies in their respective weight classes. These wrestlers will take their talents to high school next year following a successful season on the youth wrestling circuit.

Other CYA wrestlers also got the chance to climb the podium. Seventh-grader Shawn Smith fought hard and earned a fourth-place trophy, as did sixth-grader Carter Reaver, who also earned a fourth-place finish. Third-grader Xavier Meekins reached the finals in his division, earning a runner-up second-place trophy. Fellow third graders, Julian Thompson and Liam Jenkins, also placed in their weight classes, with third- and fourth-place finishes, respectively. Many other CYA wrestlers put up a valiant fight in their divisions and put in some tough matches, but came up a bit short of reaching the podium.

The following weekend, seven CYA wrestlers made the three-hour trek across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to wrestle at the Maryland State Wrestling Association’s (MSWA) Youth State Championship Tournament on Saturday, March 11, followed by the Future Champions Series and MSWA Regional All-Star Duals on Sunday March 12 at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury.

At Saturday’s event, Ashton Thompson again showed that he is a top wrestler in the state, making the final four in his division and finishing with a fifth-place trophy. Gracen Baer won two matches, and Xavier Meekins won one match in the pair’s first showing in state-level competition.

At Sunday’s Future Champions Series, seventh-grader Hunter Byington, one of CYA’s wrestling leaders, earned a first-place finish in the 14U division. Following Hunter’s lead, third-grader Aaron Oden (in his first-year wrestling) and Jackson Wivell also ended the day with first-place finishes: Aaron in his 10U division and Jackson in his 8U division. Fellow third-grader, Maddox Miller, also put in a valiant effort against stiff competition, bringing home a fourth-place trophy.

Sunday’s events also featured the MSWA Regional All-Star dual that saw different regions of Maryland face off in a team event. Representing the West Region at 56 pounds, Xavier Meekins faced stiff competition from the South, Central, North, and East regions. He ended his weekend by earning a win by fall versus the East Region’s representative.

This year’s wrestling season brought an end to Cory Bell’s 14 years leading the CYA Wrestling Program. Fourteen years ago, Cory decided to get his oldest son into wrestling. Ever since, Cory has led CYA wrestling on the mats, along with Kristen Bell and Kara Castellow organizing the program behind the scenes. The families of CYA wrestlers past and present truly appreciate their time and efforts over the years. Thank you very much!

If wrestling sounds like something your child may be interested in, please have them come out and give it a try next season. Practices are held three times a week, beginning in mid-late November. There are eight matches prior to the end-of-the-season tournament. It is a great way to learn friendly, albeit physically challenging, competition and to make some friends along the way. We would love to see your child and you out on the mats and help bring more trophies back to Northern Frederick County in 2024!

Pictured from left are Coach Steve Byington, Maddox Miller, Hunter Byington, Aaron Oden, Jayce Oden, Coach Garrett Baer, and Jackson Wivell.

Photo Courtesy of Melody Byington

SPORTS TALK

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with Michael Betteridge

There Is Something Special Happening on Sabillasville Road

It’s not like Catoctin Baseball Coach Mike Franklin has never been mentioned here on these pages before. Coach Franklin is in his 24th season coaching Catoctin baseball. He was honored here in the Banner as Fellowship of Christian Athletes Coach of the Year in 2017. His teaching peers honored him in 2019 as Frederick County “Teacher of the Year.” He has two state baseball championships in the display case, one in 2013 and another in 2021.

Coach Franklin finished his baseball career as a player at Salisbury State. He began substitute teaching at Frederick High School in the mid-90s, where he met his mentor, Frederick baseball coach Frank Rhodes. Franklin joined Coach Rhodes’ staff as an assistant. His first year coaching, the Cadets made it all the way to the State championship, an experience that would give him an appetite for winning.

There is no way to begin talking about Catoctin Cougars baseball without laying out the very foundation of the program, Coach Franklin. His smile and his attitude are infectious. He elevates his players. One of his former pitchers, Mason Albright, made it all the way from a humble start on the Sabillasville Road practice field to the “Big Leagues,” where he received the largest signing bonus ever for a 12th-round Major League Baseball draft pick with the Los Angeles Angels: $1.25 million dollars in 2021 at age 18.

Good coaching builds for the future and that’s why good coaches seem to enjoy success over and over again. And that is what is unfolding in 2023 for the Catoctin Cougars baseball team. History is repeating itself, going all the way back to 1996.

Coach Franklin’s teams always produce great pitching. Sophomore pitcher Joey McMannis pitched this team to a 2021 state championship, and he will take the mound this season as an experienced senior, with 20-30 Major League teams interested in him and a fastball above 90 mph. McMannis was an integral part of that incredible “Cindarella” story two years ago.  They finished the 2021 regular season as the No. 4 seed in the 1A West and traveled to Clear Spring to face the No. 1 Blazers, whom they defeated.  Then, back on the road again, after winning the regional title at Clear Spring, still an underdog, they make the short trip over the mountain to Smithsburg for another amazing win! But now the short trips were over. They had to pack up the team bus and head all the way across the state to Bel Air to face a powerful Patterson Mill team. Once again, they pulled off the impossible upset.  If that weren’t enough, now they had to come home, regroup, pack and travel 130 miles to McHenry to face Northern Garrett, the No. 1 seed in the 1A. That afternoon when they arrived, the playing field was surrounded by a 20-foot-high chain link fence. Cougars fans who had made the difficult drive had to peer through the chains in the fence to see the game. It was a very uninviting venue for baseball. It was more like a ball field for the county jail. There was a cold, swirling wind blowing off Deep Creek Lake across the playing field, and it felt like March, not June. But, once again, the Cougars pulled off the impossible, crushing Northern 13-5 on a rally off the bat of Joey McMannis, who boomed a two-run shot over the massive fence, deep into left center. On the road again, their last game was equally far, but the excitement and anticipation were different this time. They were so excited and pumped up that the trip seemed like minutes rather than hours as the bus pulled up to the beautiful Regency Stadium in Waldorf, where they captured the 2021 Maryland 1A State baseball title!

All in all, the Cougars pulled off the impossible, with a grueling 500 miles of travel over the course of 10 days, producing five underdog wins to bring the trophy home to Thurmont for the second time in Coach Franklin’s tenure.

One of my favorite side stories involving that championship game began with a phone call from some avid Cougars fans who offered to pay the outrageous $300 live stream fee that the state charges businesses for permission to broadcast the video. WTHU had been providing video throughout the no-fee regular season and these fans were willing to cover the state’s playoff fee, just so they could watch the game from their lawn chairs on a big screen TV in Ocean City. Vacations don’t stop real fans from seeing their favorite team play in the big game. During the game, they posted pictures all over Facebook of the tailgate and game parties and what a blast they had. That game is still on the WTHU YouTube page, with 390 views!

Last year was a very successful year, but unfortunately, the Cougars ran into a familiar face early in the playoffs, the Clear Spring Blazers.  This is how rivalries are formed.  Remember in 2021, Catoctin knocked Clear Spring out of the playoffs early on their own field and went on to win it all. Well, in 2022, Clear Spring returned the favor by knocking Catoctin out of the playoffs in Thurmont. The Blazers went on to Waldorf, just like Catoctin had, and brought the 1A trophy home. Hey, if you are going to lose, it makes it easier when you lose to someone in your division (1A West) who goes on to win it all. Somehow, it takes the sting out of the loss when you lose to the eventual state champion, at least it did for all of us looking for “silver linings.” I am not good at predictions, but here is one I’ll make with confidence: Catoctin will play Clear Spring in the playoffs and the winner will go deep into the playoffs this year.

So, here we are in 2023! This team couldn’t look better! They have arguably one of the deepest pitching rotations in Frederick County, with two ace pitchers in McMannis and Castelow. Speaking of the Castelows, this team features two Castelow brothers who are tough, baseball-savvy kids who have both come back from substantial injuries last year. The brothers, Peyton and Keiten, are 100 percent ready and anxious to get back on the field. They have a great defense and don’t forget their offense. This is the team that invented “Mountain Ball,” also known as “death by a thousand cuts.” 

Of course, coaching, as I mentioned earlier, is also a team strength. This group of assistant coaches is very special. Led by Tyler Ausherman, Will Delawter, Nick Huff, William Warram, and Ken Mcivor, I had a chance to catch up with Coach Delawter recently. Will played for Catoctin and Coach Franklin in 2004. Like Coach Franklin, Will had a passion for teaching, too. After graduating from college, Will Delawter took his first assignment teaching in the Washington County school system, but it was way too far to drive to teach and coach at Catoctin. So, when he landed his dream job at Whittier Elementary in Frederick seven years ago teaching fifth grade, he contacted Coach Franklin and was immediately brought on to the Cougars team. Coach Delawter coaches outfield and hitting, and at games, you’ll see him parked on the first base line. His job as the first base coach is a sort of traffic cop for base runners.

Coach Delawter is married with two boys: seven-year-old Liam, and three-year-old Max, who was born in February 2020 and diagnosed with Downs Syndrome. I asked him what was the secret to his success, wearing four hats in one day: teacher; coaching in two leagues, Little League and High School; and father, and his simple answer was “time management” and the ability to shift gears from one role to the next. When I asked him what challenges he faced raising Max, Will said: “Max is such a joyful young boy and his enthusiasm and energy are infectious. He’s always in the middle of everything, fist bumping and encouraging us and making us smile all the time. He doesn’t challenge us, he makes us better.”

Catoctin has eight home games on the schedule this season. It’s not just baseball. It is fun! From the campy “Curtain Call” medallion given at home plate to the player who hits a home run to the silly stuffed dog in the baseball helmet mascot that goes everywhere with his guys, this team knows how to have fun and win! 

If you really want to see some exciting high school baseball and be a part it, come on over to Catoctin High School to check out this Cougars baseball team! And if you can’t make it to the games, there is always the wthuradio.com audiovault archive of the games. Just click on the high school baseball tab.

Thurmont Little League Spring Season Underway

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Ryan Tokar, CYA Basketball

March has arrived, and that can only mean one thing: Another season of Thurmont Little League (TLL) is already underway. The registration period for our baseball and softball programs closed on February 11, with over 300 registered players. Evaluations for the Majors and Minors divisions took place on Sunday, February 12 at Catoctin High School. Afterwards, the drafts were held, and teams were assigned so that practices could officially kick off. Despite the chilly weather, our Majors level teams are already hard at work preparing for the annual Garel Hauver Tournament at Brunswick Little League in late March which officially kicks off the season. The rest of the league will begin play on TLL’s official Opening Day, Saturday April 1.

Opening Day is always an exciting event for our league. Family and friends come out to watch all of the players be announced and paraded across the field. The National Anthem is performed by a special guest, followed by the ceremonial first pitch. After other welcoming remarks, everyone hangs around to see the teams take the field for the first games of the season. This year, there will, once again, be split ceremonies to help accommodate parking and keep crowds under control. The T-ball and Instructional teams will have their ceremony in the morning, while Minors and Majors will take place in the afternoon. There will be delicious snacks onsite from the TLL concession stand, and there will be several food trucks to choose from, such as Stroker’s BBQ, Glamourview Creamery, and Coco’s Grill. The TLL Photo Booth will be open for all those social media opportunities, and we are hoping to once again have visits from a mascot or two! Other vendors onsite will include local fire and ambulance crews, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Pivot Physical Therapy, and many more. We have a few other surprises in the works, so be sure to bring the entire family out for this fun-filled day!

Another extremely big draw during the opening day ceremonies are the raffle baskets. Tickets will be on sale to win a variety of awesome prizes. Baskets include gift cards and other donated items from a variety of establishments, such as Catoctin Wildlife Preserve, Thurmont Kountry Kitchen, Catoctin Breeze Winery, Baltimore Orioles, Tree Trekkers, Adventure Park, Frederick Keys, and plenty of others. We will also be having a 50-50 and a table of spiritwear and TLL discount cards for sale.

As always, we are looking for volunteers for the upcoming season. If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to us at www.thurmontlittleleague.com. The biggest need is for volunteer umpires. If you are a high school or college student looking for community service hours or semi-retired with time on your hands, we will provide all the necessary training. We can’t wait for everything this season has in store for our players and families!

CYA Wrestlers Represent at State Qualifier

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Aaron Meekins

There are two words that every athlete would love to have next to their name: State Champion. For youth wrestlers, the path to being a state champion starts at the Maryland State Wrestling Association (MSWA) Qualifier. There are four qualifiers around the state based on geographical area. On February 12, three wrestlers from Catoctin Youth Association (CYA) attended the Central/West Qualifier at Northwest High School in Germantown, Maryland. All three of them qualified for the MSWA State Tournament, which will take place March 11-12 at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland.

Ashton Thompson, one of CYA’s eighth-grade leaders who sets a strong example for the younger grapplers on the team with his work ethic and technical skills, took home first place at the qualifier in the 106-pound division. Gracen Baer, a third-grade student athlete from Sabillasville Environmental School won third place at the qualifier in the 63-pound division. Xavier Meekins, a third-grade student athlete from Thurmont Elementary, won first place at the qualifier in the 56-pound division. All three will represent CYA in Salisbury and look to add State Champion to their wrestling resumes.

In addition to CYA being represented at the state level, all the wrestlers are gearing up for the very competitive end-of-season Mid Maryland Wrestling League Championship Tournament that will take place on March 5 at Urbana High School. This year’s team has many talented experienced and new wrestlers that look forward to putting forth strong performances with the hopes of returning to the podium or getting there for the first time. Dan Gable, one of the most famous wrestlers of all time once said, “Gold medals aren’t made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.”

Through the first half of the season, CYA wrestlers have put in the sweat, showed their determination, and showed they have guts. The tournament will be a great chance to put their skills to the test.

CYA Wrestling will finish their regular season with a home match on February 26 at 9:00 a.m. at Catoctin High School against the War Hawks and Maryland School for the Deaf. Please come out and support the team. Concessions are available and admissions are free. It will be their last tune-up before the MMWL Tournament, where they will face off against teams from Washington, Frederick, and Carroll counties. Keep an eye out in next month’s edition of the Catoctin Banner to see how they did.

*Correction/addition to last month’s article: At last year’s 2022 MMWL Tournament, Ashton Thompson placed second in his division at 95 lbs., and Shawn Smith also placed second in his division at 105 lbs.

Free Introduction Classes for Twirling and Color Guard

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The Catoctin-Aires, a 501(c)3 organization, will host Twirling Corps and 2023 Parade Corps Performing Color Guard classes for free at the Emmitsburg Community Building Gym in March. Twirling Corps is geared for the beginner student, aged five and older, who is new to baton twirling. Parade Corps is geared for the beginner color guard, student ages 12 and up, performing in flag and rifle. 

While instruction in the course is free, participants may purchase a properly fitted baton on the first night of the course at a discounted rate. This is an excellent opportunity to determine a child’s interest in twirling with no obligation or commitment.

Register by contacting the group director, Donna Landsperger, at donito@aol.com or through text or phone at 240-405-2604.

CYA Shoot-a-thon Scores Big Again

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Ryan Tokar, CYA Basketball

On Sunday, February 5, Catoctin Youth Association (CYA) Basketball held its annual Shoot-a-thon fundraiser. This is the largest annual fundraiser for our program, and proceeds go toward necessities like gym rentals, uniforms, equipment, paid officials, and league fees. With registration numbers up this year now that the majority of COVID-19 restrictions on indoor sports have gone away, it was critical to offset some of the increased expenses incurred by the league. The community came out in support of the program in a big way once again this year, with the Shoot-a-thon bringing in over $13,000 in online and cash donations.

The idea behind the Shoot-a-thon is simple. Players collect money from sponsors for a chance to win prizes. To be eligible for prizes, each player must raise at least $50.00; however, they can continue to raise additional money above and beyond that. Prizes are given out to the top overall fundraisers and to the players who have the highest overall percentage of shots made. The number of shots attempted is based on the age group of the player, with anywhere from 20 to 100 shots being attempted. In most cases, shots are attempted from the free throw line; however, the younger ages are moved in several feet closer and shoot on lowered rims. CYA Basketball programs consist of youths aged kindergarten all the way through high school. The boys and girls high school teams served as volunteers to help record the scores for younger players.

The winners of this year’s highest shooting percentage were: Dallas Baker—Highest Overall Percentage Foul Shooter; K-1st Clinic—Maverick Williams; Girl’s 2nd-4th—Emma Santos; Boy’s 2nd-4th—Cole McCauley; U12 Boys/Girls—Robert Brooks; U14 Boys/Girls—Mason Hewitt; and Mid MD Boys/Girls—Madelyn Myers and Chase Cregger. Overall fundraising winners were: 1st Place—Kaydense Cox, 2nd Place—Zayden Jones, and 3rd Place—Bryson Duman. Winners were each awarded a Dick’s Sporting Goods gift card. The teams with the most overall donations also earned a free pizza party.

Along with the $13,000 raised, the league also collected several hundred non-perishable goods, which were donated to the Thurmont/Emmitsburg community to help those in need. Players received raffle tickets for each item they donated, and there were several great prize baskets given away. Nicole Kelley won the Movie Basket, featuring a Warehouse Cinemas gift card and all the snacks you need for a movie night; Ashlyn Vaughan won the Baseball/Softball Basket, which included a free Thurmont Little League registration with other themed items; and Chase Shoemaker won the Football Basket with a free CYA Football/Cheer registration and a football/pump/tee pack. CYA Basketball also donated a themed basket with a free registration, and one basketball set, shoe charms, and a Gatorade bottle/towel package. This was won by Willow Bullis. And finally, there was a gift card tree featuring several local establishments, which was won by Peyten Wills.

There were activities throughout the afternoon, including music, a face painter, and team/individual photos. All in all, it was a great day and a wonderful event. CYA Basketball would like to thank the community, parents, and volunteers for their support. Without you, it would not have been such a tremendous success.

Players show off their designs, complements of Face painting by Elizabeth.

Shoot-a-thon participants pose with non-perishable goods collected during the event.

SPORTS
TALK

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with Michael Betteridge

“How Do We Measure Success?”

What has been the most successful team in Catoctin Cougars’ history? Was it the 1986 football team, or that amazing 2009 football team, or the 2019 football team winning it all over again a decade later in Coach Doug Williams’ last game? Perhaps, it was the 2013-14 wrestling teams with three-time State champion Charlie Perella? Or, maybe it was the 2006 Lady Cougars basketball team, or what about 2021 or the 2022 Catoctin track team 1A champs threatening to repeat in 2023? How about the State Champion boys baseball team two years ago and their incredible five wins on the road, traveling over 500 miles by bus to win it all in Waldorf. Could one of them be the best ever? Wait a minute!  Did all of those winners come from the smallest school in Frederick County: Catoctin High School?  Amazing!

To find the answer, I browsed the MPSSAA record books, the official gatekeeper of all high school athletics in Maryland, to try and figure out which Cougars team excelled above the rest. I found incredible accomplishments by Catoctin teams, individuals, and their coaches. But, there was one major sport at Catoctin that seemed missing. This sport has one lone visit to the state tournament 42 years ago and no wins beyond the first round of regionals since then. It has one winning year, 2019-20, over the past 17 years. That team is the Catoctin boys basketball team. By record book standards, Catoctin boys basketball has been largely invisible. Although, sometimes the record books don’t reflect the real story.

Let’s back up for a minute and start with a more important question.  What is success anyway? How is it determined? How is it measured?  Over the past 20 years, we have seen a culture shift in youth sports and the way we measure success. It’s no longer about wins and losses, awards and trophies, or record books. It’s no longer about records or individual accomplishments. 

I coached youth football in Fairfield for five years and then turned my whistle in for a Public Address system to become the stadium announcer for all the home games for the Fairfield Knights youth football games for the past two years. And over that period of time, I have been puzzled by a new common theme that is alien to my upbringing: “Everyone is a winner.” For example, at the conclusion of last year’s football season, Fairfield had an awards banquet and everyone got a trophy. It didn’t matter how many games you won or where you placed in the standings. Many of the young athletes received personal awards, too: most improved player, best team spirit, most positive attitude. Everyone was a winner! As a matter of fact, the leadership was so committed to this mindset, they even gave me an award for announcing the games. A nice gift card for dinner at a fancy restaurant. That made up for all the missed dinners with my wife on Saturday evenings last fall.

I have heard both sides of the argument about rewarding athletes.  The old timers like myself don’t believe everyone should get a trophy. We say: “LIFE is about winning and losing.” “You’ll never be a real winner until you’ve tasted the sting of losing.” 

I subscribe to the old mantra of former Redskins football head coach, George Allen: “Every time you lose, you die a little inside.”  But the “new guard” seeks a kinder, gentler approach of empowerment, recognition, and validation. You hear words like “inclusiveness” and “diversity.” Everything is affirming and supportive. My guess is probably both sides are right. But, there is something else that lies just beneath the surface of awards and records. That something else is commitment.

What keeps a young athlete competing when their team isn’t successful by regular standards?  What motivates them on a cold, dreary morning to get out of bed and head to the gym to train when their team has a losing record or got stomped the previous week?  Certainly not that plastic trophy that everybody gets. Why do they keep playing when everything around them comes crashing down on and off the field or court?

We don’t have to go far to answer those questions. This can be accomplished by sharing the example of one Catoctin Cougars boys basketball player: Patrick Morlan. Patrick is in his junior year at Catoctin High School and plays forward for the Cougars boys basketball team. 

Patrick’s dad, Battalion Chief Chris Morlan, died from respiratory failure two days before Christmas in 2021 while Patrick was in his sophomore year. Patrick told me that his dad was sick for about a month. At first, he was sure he would be okay, but then complications from an old firefighting injury set in, and his dad’s condition quickly deteriorated.

Patrick’s basketball career started in third grade. When I asked him who inspired him to play basketball, he immediately said: “My father.”  Patrick’s father coached his youth basketball team from fifth grade to eighth grade, in spite of the fact that his father never played high school basketball. Patrick said that his father treated him just like the other kids but expected more from him on the court and off. Every night, Patrick would lie in bed watching the NBA network and dreaming of being a hero like his father. Patrick was cut from tryouts for JV basketball his freshmen year, but his dad wouldn’t let him quit. His dad became sick right around the time that basketball was gearing up for the 2021-22 season, Patrick’s sophomore year, and Patrick wasn’t sure that he wanted to try out again, but his dad urged him to give it another shot.

Batallion Chief Morlan wasn’t just any regular kind of firefighter.  He was a quiet hero. When Patrick was very young, his dad was severely injured when he fell through a roof rescuing his best friend and ended up in the hospital. Patrick visited his dad in another incident several years later in the hospital when his dad rescued two small children from a burning bedroom and ended up in the hospital with a collapsed lung. Patrick remembered that visit to the hospital well. It’s no wonder that Patrick’s role model, hero, and inspiration was his amazing father.

Patrick was no stranger to visiting his dad in the hospital, but when Chris Morlan was admitted in 2021 with COVID, visitation was not allowed. Patrick had to call his dad on the phone. As Chris’ condition worsened, Patrick would receive texts from his dad, periodically. Then, four days before he passed, Patrick received the last text encouraging him to never give up and pushing him to be all that he can be. Most kids would have given up, but Patrick couldn’t. It wasn’t in his DNA.  Patrick pressed harder and dedicated his life to his father’s memory and legacy. He was a Catoctin Cougars basketball player.

So, circling back to the question of what keeps a student-athlete going and what is the measure of success, Patrick’s dedication to honor his father is the very definition of success. For him, the question was “How could he not keep going?” Patrick summed it up for me in a way I never expected. When I asked him, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” His response gave me a lump in my throat. “I want to be just like my dad,” Patrick said. I think Patrick has grown up way beyond anything that we can understand or imagine for a 16-year-old.

Batallion Chief Chris Morlan’s leadership and sacrifice is the answer to my question.

MSMU Bowlers Rank 4th in Tournament

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The Mount Saint Mary’s University’s (MSMU) women’s bowling team finished fourth in the James Brown Invitational, held at the AMF Towson Lanes on February 11-12.

According to the Mount, the women’s team, the Mountaineers, lost a shot at winning a spot in the invitational match. 

The Mount reported that, “A pair of nail-biting bracket losses to #10 Maryland Eastern Shore and #24 Morgan State cost the Mountaineers a chance at winning the James Brown Invitational.”

However, the team did pick up one additional win Sunday against Fayetteville State in the final round of qualifying, resulting in finishing fourth in the field of 11. The Mount reported.

In the lone traditional round, it was freshman Trishelle Leal Uribe carrying the scoring load with a 225-game, thereby, rendering her just enough total pins for the weekend to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. Freshman Laney Wells continued her impressive weekend with a 212.

In Baker play, junior Alyssa Alexander (23.00), sophomore Rachel Hines (20.76), and Wells (20.58) gave the Mountaineers some solid frames in the effort.

The Broncos from Fayetteville State tossed their highest set of the weekend against MSMU, but a 962 from MSMU proved as being too much to overcome. Leal Uribe (225) and Wells (212) ensured the upset bid from FSU had no chance, according to the Mount.

After winning game one, costly opens at the wrong time gave the Hawks a 2-1 lead after three. The Mount rallied to take the next two with a 192 and 187, but after failing to capitalize on a mediocre 188 from UMES, the ladies were put away by a 246-218 in a decisive game seven.

Once again, costly losses early would prove as being too much to overcome despite better scores from The Mount later on. A nice 211 game six attempt to even the series at three apiece was spoiled by the setup and anchor bowlers for Morgan, capped off by a slow rolling messenger strike on the ten-pin to keep the Mount in fourth place to end the day.

Mountaineers Head Coach Kenneth DeGraaf said, “Today will take 24-48 hours for the pain to go away,” adding, “In both our best-of-seven matches, there were just too many games where we were that one shot away.”

“Whenever we needed the big shot to closeout our opponent, we could not.” He said, further commenting, “And being the good teams both UMES and Morgan are, they found ways to string strikes at the end of every game and capitalize.”

DeGraaf further stated that, on paper, “We actually averaged higher than the past two days. Scoring-wise, this was our best outing in a while. Yet, we failed to turn that into wins when it felt like we should have. We thought this would be our first healthy weekend since October and, unfortunately, that ended up not being the case. Fingers-crossed two weeks from now in Buffalo, we are there with a fully healthy squad and learn from our mistakes this past weekend.”

Maryland Eastern Shore would go on to defeat North Carolina A&T State in the championship match four games to one.

The Mount will be back in action February 25-26 for the Medaille Brunswick Classic in Buffalo, New York.

MSMU Mountaineers women’s bowling team.

Meet CYA’s Wrestling Family

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Aaron Meekins

Courtesy Photo

CYA Wrestling Team performs stretching exercises, one part of the team’s hour warmup.

With an orangish tint painting the sun setting early in the evening sky, kids from the ages of 4-14 can be seen getting out of cars in the Catoctin High School parking lot. With the vapor of their breath leading the way in the cold winter Thurmont nights, they head inside the school and upstairs past the locker rooms into Catoctin High’s team wrestling room. The ceilings are low, but the energy in the room is high. Cold, wintry temperatures are replaced with the heat only given off by bodies continually hard at work, the smell of sweat lingering as the high schoolers exit the room, welcoming a new generation of grapplers. The young wrestlers are met by a number of enthusiastic coaches, led by longtime CYA Wrestling coach, Cory Bell. Coach Cory has led CYA wrestling for 14 years. Assisting Cory in leading this year’s group are his dedicated fellow coaches: Brandon Rivera, Steve Byington, Garrett Baer, Billy Jenkins, Ethan Fuss, Charlie Perilla III, Charlie “Chas” Perilla IV, Shawn Smith, and Dennis Pittinger.

After the young wrestlers have worked up a sweat, jogging around the mats, doing bear crawls, front rolls, cartwheels, and other calisthenics, they are split up based on age and weight to begin their wrestling-specific workouts and training, each group led by a caring and knowledgeable coach. When this aspect of training is over, the group comes together for a group challenge or game. Meant to build team spirit, Cory and his team of coaches use these group challenges or games to instill a spirit of teamwork in a sport that can be seen as an individualistic endeavor to a casual fan. After the young wrestlers have been thoroughly warmed up, struggled through head locks, been taken down in a myriad of ways, and finally completed a series of sprints, they come together as a group and on a count of three, yell, “Family.”

This season, CYA Wrestling has 42 members of this “Family.” They are not only led by their coaches, but by a group of eighth graders looking to leave a mark in their final youth season: Jacob Thibadeau, Ashton Thompson, Kamerin Jenkins, Beau Andrew, and Seamus Riddle. For these eighth graders, this is their final year in the youth program before they have the opportunity to wrestle at the high school level. Moving on to the high school arena will not be completely unfamiliar territory to them, as many of the high school wrestlers were also part of Cory’s CYA “Family” and continue to come out and give support at the youth matches.

On February 4, at noon, wrestlers from Thurmont, Hagerstown, and Boonsboro will leave their cars, bundled in winter coats, making their way into the Catoctin High School gymnasium. Mats will cover the court, scoreboards and match trees will be on tables next to the three individual fields of action. They will warm up for an hour—a mix of cardio, calisthenics, and wrestling moves. By 1:00 p.m., the gym will be packed with wrestlers, parents, and families to cheer them on.

Intense action follows, one-minute round after one-minute round. Heard from afar are coaches yelling directions and parents and fans cheering their wrestlers on. After their match, one wrestler has their hand raised by the referee. All those cold winter nights, sweaty gym sessions, bruised bodies, and bloody lips are now contradicted by smiles, friendly competition, camaraderie, and the encouraging “Family” atmosphere. It has all now come to fruition. All the kids will have won because they had the courage to go out there and try in a very intense, physical atmosphere.

Last season, CYA Wrestling represented itself well at the Mid-Maryland Wrestling League (MMWL) Championships, which included teams from Washington, Frederick, and Carroll counties, and also a club from Germantown. While many wrestled valiantly but came up a little short, wrestlers Brody Bell (1st place), Grayson Stroble (2nd Place), Grayson Baer (4th place), Xavier Meekins (3rd place), and Liam Jenkins (4th place) all placed and found themselves on the podium in their respective weight classes.

This season, CYA will host wrestling tournaments on February 4 at 1:00 p.m. and February 26 at 8:00 a.m. at Catoctin High School. They have eight competitions during their season to prepare for their culminating tournament, the MMWL Championships on March 5. If you are interested in seeing CYA Wrestling in action, please come to one of the meets and cheer on our kids! Food and refreshments are available at the concession stand. Admission is free.

Spring Season Updates

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Ryan Tokar, Thurmont Little League  

It’s been a fairly mild winter thus far, yet it’s still hard to believe that the spring season will begin in just a few short weeks. The registration period for our Thurmont Little League (TLL) baseball and softball programs will close on February 11. A special in-person registration and fundraising night will take place at Roy Rogers on Wednesday, February 1, from 5:00-8:00 p.m., with 25 percent of proceeds from all orders going to the league. Come on out for a great meal to support TLL and get your players registered.

Speaking of fundraisers, we are once again selling discount cards, which are always a popular item. For $20.00 you can purchase a card for unlimited usage at many of your favorite local businesses, everything from a free drink to 10 percent off your order. Please contact the league on Facebook or by email at thetllnetwork@gmail.com for more information. You may also pick one up at several of the participating restaurants.

There is still a lot of other work to be done before the season starts. Evaluations for the Minor and Major divisions will be held at Catoctin High School on Sunday, February 12, from 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., with a draft for each age group taking place the following weekend. After that, practices should start up in late February or early March, weather permitting. Plans are being made for our opening day celebration on April 1, which will, once again, be split into two ceremonies based on division level. There will be lots of fun activities, great prizes to be won, and maybe even appearances from a mascot or two! We have several food trucks tentatively lined up, with The Sauced Savage BBQ and Glamourview Dairy Bar returning as fan favorites. New this year will be Coco’s Grill serving up gyros, cheesesteaks, burgers, and other goodies. Fundraising efforts have already begun, with the league beginning to accept donations for the annual basket raffles.

As always, volunteers are welcomed and appreciated by the league. As most know, umpires and other officials are in short supply across the country. If you are interested in getting involved, MD District 2 Little League will be hosting an umpire clinic at Brunswick High School on February 19. The best part is that this is free for MD District 2 Umpires. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, and door prizes will be given away throughout the day. Please reach out to us on Facebook or by email if you are interested in learning more.

Be sure to check out next month’s issue for even more details about our opening day festivities and all the other events going on to kickstart our 2023 season!

Cougars Wrestlers, Physical and Tough

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Michael Betteridge

The Catoctin High School Cougars wrestling team, led by second-year coach, Rick Reeder, has 14 wrestlers on the roster. Two of them are females, and they come from different ends of the timeline. One of the wrestlers, Emma Taylor, is a seasoned veteran in her senior year. Jennie Anne Smith, a freshman in her first year of wrestling, has caught the attention of county wrestlers. This is Reeder’s second year working with female wrestlers. He is no stranger to coaching young women, but not in wrestling. He was head coach of the Baltimore Charm, an all-women’s lingerie league arena football team back around 2010.

Coach Reeder took over last year for former Cougars football and wrestling sensation, Colin Schildt. Schildt replaced the legendary 2009 Coach of the Year Ryan Green, whose 10-year tenure as the Cougars wrestling head coach amassed a 144-99 record. Coach Reeder’s first year in 2022 produced a winning season in spite of a limited roster that caused some unfortunate forfeitures. As a matter of fact, Coach Reeder and former Coach Green, now good friends, had a bit of a rivalry on the mat back in the day, when they competed against each other. Coach Reeder played for Frederick and Coach Green played for Linganore.

Coach Reeder prides himself on teaching his team to be physically and mentally tough and believes that those attributes in a wrestler will help them succeed in life as well.

Trying to sell your wrestlers on toughness is not hard when 8 of the 14 wrestlers on your team play football for the Cougars. One of the toughest of those football players is senior Nathan Kovalcik. Nathan is 25-2 this season on the mat and has been recently contacted by Frostburg and Messiah. Nathan plans to wrestle in college and to pursue an engineering degree. Nathan is a heck of a football player, too. He made All-County second team linebacker, along with wrestling teammate All-County honorable mention offensive lineman, Jacob Bell. Those two pounded their opponents at the line of scrimmage much the same way they punish their opponents on the wrestling mat. Sophomore Jacob Bell is 26-1. Coach Reeder is no stranger to football players, having coached football at many different levels, including semi pro ball.

Speaking of coaching at different levels, Coach Reeder has brought several of his wrestlers up through the FCMC Frederick County Mat Club, a youth wrestling club that he has been involved in that develops young wrestlers during the offseason.

This team is building for the future with four seniors and four freshmen and sandwiched in between are a couple of very special sophomores (two) and juniors (two). Sophomore Hunter Bradshaw is 24-3 and two of his wins have been against State finishers. Sophomore Jacob Bell is 26-1. The two freshmen, Dylan Gray and Caleb Wolf, came up through the local CYA system and are making big contributions to this Cougars wrestling team.

Coach Reeder, in his quest to instill toughness, recently added a new dimension to his training: Crossfit. He has the team doing an intense Crossfit workout, then immediately back to the mats to wrestle. The Cougars have a good, well-coached wrestling team that puts the focus on team dynamics in a one-on-one sport.

Stay tuned…Catoctin Cougars wrestling is making a mark!

Winter Break at Thurmont Little League

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Ryan Tokar, Thurmont Little League

While there is no true offseason at Thurmont Little League (TLL), December and January are perhaps the quietest months for our families, as the winter sports season is in full gear. Despite this, our board of directors remains hard at work planning for the upcoming spring. Our Facilities Manager, Alex Kline and his team of volunteers have also been hard at work prepping the fields so they will be in the best possible condition for our players for the upcoming year.

The registration period for our baseball and softball programs kicked off early this year, as we opened them up on Monday, December 5. An early bird discount was offered to anyone registering before Christmas. Registrations will remain open until February 11, 2023, at www.thurmontlittleleague.com. If you need information on the appropriate level of play for your child, you may view detailed descriptions on our website. You can also reach out to the league by email or on Facebook with any questions. Evaluations for our Minors and Majors levels are tentatively scheduled for Sunday, February 12; the location is still to be determined. Plans are also being made for our opening day celebration on Saturday, April 1. There will be lots of fun activities, delicious food to eat, and great prizes to be won.

We are once again selling our extremely popular discount cards. For $20.00, you can purchase a card for unlimited usage at many local businesses—everything from a free drink to 10 percent off your order. All your favorite local restaurants are back again this year, along with a new addition of Tuscany’s Pizzeria in Emmitsburg. Please contact the league on Facebook or by email at thetllnetwork@gmail.com for more information. You may also pick one up at several of the participating restaurants.

Be sure to check out next month’s Banner for even more details about the upcoming evaluations and all the other events going on to kick start our 2023 spring season!

Winter Bre

Thurmont Little League Facilities Manager Alex Kline works on field improvements.

Young, Talented, and Battle Tested

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Michael Betteridge

I was standing at courtside in the Xfinity Center on Thursday, March 10, 2021, on the campus of the University of Maryland with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat as I watched senior Emily Wivell in the middle of the court with a stunned look of utter disappointment on her face as the loss of the championship began to sink in. The Lady Cougars basketball team’s fourth quarter meltdown had resulted in the loss of the State Girls 1A Basketball Championship to Pikesville.

Just a year earlier, as I was preparing to broadcast our Catoctin boys basketball quarterfinal playoff at Lake Clifton, I found out my co-broadcaster had a family emergency, and I was left alone at courtside wondering what to do. The Lady Cougars basketball team had just arrived at this Baltimore City gym, and I spotted Emily Wivell and motioned her over to my table. I asked Emily to help me broadcast the game, figuring like most high school girls, she would be afraid and say no, but she smiled and said: “Sure!” She was amazing! She was a Lady Cougar through and through. She was confident, funny, and witty, and really enjoyed helping the fans understand the game and supporting her Catoctin boys team. She was a real team player and a joy to have on the radio with me.

The first thing I saw, as the buzzer sounded to end the Lady Cougar’s 2021 season, a year later, was the look on Emily’s face. It broke my heart, especially when I saw her and Emily Williams hugging Coach Amy and crying. I almost lost it right there!

But, there was an important lesson learned that day, and it seems to have taken its hold on several Lady Cougars who carry that legacy forward. No more so than the tough, gritty, athletic Taylor Smith, who was all over the court that day, recording five steals and a team high 19 points. Taylor was only a freshman. And, who wouldn’t remember the roar of the crowd when little freshman JV call-up Kayden Glotfelty came into the game and knocked down a sizzling three-pointer that stunned Pikesville to take the lead at the half.

Now those battle-tested freshmen are leaders on this 2022 team, and they are only sophomores. There are no senior starters on this team. This team is fast, relentless, and plays disciplined defense. They thrive on the turnover, and their speed leaves opponents confused and in disarray.

This is a fun basketball team to watch. Undefeated heading into the Christmas break, they have faced stiff competition at Oakdale and Middletown and never looked back. They are sitting atop first place in the CMC with a nice-looking schedule heading into January, and no real stiff competition until they face Linganore in late January…and did I mention they are young?

With a freshman, three sophomores, four juniors, and only two seniors, that’s a 10.7 average grade level for the team. Nine out of the ten players on this team were there for the 2021 State Championship last March. That is the very definition of playoff experience. One new freshman player reminds us of Taylor Smith last year: Brooke Williams is the youngest, tallest girl on the team, and the freshman plays tenacious defense.

Take some time this month to come out and support the Lady Cougars basketball team. If I was so emotionally changed by what I saw in College Park last March, imagine how nine of the girls on this team feel about their 2022 season, and how you will feel when you see them play.

Cougars Have Field Day at State Championships

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blair garrett

Catoctin Cross Country has made huge strides in just a short time.

Since taking over just a season ago, head coach David Lillard has put together an impressive turnaround for a program that had been struggling to get runners on the field.

“Two years ago, we had just three runners,” Lillard said. “Now we have 12, and this team went from not being able to compete at states just two years ago to getting second place this year.”

Coach Lillard had a lot of help from senior star runner, Alex Contreras, who took on the role of captain this season. Contreras plays a huge part in getting the team prepared throughout practices, and his dedication has elevated his runs and his team to a new level this season. 

“Being captain is a lot of responsibility, but I do have fun with it,” Contreras said. “The guys are really good, so it’s not like I have to whip anyone into shape. They’re all out here to get better. It’s a fun job, and it’s been pretty great.”

Contreras’ efforts since joining the team have made a huge impact, and the rewards have paid off in a big way. Contreras placed first at the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) 1A State Championships on November 12, etching his name in the record books among Maryland championship runners.

“Getting first at states was something I’ve really been working toward since my freshman year of high school,” Contreras said. “I started in middle school, but I wasn’t very serious about it until my freshman year.”

The team took second overall, and each runner on the team gets to share the glory for how far Catocin’s cross country program has come.

“They’ve done the one thing I wanted them to do when I came here which was to make it their team,” Lillard said. “They take over the team, they control the team and do what they need to do to be a state contender, and they grabbed that with both hands and just went with it.”

Coach Lillard often finds that the players give themselves all the discipline and feedback they need to keep improving.

“They’re harder on themselves than I am on them,” he said. “I have to tell them it’s OK to be a second or two off in their training. Not every workout is going to be great, but their work ethic is top notch, and sometimes I’ve got to walk them off the ledge and say, ‘Hey, it’s OK not to be great today.’”

That attitude and accountability to get better each day has ignited this team, and the results speak for themselves. Fortunately for the Cougars, they have a leader with experience to lean on when things get tough.

“Alex is the captain, so he takes on a lot of that [leadership],” Lillard said. “A lot of times, the kids will go to Alex with issues, and with him being a senior, he’s gone through a lot of the things our younger runners have gone through.”

The benefits of having a talented leader and a coach who understands what each individual needs are immeasurable. There are a lot of good things to come for the Cougars, and a stand-out cross country season is only the beginning.

Coach David Lillard (far left) is shown with Catoctin’s Cross Country runners at the state competition in November. The team took second place overall. Team Captain Alex Contreras (center) earned a first-place finalist award.

CHS Sports Boosters Courtesy Photo

Thurmont Babe Ruth Baseball Fall Season

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Thurmont Babe Ruth Baseball finished a successful fall season in the Frederick County Babe Ruth League. Their teams at all three age groups finished with winning records and made deep runs into their end-of-season playoff tournaments.

The 18U Thurmont Expos finished the regular season with a record of 8-6.  In the playoffs, the Expos upset the #1 seed Little Falls Varsity Battlers to reach the championship game, before falling to Frederick Post 11.

The 16U Thurmont Cougars finished their regular season in second place with an 11-6 record. The Cougars reached the semifinals of the playoffs, where they fell to Frederick Dirt Devils. 

The 14U Thurmont Thunder finished at the top of the league standings with a record of 15-3. They capped off the season by winning the playoff tournament and bringing home the championship banner.

16U Thurmont Cougars

14U Thurmont Thunder Courtesy Photos