STRATTANVLLE, Pa. – For the eighth time in the last 12 years, Clarion-Limestone has won a KSAC divisional crown.
The Lions claimed the KSAC Large School title, their first divisional crown since winning the KSAC North in 2019-20, with a 65-44 victory over visiting Cranberry.
C-L and Karns City both finished with 9-1 divisional records having split the regular-season meetings, but Clarion won the tiebreaker based on its win over KSAC Small School champion Clarion, a team Karns City lost to.
Jordan Hesdon led a trio of Lions in double digits with 17 points. He added four steals, three rebounds, and two assists.
Rylie Klingensmith added 14 points, Jack Callen scored 11 points, and Tommy Smith contributed nine tallies. Smith also had eight rebounds – five offensive – and two assists, while Callen added seven rebounds, five steals, and two assists. Klingensmith swiped five balls and handed out three assists while hauling in three rebounds.
Noel Bunyak had 15 points for Cranberry with Devin Zerbe adding 10 points.
KARNS CITY 48, MONITEAU 46, 2 OTS
WEST SUNBURY, Pa. – Outscoring Moniteau 6-4 in the second overtime, Karns City battled to a 48-46 two-overtime win at its rival.
The game was tied at 35 at the end of regulation and at 42 at the end of the first overtime before Hibie Bartoe scored his only three points of the game in the second overtime for the Gremlins who also got a basket from Jacob Callihan and a free throw from Taite Beighley.
Moniteau had a chance to win the game in regulation when Andrew Zepeda was fouled with the Warriors down 35-34 and about 10 seconds on the clock. Zepeda hit the first free throw but missed the second one after a timeout. Moniteau got the rebound but couldn’t get a fall to drop.
Beighley had given Karns City the one-point lead with around 17 seconds left when he drove through the lane for a layup.
It was free throws by Moniteau that forced the second extra session.
Down 42-40 with around 22 seconds to play, Colton Thomas was fouled and went to the line shooting a 1-and-1.
Thomas hit the first free throw and there was another timeout before the second charity shot.
Out of the break, Thomas hit the second one as well to tie the game at 42.
Karns City held for the last shot, but a Beighley desperation heave was off the mark.
The Gremlins led 17-13 at halftime and 24-23 going to the fourth quarter.
Beighley led Karns City with 17 points, four assists, and four steals, with Callihan adding 10 points, six rebounds, and two steals, and Shane Peters nine points. Micha Rupp chipped in six steals, three blocked shots, four assists, four rebounds, and six points.
David Dessicino paced Moniteau with 14 points with Zepeda adding 13 and Thomas 10.
Despite the win, Karns City finished in second place in the KSAC Large School Division when Clarion-Limestone beat Cranberry, 88-65. Although the team tied for the division lead at 9-1 C-L won the tiebreaker by virtue of its win over KSAC Small School Division champion Clarion while Karns City lost to the Bobcats, who they will rematch with in the KSAC Playoffs Thursday at Penn West Clarion’s Tippin Gym.
Editor’s note – Some details of this game came from watching the Moniteau live steam
BROOKVILLE 63, TYRONE 42
BROOKVILLE, Pa. – In a matchup of interdistrict conference champions, it was all Brookville with the homestanding Raiders, champions of the D9 League, racing past District 6 Tyrone, champions of the Mountain League, 63-42.
Hot shooting helped Brookville to the 21-point win with the Raider knocking down 65.8% of their shots (27-41) while placing three players in double digits.
Clayton Cook had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, Noah Peterson added 16 points, and Jack Pete had 12 tallies.
Ross Gamps led Tyrone with 12 points and 12 rebounds with Dravyn Crowell adding eight points and Sam Crilly seven.
REDBANK VALLEY 46, KEYSTONE 38
KNOX, Pa. – Needing a win to secure a .500 record and a District 9 playoff berth, Redbank Valley built a 13-point halftime lead on its way to a 46-38 road win over shorthanded Keystone.
The Bulldogs (11-11), who needed to be at .500 per school policy to qualify for the postseason, led 25-12 at halftime thanks to 11 points from Mason Clouse.
Keystone, playing without second-leading scorer Kyle Nellis, fought back in the third quarter cutting the deficit to eight, 34-26, going to the fourth quarter on the strength of nine third-quarter points from Tyler Albright.
Albright stayed hot in the fourth quarter scoring seven more points, but it wasn’t enough as Redbank Valley went 8 of 8 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
Mason Clouse led the Bulldogs with 15 points with his twin brother, Owen, adding 11 points. Adrian Ortz chipped in seven tallies, and Braylon Wagner had six points.
Redbank Valley will enter the postseason having won 9 of 12 after starting the season 2-8.
Albright led Keystone with 19 points with Cole Henry adding 16.
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 56, BRADFORD 29
BRADFORD, Pa. – Building a 17-2 lead in the second quarter, visiting Elk County Catholic rolled past Bradford, 56-29, in D9 League action.
The Crusaders led 24-9 at halftime and 41-15 at the end of the third quarter.
Colby Nussbaum and Wil Wortman combined to score 25 points for ECC with Nussbaum netting 13 and Wortman 12. Adam Straub added seven tallies in the win.
Jake Franz scored all six of his team-high points from the free-throw line for Bradford.
RIDGWAY 30, SHEFFIELD 18
SHEFFIELD, Pa. – In what could possibly be the final game ever played at Sheffield High School, Ridgway wasn’t a friendly host knocking off the Wolverines. 30-18, to secure the AML South title.
With the Warren School Board debating this spring whether to shut down Sheffield or Youngsville, both, or neither, no one is certain Tuesday night’s game wasn’t the last played at the school.
The Elkers led 8-0 at the end of the first quarter, 13-8 at halftime, and 25-11 at the end of the third quarter.
Aaron Sorg led Ridgway with 16 points.
Leihden Wotrson and Connor Finch each had six points for Sheffield.
DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 57, BROCKWAY 21
DUBOIS, Pa. – Ten different players scored to help DuBois Central Catholic roll past visiting Brockway, 57-21, in AML South action.
Andrew Green led the Cardinals with 12 points with Brendan Paisley adding 11. Luke Swisher and Marfek Hoyt each contributed seven tallies to the win.
Reese Yahner led Brockway with eight points.
CLARION 63, A-C VALLEY 43
CLARION, Pa. – Devon Lauer tied his season-high with 25 points, as Clarion tuned up for the KSAC playoffs with a 63-43 home win over A-C Valley.
Dawson Smail added 18 points and six rebounds in the win with Gabe Simko chipping in 10 points and five rebounds and Derek Smail contributing eight points.
Alex Preston had 19 points and Ryan Cooper 12 for A-C Valley.
CLEARFIELD 69, CURWENSVILLE 39
CLEARFIELD, Pa. – A fast start lifted Clearfield to a 69-39 win over visiting Curwensville.
The Bison led 26-5 at the end of the first quarter after hitting six 3-pointers in the frame.
Clearfield knocked down 12 triples overall led by four from Aiden Greslick and three each from Cole Miller and Morgen Billotte.
Greslick led the Bison with 16 points, Miller added 13 points, and Billotte chipped in 12 points. Also for Clearfield, Braison Patrick had nine tallies.
Dan McGarry and Grant Swanson each scored 11 points for Curwensville with Swanson hitting three 3-pointers.
VENANGO CATHOLIC 78, CHRISTIAN LIFE ACADEMY 60
OIL CITY, Pa. – James Henry scored 27 points and Nico Blauser added 22 points to lead Venango Catholic to a 78-60 home win over Christian Life Academy.
Logan Suttle added 15 points for the Vikings with Knner Beichner chipping in nine points.
Dale Swoger led CLA with 15 points and Henry Kolesar added 14 points.
