Six postseason games involving District 9 teams, including two where the winner moves into the PIAA playoffs and the loser’s season is over, are on tap for Tuesday, Feb. 26.
(Photo of Coudersport’s Shae Black. Photo by Paul Burdick. Check out more of Burdick’s work here)
DISTRICT 9 CLASS 1A GIRLS’ SEMIFINALS
(3) NORTH CLARION VS. (2) COUDERSPORT
When and Where: 6 p.m. at St. Marys High School
Winner Gets: Johnsonburg in the District 9 championship game Thursday, Feb. 28
Records: North Clarion 17-6; Coudersport 18-4
How They Got Here: North Clarion beat ECC, 54-48, in the quarterfinals; Coudersport beat Northern Potter 49-21 in the quarterfinals.
North Clarion Leading Scorers: Abby Gatesman (14.0 ppg), Mackenzie Bauer (10.4 ppg), Haley Sherman (7.2 ppg), Gabby Schmader (7.1 ppg)
Coudersport Leading Scorers: Shae Black (14.0 ppg), Sarah Chambers (13.5 ppg), Roselyn Page (8.8 ppg)
Last District 9 Title: North Clarion 2018 in Class 1A; Coudersport 2018 in Class 2A
Notes: This is a matchup of a pair of teams who have won back-to-back District 9 titles. North Clarion won two in a row in Class 1A beating Otto-Eldred, 53-40, in 2017 and A-C Valley, 52-49, in 2018. Coudersport won back-to-back titles in Class 2A before moving down to 1A this year. The Lady Falcons beat Kane both years including 47-38 in 2017 and 63-45 in 2018 … North Clarion has never won a D9 title until 2017 and had only played in one championship game in its history before that title. Coudersport is no stranger to championship games with the Lady Falcons having been to 19 in their history with 15 titles … North Clarion is trying to become the first three-time champion in Class 1A since Union won three in a row from 2005-07. Clarion was the last Class 1A team to make three title games in a row winning in 2013 and 2014 but losing in 2015 … Both teams have qualified for the PIAA playoffs … The loser of this game will play in the D9 consolation game against Otto-Eldred at a date, time and location to be announced … After an 0-3 start, Coudersport has gone 18-1 with the lone loss to Bradford.
DISTRICT 9 GIRLS’ CLASS 2A SEMIFINALS
(4) CLARION VS. (1) KANE
When and Where: 7:30 p.m. at Brookville High School
Winner Gets: Winner of A-C Valley/Keystone game in title game Thursday, Feb. 28.
Records: Clarion 16-7; Kane 21-3
How They Got Here: Clarion beat Cranberry, 48-33, in the quarterfinals. Kane had a bye into the semifinals and this is the Lady Wolves first D9 playoff game.
Clarion Leading Scorers: Kait Constantino (12.9 ppg), KK Girvan (10.4 ppg), Wendy Beveridge (8.8 ppg)
Kane’s Leading Scorers: Ella Marconi (23.2 ppg), Hannah Buhl (8.8 ppg), Emily Bucheit (8.5 ppg)
Last District 9 Title: Clarion 2014 in Class 1A; Kane Never (Lady Wolves have been to seven title games but have never won a D9 championship).
Notes: This is the second meeting of the season between these teams with Kane taking home a 51-42 victory in the opening round of the Kane Christmas Tournament Dec. 27 … Clarion enters the game having won 10 of 11 and 11 of 13 with the only losses to A-C Valley and North Clarion, both semifinal teams … Kane has won 16 in a row since a 54-46 loss to North Clarion in its Christmas Tournament title game. That includes two wins in the AML Playoffs … The Lady Wolves haven’t played since Feb. 16 when they beat Johnsonburg, 50-39, in the AML Title Game … Kane is looking for its third straight trip to the D9 2A title game. The Lady Wolves finished second to Coudersport in each of the last two years … Clarion is looking for its first title-game appearance since losing to Venango Catholic in 2015, which was the Lady Cats third straight appearance in the championship game in Class 1A … The loser of this game still has a shot at making the PIAA playoffs, as District 9 gets three teams to the PIAA bracket. The loser will play the loser of the Keystone/A-C Valley game in the consolation game to determine the third PIAA spot.
(6) KEYSTONE VS. (2) A-C VALLEY
When and Where: 8 p.m. at Union High School.
Winner Gets: Winner of Clarion/Kane game
Records: Keystone 11-11; A-C Valley 19-3
How They Got Here: Keystone pulled a mild upset of No. 3-seeded Port Allegany, 36-26, in the quarterfinals, while A-C Valley had a bye into the semifinals and will be playing its first D9 postseason game.
Keystone Leading Scorers: Emily Lauer (12.4 ppg), McKenzie Hovis (12.4 ppg),
A-C Valley Leading Scorers: Cami McNany (13.0 ppg), Olivia Boocks (13.0 ppg), Kylee Eaton (11.8 ppg)
Last District 9 Title: Keystone 2016 in Class 1A; A-C Valley Never (The Lady Falcons had never reached the title game until last year, when they lost to North Clarion, 52-49, in Class 1A)
Notes: The game was originally set for 7:30 p.m. at Moniteau but was moved to Union because of a power outage at Moniteau High School … This is the third meeting of the year between these KSAC South rivals and neighbors. The first two were also A-C Valley with the Lady Falcons winning by scores of 57-27 and 65-37 … Keystone has been in playoff mode since early February with the Lady Panthers needing to win their final three games to even qualify via school policy giving them four wins in a row … A-C Valley, which won its first KSAC Championship Feb. 15 over North Clarion – the last time the Lady Falcons were on the court – has won 11 in a row entering play Tuesday.
DISTRICT 5-9 GIRLS’ SUBREGIONAL
(9-1) BROOKVILLE VS. (5-1) CHESTNUT RIDGE
When and Where: 6 p.m. at Clearfield High School
Winner Gets: Moves into the PIAA Playoffs against the third-place team out of District 6 which will be either Central Cambria or Tyrone
Records: Brookville 18-5; Chestnut Ridge 3-18
How They Got Here: Brookville beat Moniteau, 54-40, to win its second straight D9 3A title; Chestnut Ridge is the lone D5 3A team.
Brookville Leading Scorers: Morgan Johnson (13.3 ppg), Marcy Schindler (12.5 ppg), Madison Johnson (8.1 ppg)
Chestnut Ridge Leading Scorers: Madelyn Hyde (13.7 ppg), Lydia Mock (9.0 ppg)
Notes: Last year, Brookville didn’t have to play a subregional game to qualify for the PIAA playoffs. The Lady Raiders went 1-1 in the PIAA postseason in 2018 … Brookville is 13-2 since Jan. 4 … While it’s been a tough season for Chestnut Ridge, the Lady Lions do own a win over Bishop Guilfoyle, 52-51 … The loser’s season is over.
DISTRICT 9 CLASS 1A BOYS’ SEMIFINALS
(5) JOHNSONBURG VS. (1) ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC
When and Where: 7:30 p.m. at St. Marys High School
Winner Gets: Winner of Clarion-Limestone/North Clarion game
Records: Johnsonburg 16-8; ECC 24-1
How They Got Here: Johnsonburg beat Cameron County, 42-37, in the quarterfinals, while ECC beat Austin 61-38
Johnsonburg Leading Scorers: Austin Green (18.3 ppg), Isaac Schloder (9.8 ppg)
ECC Leading Scorers: Regis Worthman (12.7 ppg), Alex Breindel (12.7 ppg), Alec Wehler (7.7 ppg)
Last District 9 Title: Johnsonburg 2018 in Class 1A; ECC 2017 in Class 1A
Notes: This is the third straight year these teams have met in the D9 1A playoffs with the last two meetings coming in the title game. Johnsonburg stunned ECC for the title last year, 36-30, after ECC won, 62-44, in 2017 … This is the third meeting of the season between these teams. The Crusaders won handily their season opener, 68-42, Dec. 11, but the second game, Jan. 25, was a different story with ECC escaping Johnsonburg with a 36-34 win … ECC is looking for its unprecedented 33rd trip to a District 9 title game and its fourth in a row. The Crusaders have won 23 D9 titles, all since 1974 … Johnsonburg is looking for its 16th trip to the D9 title game and has won four titles … ECC’s bid at perfection came to an end at the hand of Ridgway in the AML Title game … Five of Johnsonburg’s six losses came to teams still playing … Both teams have qualified for the PIAA playoffs. The loser will play the loser of the C-L/North Clarion game in the consolation game to decide the No. 3 and No. 4 teams from D9 in the PIAA playoffs.
DISTRICT 9 CLASS 2A CONSOLATION GAME
(4) KARNS CITY VS. (3) KEYSTONE
When and Where: 5:45 p.m. at Union High School
Winner Gets: District 10 runner-up in PIAA playoffs. That will come from one of four teams – Wilmington, Lakeview, Farrell or West Middlesex.
Records: Karns City 16-8; Keystone 17-7
How They Got Here: Karns City beat Redbank Valley, 69-57, in quarterfinals before losing to Coudersport, 83-67, in the semifinals; Keystone beat Smethport, 48-45, in the quarterfinals before losing to Ridgway, 42-38, in the semifinals.
Karns City Leading Scorers: Nathan Waltman (14.4 ppg), Chase Beighley (14.3 ppg), Austin Fahlor (12.9 ppg).
Keystone Leading Scorers: Troy Johnson (11.5 ppg), Isaak Jones (9.4 ppg), Dawson Steele (9.1 ppg), Andrew Lauer (7.9 ppg)
Notes: This game was originally scheduled for 6 p.m. at Moniteau but was moved because of a power outage at Moniteau High School … This is the third meeting between these teams with the squads splitting with Karns City winning, 54-45, Dec. 14 and Keystone taking home a 59-50 victory Jan. 29.
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