It’s a championship kind of day in District 9.
Thursday will feature a pair of Class 4A champions crowned, as Punxsutawney takes on St. Marys in the girls’ contest, while Clearfield battles St. Marys for the boys’ crown.
In Class 3A boys, Brookville travels to Windber High School to take on Bedford in the Class 3A D5-8-9 subregional title game.
It’s been a long layoff for the Punxsutawney girls and Clearfield boys.
Clearfield hasn’t played since a 59-55 win over DuBois to close the regular season on Feb. 15, while Punxsy was last in action in a 67-24 win over Bradford in its regular-season finale on Feb. 17.
The St. Marys boys earned a 41-31 semifinal win over Punxsutawney thanks to 15 points from Tanner Fox and 14 from Charlie Coudriet, while the St. Marys girls beat Clearfield, 46-27 thanks to 12 points from Izzy Catalone and 10 from Jayssa Snelick.
Here’s a look at each game.
CLASS 4A GIRLS’ CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
(2) ST. MARYS (19-6) vs. (1) PUNXSUTAWNEY (21-1), 6 p.m, Tippin Gym, PennWest Clarion
Winner gets: District 8 champion in PIAA subregional
St. Marys leading scorers: Jayssa Snelick (11.0 ppg.), Izzy Catalone (8.5 ppg.), Maura Caskey (7.9 ppg.), Olivia Eckles (7.2 ppg.) Alexa Schneider (5.2 ppg.)
Punxsutawney leading scorers: Chloe Presloid (16.1 ppg.), Avary Powell (11.6 ppg), Danielle Griebel (9.0 ppg.), Samantha Greibel (7.8 ppg.), Olivia Burkett (4.9 ppg.).
Notable: Punxsutawney is a D9 title game for the 11th straight season. This is also the 19th time in the last 22 years the Lady Chucks have played for a D9 title … The 11 straight appearances are the most in D9 history … The Lady Chucks saw their run of seven straight D9 title end with a loss to Redbank Valley, 52-40, in Class 3A last year. Punxsy won the 2021 3A title in a 6-class system after winning 4A title in a 6-class system from 2017-2020. The Lady Chucks also won 3A in 2015 and 2016 in a 4-class system … St. Marys is making its sixth straight appearance in the D9 4A title game, and the Lady Dutch are the 2-time defending champions having beaten Clearfield in each of the last two years after losing to Punxsutawney from 2018-2020 … St, Marys won four straightD9 titles from 2008-2011. Punxsutawney averages 57.0 ppg. and St. Marys 45.2 .. The two teams met back on Jan. 18, a 45-34 win for Punxsutawney. Avary Powell had 13 points in that game and Samantha Griebel 12 for Punxsy, while Jayssa Snelick had 16 points for St. Marys … Punxsy’s lone loss came to Cathedral Prep, 52-31 on Feb. 1.
CLASS 4A BOYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
(2) ST. MARYS (12-2) vs. (1) CLEARFIELD (16-6), 7:30 p.m., Tippin Gym, PennWest Clarion
Winner gets: WPIAL No. 3, either Highlands or Laurel Highlands in the first round of the PIAA championships on March 10.
St. Marys leading scorers: Tanner Fox (13.0 ppg.), Quin Gavazzi (12.3 ppg.), Anthony Nedzinski (7.1 ppg.), Charlie Coudriet (4.5 ppg.)
Clearfield leading scorers: Cole Miller (19.5 ppg.), Anthony Greslick (9.0 ppg.), Braison Patrick (8.9 ppg.), Morgan Billotte (8.0 ppg.),
Notable: Clearfield is playing in its 10th consecutive District 9 championship game. That includes now seven in a row in Class 4A under the six-classification system after playing three in a row in Class 3A under the 4-class system … The 10 straight title-game appearances are the most consecutive by any school in D9 history surpassing the nine in a row Elk County Christian (now Catholic) had from 1987-1995 in Class 1A. Sheffield did it eight times in a row in Class C from 1955-62 … The Bison have also won eight straight D9 titles, which is the most consecutive D9 titles in history (Bradford did win 9 of 10 from 1941-50 but missed the title game in 1946) while ECC won 8 of 9 during its stretch but lost to Northern Potter in 1990 … St. Marys is in the title game for the second time in three years losing in 2021 to Clearfield, 48-39, in 4A. The Dutch also lost in 3A to Clearfield in 2016, 56-42 … St. Marys is looking for its first title since winning the 2011 championship, 49-37, over Bradford. That is the lone title for the Dutch since 2000. They are 1-6 in title games since 2001 … Clearfield averages 52.9 ppg. and St. Marys 48.6 ppg … The two teams did not meet during the regular season.
CLASS 3A 5-8-9 SUBREGIONAL FINAL
(9-1) BROOKVILLE (21-2) vs. (5-1) BEDFORD (10-13), Windber H.S., 7 p.m.
Winner gets: WPIAL No. 5 in the first round of PIAA championships on March 11
Loser gets: WPIAL No. 3 in the first round of PIAA championships on March 11
Brookville leading scorers: Clayton Cook (14.3 ppg.), Jack Pete (10.9 ppg.), Noah Peterson (8.3 ppg.), Connor Marshall (7.5 ppg.), Kellan Haines (6.4 ppg.)
Bedford leading scorers: Kevin Ressler (21.1 ppg.), Matt Edwards (9.1 ppg.), Jacob Wilson (8.0, ppg.), Dathan Hylton (7.6 ppg.)
Notable: Brookville is coming off a 46-19 win over Perry in which they went on a 24-2 run … Jack Pete had 14 points, Clayton Cook 13, and Noah Peterson 11 for the Raiders … Bedford is coming off a 54-34 win over Chesnut Ridge in which Kevin Ressler scored 22 points and Jacob Wilson 12.
