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…

With Michael Betteridge Go Make A Difference! Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer. Schools let out for summer break. Pools open.  Carnivals begin. High school sports end a journey that began back in September and culminates in a whirlwind of playoffs and state championships. It also marks the passing of the baton from our…

Alisha Yocum Thurmont Top Shots, a group of local youth trap shooters, recently participated in a few regional competitions. Coached by Steve Crowe and Lori Storey, this group practiced weekly throughout the spring and is supported and hosted by the Thurmont Conservation & Sportsman’s Club (TCSC). The team recently participated in two shoots, the Pen-Mar…

Members of the Catoctin High School Unified Track & Field Team celebrated their win as Division 3 Champions. The Unified Track Field program is an inclusive sports program, where students with and without intellectual disabilities train and compete together on the same team. Congratulations to all the members of the team who worked so hard…

Alisha Yocum There is nothing quite like the excitement of Opening Day at Thurmont Little League (TLL) when suddenly the fields that lay dormant for months are once again filled with over 200 ball players, ranging in agefrom 4-12. On April 5, TLL President Alex Kline welcomed the family and friends sitting in the stands…

With Michael Betteridge Two New Theorems for May Curiously, it seems like we just started spring sports. Already, we are winding down the high school spring sports season and heading into the playoffs this month. After a comprehensive study of the schedule, I realized that the fall, winter, and spring high school sports seasons are…

Ryan Tokar, CYA Basketball the cold weather sets in and snow and ice blanket the ground. But CYA Basketball aims to keep its players active, learning, and having fun, all while improving their skills and advancing their fundamental knowledge of the game. The organization offers a wide range of programs, from skills clinics for our…

Make March Madness Appearance Alisha Yocum The Mount St. Mary’s Men’s Basketball Team captured the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship with a decisive 63-49 victory over the Iona Gaels on March 16. This win marked the Mountaineers’ 22nd victory of the season, setting a new record for most wins in a single season as…

With Michael Betteridge Mountainball Has Always Been Legendary As April sanity triumphs over March madness, we look forward to our spring high school sports season. It is certain that our Lady Cougars softball team will be exceptional. With Taylor Smith back on the mound, and an experienced, solid infield behind her, this may be one…

Ryan Tokar, CYA Basketball CYA Basketball held its annual Shoot-a-thon fundraiser on Sunday, February 2. This is the largest annual fundraiser for our program and proceeds go towards necessities like gym rentals, uniforms, equipment, paid officials, and league fees. As is the case every year, our amazing community came out in support of the program…

With Michael Betteridge A Tree Has Roots When I was young, I discovered a book in my Grandma’s attic one day, entitled The Bellows Genealogy – John Bellows the Boy Emigrant of 1635 and His Descendants. As I read through the tattered yellow pages of the book, I began to see names that I recognized:…

Two Catoctin Youth Association wrestlers, Jackson Wivell and Willie Fletcher, competed in the Maryland State Wrestling Association State Championship in Salisbury, Maryland. They both placed fourth in their weight class amongst other competitors across the state.“We couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments!” –CYA Wrestling.

Catoctin Girls Basketball Lady Cougars defeated Williamsport 43-39 to win the CMC Championship on Tuesday, February 25. The win improves their record to 17-6 on the season heading into the playoffs.  Cougars came out running in the first quarter, pulling ahead for a 15-10 lead. In the second quarter, they had some foul trouble and…

Catoctin High School (CHS) Sports Boosters is a parent-based organization that provides support for all CHS athletes, sports teams, and coaches. The Sports Boosters program is needed to cover the additional expenses not covered by the very limited Athletic Department budget. They raise money through fundraisers, concession sales, sponsorship, and membership. All of the money…

with Michael Betteridge Over the past 13 years, the average snowfall in our area has been 22 inches per year. In the 2022-2023 snow season, we received two inches of snow for the entire year.  Last winter season, our total was 16 inches. In the past three years, we have received 33.1 inches of snow.…

One month after announcing the country’s second Division I flag football program, Mount St. Mary’s has hired Sandi James (pictured right) to serve as the team’s first-ever head coach. “I am super excited to make HERstory as the first Head Women’s Flag Football coach in Mount St. Mary’s history,” James said. “My goal is to…

with Michael Betteridge Confession Is Good for the Soul Traditionally in this column, I’ve always reserved January as a time to look back at the last year, to take stock of the new year, and to make some bold predictions. Let’s take that journey together again. For the past several months in this column, I…

Talking Hoops with Catoctin’s New Boys Basketball Coach Alisha Yocum Meeting Coach Mike Wagner for the first time, you’re instantly struck by his warm and approachable demeanor, which naturally puts those around him at ease and leaves them smiling. Many believe this energy could be exactly what Catoctin’s Boys Basketball program needs. However, his journey…

Jeremy Johnson, Catoctin Youth Association (CYA) Football & Cheer President To be a part of anything special, you must have a group of people around you who have a common purpose or goal. In our youth sports program, we rely on positive support from leadership, coaches, parents, volunteers, and community members. Our community, year after…

with Michael Betteridge We Are Blessed Last month, we were tracking the progress of our Catoctin Cougars sports teams, who were a disappointing 8-23 a month ago. Let’s see how we finished the fall season. Our Cougars football team finished the regular season 2-7. That’s a regression from last year’s 3-6 record.  They ranked 22nd…