Remembering Catoctin’s Championship Season Alisha Yocum Twenty years ago, the Catoctin Girls Basketball team was finishing its regular season and preparing for the postseason. It was a team with no expectations to make a deep run. Coach Amy (Murray) Entwistle, just 22 years old at the time, was still finding her way. That season, Catoctin…

With Michael Betteridge Go West Young Man! Last year at this time, I wrote about skiing and snow conditions. I lamented how we hadn’t had any truly cold winters or snow since 2021. The last really big winter was 2010 and the Snowpocalypse! We had 70 inches of snow that year—44 inches in February alone.…

With Michael Betteridge Never Say Anything Bad About Someone January is always the time of the year during which we reflect on the past year and prepare for the new year. We use the successes and failures of 2025 to shape our plan to increase the former and limit the latter. We take stock of…

The 2025 season marked a turning point for the Catoctin High School Lady Cougars Soccer Program, a year defined by resilience, growth, and belief. Under the leadership of Head Coach Jimmy Ward, the Lady Cougars battled through a challenging season, filled with close contests, breakthrough performances, and defining moments. While the year ended with a…

With Michael Betteridge The Real Reason for the Season Every December, we move from fall high school sports into winter sports. It’s a difficult transition from warm weather to cool weather, then cool weather to cold weather. We move from football, soccer, and field hockey outside to basketball and wrestling inside. I always use this…

The Catoctin Youth Association (CYA) Football & Cheer program has been hard at work this season—not just on the field, but in the community as well. This fall, the organization launched its first-ever “CYA Gives Back Day,” an initiative designed to teach young athletes the importance of generosity, community service, and gratitude. The event, organized…

With Michael Betteridge Fasten Your Chinstraps Recently, I had a conversation with high school football historian and guru, Sheldon Shealer. Sheldon is the chairman of the Communications Department at Mount St. Mary’s.  Sheldon has a Ph.D. in sports media.  His website, mdprepfootball.com, is the repository for high school sports history. Sheldon knows high school football!…

Catoctin Girls Soccer Building New Identity Alisha Yocum The Catoctin High School Girls Varsity Soccer team is off to a great start to their 2025 season, with a historic win over South Hagerstown. In the late days of summer, Catoctin High School announced the hiring of a new Girls Varisty Soccer Coach, Jimmy Ward. His…

With Michael Betteridge Golf Is A Puzzle Without An Answer A sports topic we’ve never covered before in this column recently became big news in Thurmont: GOLF!  Catoctin Cougars freshman Callen Edmonston was named athlete of the week last September after recording a five under par 31 at Maple Run Golf Course in Thurmont during…

Alisha Yocum With its sweeping views and signature hillside overlooking the field, Catoctin High School’s (CHS) football stadium has long been a local landmark. This season, football moms Jenn Cregger, Kathleen Davis, Kate Gray, Diana Merritt, and Elle Smith are launching a spirited campaign to “Fill the Hill.” “We have an awesome community, and we…

With Michael Betteridge Dreams Can Come True I’m not sure if anyone in Thurmont realizes how unique it is to have their very own radio station. Radio stations don’t belong to individuals. They are licensed to individuals and businesses by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) on behalf of the local community. In Maryland, WTHU is…

Staying Active As You Age Can Be Fun If you are a 50-plus years of age and enjoy competing in your favorite sport, you are invited to prove your athletic ability at the National Senior Games. This is exactly why Jeanne Angleberger stays physically fit! Jeanne had the opportunity to participate in the National Senior…

With All-Star Play Alisha Yocum Each summer, Thurmont Little League (TLL) ends its regular season, and All-Star teams are selected to represent our town in both in-house and district competitions. This season was no different! First up was the In-House All-Stars—selected by coaches, these teams were representing the players who demonstrated the best talent, character,…

With Michael Betteridge An Alumni Movement I remember when they first started calling us boomers. We were the sons and daughters of the World War II generation, born in the euphoria of victory in the European and Pacific theaters of war. The greatest generation that ever lived, our fathers and mothers had just defeated two…

In a hard-fought contest, the Thurmont Nationals defeated Glade Valley 2-1 to claim the championship title in the Frederick County Babe Ruth 14U Tournament. Pictured from left: (back row) Coach Jeff Kuhn, Landon Hahn, Bryson Workman, Noah Bradbury, Parker Hahn, Jeremy Veronie, Napoleon Garcia, Eli Yocum, Jason Day, Myles Kuhn, Coach John Veronie; (front row)…

Thurmont Thunder won the Frederick County Babe Ruth League 16U Championship. They yielded just one run in each of their three tournament games. The Thunder are currently riding a 30-game win streak and have accumulated four season Championship banners and two runner-up finishes in the last seven spring and fall seasons. Pictured from left: Coach…

Jimmy Ward, CYA Soccer Director of Coaching The Catoctin Youth Association Soccer Club (CYASC) officially wrapped up a successful 2025 spring season, and with it came countless moments of connection, development, and community pride. More than just wins and losses, this season was defined by the smiles on the field, the support in the stands,…

Catoctin Rec Council (CRC) Softball wrapped up a very successful spring despite being one of the soggiest seasons in memory.  This year, CRC fielded teams at all age groups: 8U, 10U, 12U, and 15U, with over 80 girls from the area. The teams played groups throughout the Frederick County Girls Softball League, including Middletown, Carrol…

With Michael Betteridge 2024-2025 Season Highlights This is the time of year when things slow down a bit. Typically, every July, we take a quick look back at the season highlights from September to June. Next month, we’ll begin the exciting journey in this column into the new high school sports 2025-26 season. 2024-25 Season…

Alisha Yocum Thurmont Little League held its annual fundraiser, the Hit-A-Thon, on May 3. Players from each team competed to both raise the most money and to hit the longest ball. Players received one hit for each $10 collected. Together, the over 200 Little Leaguers, raised over $19,000 for the league, which will go to…