The four best Class A teams in District 9 this year, three of which reside in Elk County, embark on the first round of the PIAA Tournament tonight.
Ridgway, who few expected to make a big run, proved the doubters wrong in capturing its second District 9 title in three seasons Saturday.
They will draw a foe in the first round of states not too far from them in the Eisenhower Knights, who advanced after the team they lost to in the D-10 consolation game, Kennedy Catholic, had to forfeit for using an ineligible player.
Elk County Catholic, meanwhile, draws District 6’s third-place team, Homer Center, while perhaps the most anticipated matchup is Johnsonburg (9-3) facing off with Lincoln Park out of the Big East, or rather the WPIAL.
District 9’s fourth-place team, Clarion-Limestone, faces unbeaten D-6 champ Bishop Carroll, while D-9 Class AAA champ Punxsy battles Uniontown (D-7 No. 4).
RIDGWAY (20-6) vs. EISENHOWER (15-9)
Clarion University, Approx. 7:30 p.m.
Winner gets: Berlin-Brothersvalley or North Catholic
As mentioned, the Knights enter this game by virtue of the Kennedy Catholic forfeit.
Ridgway comes in as a heavy favorite after winning the district title over Elk County Catholic.
Ben MacDonald, known as a premiere defender, had a career-game against the Crusaders with 18 points.
Point guard Josh Roselli and forward Jeremy Breier have been the biggest offensive threats for the Elkers, who are known for their superior defense, which includes Dustin Cowan, Joe Horning and Josh Lineberger.
Eisenhower, meanwhile, relies on explosive senior guard Tre Frank (10.6 ppg.) to create offensive opportunities. Sophomore guard Casey Vincent (9.9 ppg.) also is a scoring threat for the Knights, with Carter Farrell, Jarrett Johnson and Chris Sanders rounding out the starting lineup.
The Knights have squared off against a pair of District 9 teams this season, beating Bradford 48-47 and losing to North Clarion, 63-50.
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC (23-4) vs. HOMER CENTER (22-3)
Clarion Univeristy, 6 p.m.
Winner gets: Cochranton or Vincentian Academy
The Crusaders come into the state playoffs, despite the loss to Ridgway, playing solid basketball.
They get a tough draw in the first round in the form of Homer Center, which is led by the senior tandem of Joe Capitosi and Darren Carr.
“They’re extremely athletic, very quick and well-coached,” Elk County Catholic coach Aaron Straub said, while noting how strong District 6 has been this season. “They play 32 minutes of pressure defense. We really have our hands full.”
Elk County Catholic, meanwhile, has had tremendous balance all season, led by 6-5 forward Cory Huff, their leading scorer, who posted a double-double in the title game loss to the Elkers.
Mitchell Struble, Elk County Catholic’s second-leading scorer, as well as Brandon Schlimm, Ivan Wortman and steady junior point guard Ian Herzing are capable of stretching the defense from three-point range, which has been a key to their success this season.
“Last week was an interesting week,” Straub said, referring to his team’s impressive win over Johnsonburg followed by a loss to Ridgway in the district championship game. “The kids were really disappointed. It’s much easier to have a good week of practice off a loss as opposed to a good game. I think we’ve had a good week of practice.”
JOHNSONBURG (23-4) vs. LINCOLN PARK (25-1)
North Hills High School, 7:30 p.m.
Winner gets: Bishop Guilfoyle or Forbes Road
Can they do it again?
Johnsonburg shocked the state last year, beating the Leopards 59-53 to advance to the state title game.
The two teams met back in December of this season, a 77-59 LP win that was a one-point game going into the fourth quarter.
Lincoln Park comes in on a roll after a record-setting 85-41 win over Monessen in the WPIAL title game.
“The kids are real excited about it,” Johnsonburg coach Bill Shuey said. “Playing them early in the year, it’s probably a blessing to have that game under our belts.”
By now, everyone knows the names associated with these teams.
It’s Lincoln Park, led by 6-6 Maverick Rowan (Pitt commit), 6-7 Ryan Skovranko and 6-9 Elijah Minnie, both Division 1 recruits, as well as guards Nelly Cummings and Antonio Kellem.
“From December until now they’ve gotten better, but I think we did, too,” Shuey said. “They’re obviously a very good team and they do a lot of things we haven’t seen since the last time we played them.”
Lincoln Park will have to deal with the dynamic guard duo of Cole Peterson and Cameron Grumley from Johnsonburg, who are both averaging over 20 points per game, as well as players like guards Chrisitan Cherry and Taylor Feronti and forwards Zane Hodgdon and Kevin Benson, who have gotten better as the season has gone along.
“We’re looking for a big game for Christian Cherry,” Shuey said. “Zane Hodgdon has come a long way — his game last Saturday (win over Clarion-Limestone), was probably one of his best. We’re also looking for consistent shooting and rebounding from Kevin Benson. Taylor Feronti has also come along and produced for us.”
The unfair playing field Lincoln Park is on is well-documented, recruiting like a Division I college program with no punishment from the WPIAL or PIAA.
That aside, Johnsonburg has proven on two occasions that they can play with and beat them, so expect this game to be just like the other two — fast and competitive.
“We’ve got to bring our A-plus game, that’s for sure,” noted Shuey. “Hopefully we can shoot well and stay close with them. If we stay close, who knows.”
