Jan 23, 2025
By Kevin Petrochko
For the Mirror
MARTINSBURG — It was an emotional Wednesday evening for the Central High School boys basketball team as senior guard Eli Muthler notched his 1,000th career point in the team’s 60-35 victory against Bellwood-Antis.
With 3:21 remaining in the first half, Muthler nailed a shot underneath the basket to secure the milestone.
“It’s a great feeling,” Muthler said. “I know I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and coaches along the way.”
Muthler led all Scarlet Dragon scorers on the night with 25 points, including six from beyond the arc.
“Our offense really moved the ball well,” Muthler said. “We made shots tonight, so it feels real nice.”
Throughout his career at Central, Muthler has been crucial in helping the Scarlet Dragons put a solid program on the floor each night.
“He’s been such a critical part to our success,” Central coach Paul Frederick said. “He’s such a hard worker. I’m very fortunate to have had a chance to coach him for the last four years.
In the first half, Central’s power in the post carried the Dragons to a 34-13 lead going into halftime. Freshman guard Jesse Muthler, Eli’s younger brother, tallied eight of those points.
“Everyone played well,” Eli Muthler said. “We all like to share the ball. We’re a consistent team.”
The younger Muthler stood proud as his older brother eclipsed his historic milestone.
“He’s worked so hard for it,” Jesse Muthler said. “We’ve all been playing together since we’ve been kids. It’s really special.”
Bellwood-Antis is still in search of its first win of the season.
“We’re building for success for these future years,” Bellwood-Antis coach Tyler Mertiff said. “We’re young and we’re trying to learn how to win and that’s the toughest part of this league.”
Despite the record, Bellwood-Antis believes the effort has been there all season. Three players, Colin McClellan, Connor Mayes and Braylon Litzinger, each scored six points.
“I never question our effort,”Mertiff said in watching his club fall to 0-14. “That’s one thing I pride myself on at Bellwood. Win or lose, until the end of the game, we will give maximum effort.”
Central hosts Bald Eagle Area on Friday night. Bellwood-Antis heads to Bishop Guilfoyle Academy on Friday as well.
BELLWOOD-ANTIS (35): Mayes 2 0-0 6, Gibbons 1 0-2 2, McClellan 6 0-0 6, Dorminy 1 2-2 5, McConnell 1 1-2 4, Leeper 2 0-0 4, Worthing 1 0-0 2, Litzinger 3 0-0 6 Totals: 13 3-6 35
CENTRAL (60): E. Muthler 11 1-1 25, 2 0-0 5, Black 4 0-0 8, J. Muthler 4 1-4 10, Heuston 3 0-0 7, Hoover 0 0-0 3, Rhodes 0 0-0 2. Totals 24 2-5 60
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Bellwood-Antis 3 10 13 9 – 35
Central 16 18 24 2 – 60
3-point field goals: Bellwood-Antis 6 (Mayes 2, McClellan 2, Dorminy 1, McConnell 1), Central 5 (E. Muthler 2, Klotz 1 J. Muthler 1, Heuston 1)
Records: Bellwood-Antis (0-14), Central (10-3).
Officials: Skip Dry, Tracy Cornelius, Joe Scialabba
JV: Central, 38-35
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