Spring sports are underway

Gina Lin
CHS Class of 2024

(4/2023) Spring athletics are picking up, just as winter sports have come to a gracious end. Many teams were eligible to play in off-season competitions such as: Unified bocce, girls basketball, track, and the wrestling programs. Even if mother nature isn’t sure which season to be, it is safe to say that spring sports are underway.

Winter sports recap

Just when it seems that the boys’ track team couldn’t get any better – they do. The track team has really been building a reputation for itself that’s reflecting well on Catoctin High School. A combination of factors places the track team in good standing. The team is led by many talented runners who practice teamwork and diligence. Additionally, their head coach, Dave Lillard, has a biology background. Lillard understands the connection between metabolism and athletics, which, undeniably, optimizes the performance of his runners. The boys team, once again, brought home the state championship title.

The girls team fared well, coming in 10th place out of the 23 schools. Moreover, Furious Trammel and Brody Buffington had the opportunity to compete at the New Balance National Indoors in Boston, Massachusetts. The competition features some of the best runners across the nations– Catoctin was the only Maryland 1A team invited to competition. Trammel placed fourth in the 400 meter dash and broke the Catoctin record for the fastest time in the 400 meter. Buffington took second place in the 60 meter and 200 meter dash. To put this in perspective, Buffington is third in the nation for the 60 meter and second in the nation for the 200 meter. With the conclusion of indoor track, perhaps the team could add another state title to their collection this spring.

Wrestling closed their season, spectacularly. Seniors Nathan Kovalcik, Emma Taylor, and Braden Bell were wrestling regional finalists at the 1A/2A Regional Wrestling Tournament, which qualified them for the state championships. Each placed second place. At the 1A/2A Wrestling Tournament, Kovalcik placed 5th in the 182 pound class.

Catoctin’s unified bocce proved their excellence on the court’s this season. After decisive regular season victories, they headed to the Unified Bocce State Championship on February 15th. Maria Perella, Shay Johnson, Hailey Sier and Siddah Robbins, greatly contributed to the outcome of the game. The Cougars placed third overall. Their coach added, "Together this team accomplished much, especially the true essence of inclusion - where everyone had an opportunity to participate!"

The girls’ basketball program continued to perform well throughout the season. The girls had quite a tumultuous season. Out of the 24 games played, 18 resulted in a Cougar victory. Their efforts allowed them to advance to the Class 1A West regional finals, against Boonsboro High School. Boonsboro claimed the regional title by barely pulling a win against Catoctin, with 35-32.

Spring sports preview

The varsity baseball team has set high standards for this season. Coach Mike Franklin has been Catoctin’s head varsity baseball coach since 2000 and over 20 years of coaching experience. Varsity baseball consists of 15 players, many of which are skilled returning players with an exception of two new players. In the previous season, varsity won the Central Maryland Conference and two years prior, they were state champs. Franklin had noted that this year's team is proficient in pitching and defense. "This season we strive to be our best and hopefully get to an elite level," Franklin declared.

Senior Joey McMannis leads a slate of strong pitchers which include Jacob Bel, Peyton Castellow, Logan Malachowski, Patrick Morlan, Gavin Watkins, and Garret Worth. McMannis is ranked high on most MLB draft boards, and has a fastball record of 95 miles per hour. Castellow stands out as being among the county's leading pitchers and position players. Franklin also recalled the positive performances of returning offensive players: Jacob Bell, Connor Crum, Joey McMannis, Bryont Green, and Garrett Worth.

The JV baseball team is advised by Tyler Ausherman, who has been coaching baseball for 20 years. Because of the teams’ relative youth, he expects this season will serve to refine skills and learn to play at a highschool level. "It takes some time to adjust to the rigor of highschool."

The softball team is also preparing for their first game, scheduled on____. The team consists of twelve players this year with a majority returning. Sophomore Taylor Smith and Junior Meghan Gray lead the team. Both players have plenty of field experience, as they play on high caliber club teams. In the previous season, the softball team advanced to the regional playoffs.

Catoctin’s Unified track team is coached by the enthusiastic Charmane Nesbitt. The team features seven returning runners and two new participants. The four seniors Siddah Robbins, Andre Russell, Gabe Manan and Thomas Bower are leading the team, and helping runners to expand field event skills. Nesbitt mentioned, "The returning players have great skill." The goal of unified sports is to offer everyone a chance to partake in athletics and Catoctin is a great reflection of that. Nesbitt added, " One thing is for certain, the team enjoys being together. We have a lot of fun together!"

The girls’ lacrosse team is pretty numerous this year to to say the least. All 26 players present at tryouts were offered a position on the team. There are usually 12 players from a team on the field at once. Many of the players are relatively inexperienced, therefore the team exhibits a wide spectrum of skill levels. Among the returning players, Laney and Lauren Kelley, Beckah Zentz, Lily Bingman, Maddie Binnix, and Morgan Gregory lead the team.

The team has been training through many different workouts, including Fitness Friday, which targets the core. Senior Jazzy Howard, who has been playing lacrosse for five years put it bluntly, "I expect us to struggle at the beginning of the season, but afterwards we should see some wins." That is a result of the boys team choosing to play tougher opponents initially, Howard explains.

Review of FCPS spectators policies

FCPS has been struggling with enforcement of spectator policies at athletic events. It is important to review expectations when in attendance at these events. First, FCPS does not allow any food and beverage items, bags, and athletic equipment to be brought into stadiums or gymnasiums. Please try to clean up after yourself, because no one else will! Other guidelines include, paying an additional fee for exiting and reentering events. Additionally, all children under eighth grade must be chaperoned by an adult.

There are two ways to purchase tickets: at the gate or online. Tickets are two dollars for students and six dollars for adults. But, free entry is given to spectators over 60 or under eight years of age. To purchase tickets and passes online go to gofan.co/app/school/MD24764.