Fall sports are starting with a bang!

Richelle Zheng
CHS Class of 2025

(10/2024) As pumpkin spice flavors start to come back into season, so are the Catoctin Cougars, as they have a lot to show for this season. The golf team, boys soccer team, cross-country teams, and football team have their heads in the game this season with their numerous triumphs so far to start the season off!

Catoctin’s golf team is off to a great season, starting with their first game of the season on August 29 at Black Rock Golf Course. The Cougars played hard and did not fall far behind Boonsboro High School, but lost 165-160.. Justin Mehall and Jordan Moore had the lowest scores for Catoctin, with each of them ending one over par while shooting 37. Junior Griffin Hench shot 45 and Senior Bryont Green shot a 46, completing the team. However, in this match the Cougars took two wins against the other two schools, beating Williamsport High School 200-165 and Clear Spring High School 208-165. During the next game, held at Oakmont Green Golf Course in Hampstead, the Cougars fought hard during the tri-match against Manchester Valley High School and Century High School on September 4. Unfortunately, they dropped the win 183-176 against Century High School and 183-160 to Manchester Valley High School.

During this match, Mehall was the low-medalist for the team, shooting 41. Moore added 43, and Green shot a 47. Additionally, Keagan Savage contributed 48 points. This loss did not deter the Cougars from continuing to work hard as they made a comeback at their next game against Governor Thomas Johnson High School on September 5. Mehall led the team with the lowest score of 40 and Green scored his personal lowest for this season with a 42. Moore followed closely with 46. Junior Connor Smith added 48 points to the team’s record and Hench and Delaney Hench aided the team's success with 48 and 49 points, allowing the Cougars to take the win 176-187.

On September 19, the Catoctin Cougars went head-to-head against 16 schools at the Central Maryland Conference Championships. The team placed sixth overall and third in the "small schools" division with a total score of 335! Moore tied for third overall with a score of 75, and Mehall shot 78, tied in 11th. Green added 88 points and Hench with 94, totaling the team’s score. Delaney Hench competed in the female category and shot 95, placing fifth! Catoctin can not wait for what more the golf team will bring for them!

Catoctin’s varsity boy’s soccer team started their season with their first game on September 10 against St. James High School. The boys lost 4-0 with a rough start to their season, but they quickly recovered at their next match on September 18 against Highland View Academy. Senior Michael Metz and Junior Zack Kerr led the team with two goals. In addition, Trey Glass and Kevin Pacheco-Martinez also scored, aiding in the team’s 6-1 victory. On September 20, the boys went head-to-head against Williamsport High School. Both teams were determined to take the win, resulting in two 10-minute overtime periods. At the last minute, Kerr shot the final goal, putting the two teams in a tie 2-2.

Catoctin’s cross-country team blasted off their season on September 7 at the Interstate Classic held at Clear Spring High School. Catoctin placed third overall as a team with a score of 69 in the three-mile junior varsity category. In this category, Freshman Noah Riling placed first out of 63 runners with an incredible time of 18:05.6 minutes! Grady Abruzzese came in 16th with a time of 21:07.2 minutes, and sophomore Sean Hoyle finished in 17th at 21:18.8 minutes. Freshman Logan Holden also competed in the same category finishing in 21:47.4 minutes. From the girl’s team, Freshman Olivia Hoyt finished on top with a time of 21:52.2 minutes, starting her season off strong! Sophomore Isabel Brodsky was not far behind in second place, finishing in 22:44.5 minutes!

Catoctin’s varsity football team has had a rocky start to their season. The team started their season with their first game on September 6. This game was between Catoctin High School and Boonsboro High School. The Boonsboro Warriors stole the win from the Cougars 14-0. The boy’s next game occurred on September 13 against Mountain Ridge High School. The Mountain Ridge Miners took the win against the Cougars during this intense match. In the first quarter, the Cougars ended with six points, closely following the Miners with seven. Then, in the second quarter, the Cougars were unable to score any touchdowns, leaving them with zero points against the Miners, who scored six points. The next quarter, the Cougars regained their strength scoring six points, and the Miners had also scored six points. In the last quarter, the Miners took over the field once again, preventing the Cougars from scoring any points while they scored twelve, ending the game with a Miners’ victory of 29-12.

Even though the Cougars had dropped two games, they did not let those losses deter them. Instead, they continued to train hard and persevere, which showed in their next game against Williamsport High School on September 20. The Cougars had a great start to this game, leading with 19 points against the Williamsport Wildcats, who had seven. Then, the Cougars continued to wipe the floor with the Wildcats, leaving them with no points scored, as the Cougars scored 14 points. However, the Wildcats came at the Cougars in the third quarter, showing them a taste of revenge by leaving the Cougars with zero points as they managed seven points. The Cougars did not let the Wildcats get away with last quarter’s results and fought hard scoring 14 points and leaving the Wildcats with zero. This allowed the game to conclude with a Cougar victory of 47-14, marking the first time in five years that the Cougars had won with more than a 19-point lead. The Catoctin Cougars are really showing their game this season!