Keeping up with fall sports

Gina Lin
CHS Class of 24

(10/2022) The seasons are in transition from summer to autumn. It is unbelievable that we are already in October! Cooler weather signals sweaters, pumpkin spice everything, and extremely early Christmas decoration. Additionally, fall sports are also in full swing. The Cougars have worked, trained, and played hard, across all sports. Their stellar efforts are reflected during the competition, especially on the varsity volleyball and cross-country teams.

The Catoctin field hockey team has started off the season strong. Their first game was against Brunswick High School. In the first half, Catoctin led 4S0. The Cougars overwhelmed the Railroaders, securing 13S1, at the end. Junior Grace Williams managed five goals, along with senior Jazymyne Howard scoring three goals. Seniors Morgan Rideneour, Cait Werlang, and Maddie Grecco each contributed a goal. Additionally, junior Reagan Miller contributed an assist. Annalise Abruzzese also contributed an assist. The goalie, junior Natalie Hoyt, pulled off six saves. On September 13th, the Cougars faced St. James and won 2S1. Rideneour scored a goal with Williams contributing an assist. Howard scored a goal aided by Miller. Hoyt made four saves.

Walkersville High played an away game against Catoctin on September 15th. The two teams were playing neck to neck the entire time. During the second quarter, they were tied 1S1. After an intense game, the Cougars lost against the Lions, 1S4, breaking their winning streak.

Cougars varsity girls’ volleyball has maintained a winning streak so far this season. The girls’ first game was set on September 6th, against Frederick High. Cougars beat the Cadets with a score of 3S0. The following contributed aces: senior Abby Moreland with six, senior Anna Belluomo with four, and junior Aria Calhoun with four. Belluomo made 13 kills, along with Abbey Bowley contributing six kills. Additionally, senior Abby May produced four kills and Moreland with three kills. On to digs, Calhoun and Moreland manifested seven digs each, May with three, and one dig from Belluomo. Senior Michaela Windisch aided with 18 assists, and senior Maddie Binnix had 12 assists. The volleyball team was just able to pull off a win against Gov. Thomas Johnson High on September 14th. Fans cheered from the sidelines, clothed in the snazzy "business attire" theme.

The Cougars won the first two rounds, and last round, while the Patriots took the third round, with 25S23. Catoctin scored 25S22 in the first round, 27S25 in the second, and 25S20 in the final round. In the back row, Abby Moreland contributed 22 digs and five kills and libero Aria Calhoun contributed 14 digs and four aces. Abby May had 15 digs and nine kills. Anna Belluomo contributed 14 kills, and senior Abbey Bowley contributed five kills and three blocks. Kailee Akee presented three blocks, and Calhoun was able to pull off three aces. A total of 35 assists were made by Michaela Windisch and Maddie Binnix. Windisch also contributed four aces. Catoctin secured the final round and was able to prevail victorious. After a hard-played and close game, the Cougars prevailed with a score of 3S1.

Catoctin volleyball competed against Middletown High School on September 15th. The Cougars easily defeated the Knights 3S0. At the conclusion of the second round, the score was 27-14; Cougars had 14 more points than Middletown! Belluomo and Bowley each contributed eight kills. Additionally, Moreland had six kills, followed by May with five, and senior Lily Bingman, with 3. Windisch aided in 16 assists and Binnix with 14. Belluomo carried out nine digs. Windisch made eight digs along with May. Digs from Binnix, Calhoun, and Moreland, totaled 16. Onto aces, Calhoun and Windisch each accomplished three; and Belluomo with two.

The Catoctin boys’ soccer team competed on September 3rd against Clear Spring High in their first game. During the game, junior Matt Offutt scored three goals, assisted by Eric Lopez and junior Franklyn PeZa Martinez. A highlight of the game included PeZa Martinez scoring a goal from outside the 18. "It was pretty incredible," fellow team member, senior Thomas Bower, recalled: "he didn’t even try, and he made it in!" Catoctin lost in the shoot-out, though. The Cougars lost 1S3. On September 6, the boys’ soccer team played Liberty High at home and lost 0S13.

Cross country continued their successes from the earlier season. The boys’ cross country team blew away competition at the Interstate Classic meet, which was held at Clear Spring High. All seven of our runners, on the boys team, claimed the top 10. Senior Alex Conteras blew away the competition in the three miles small school run, seizing first place with a time of 16:58.3 minutes. He was 39 seconds faster than the runner up. Junior Santi Canadas Fraga came up in third place, with a time of 17.47.5. Fourth place was claimed by junior Gabe Riling with a time of 18.15.5. Sophomore Daniel Hoyle took sixth place with 19:00:04. Senior Nikolas Contreras came in seventh place with 19:12.6. Eighth place, with a time of 19:24.2, was occupied by senior Dennis Lease. Finally, senior Chris Sanchez placed 10th with a time of 19:48.2. The boys placed first in the Interstate Classic, with a score of 15. On the girls cross country team, junior Kiera Taylor, placed ninth overall in the Interstate Classic small school race, with a time of 23:16.8. Sophomore Kylie Foster came in 16th with a time of 26.19.4.

The Run in the Valley meet took place on September 13th, at Middletown High. Contreras, once again, placed first, in the 5000-meter race, with a time of 17:27.15. Canadas Fraga followed in third place and ran 18:24.78. Seventh place, with a time of 18:59.45, was given to Riling. The Cougars scored a 50 and placed second overall. The girls placed sixth overall at the meet. Taylor represented Catoctin in 16th place, with a time of 24:48.93.

Catoctin football took on Boonsboro High School on September 2nd. The Warriors won with 28S3. The Cougars made some improvements as they faced Mountain Ridge High on September 8th. The final score, from the game, was 14S41, with the Cougars losing. Catoctin's homecoming football game will be held on September 30th at 6:30pm. The Cougars will be ushered in by the homecoming parade. This year’s homecoming parade is set to take place on September 28th from 6:30 to 7:30. The route is expected to begin at the Thurmont Food Bank, venture through downtown Thurmont, and conclude at Catoctin High School. During the halftime of the homecoming football game, the 2022 homecoming senior courts will be present, and the king and queen will be announced. Catoctin will be playing Frederick High, who holds the Maryland 3A Champion title. The theme for the game is school colors. Be sure to come out and show your support!