ST. MARYS, Pa. – Ryan Kilhoffer’s layup with 5.5 seconds left capped off one of the most incredible comebacks in District 9 playoff history, as Johnsonburg rallied from 15 points down in the fourth quarter to stun Otto-Eldred, 51-50, in the D9 Class 1A boys’ semifinals at St. Marys High School.
Watch Kilhoffer’s game-winning shot.
(Cover Photo by Paul Burdick. Check out more of Burdick’s work here)
For more District 9 recaps from Tuesday, click here
Johnsonburg (12-12), the seventh seed, trailed third-seeded Otto-Eldred (14-10) 47-32 going to the fourth quarter but started the quarter on a 15-0 run to tie the game at 47.
Otto retook the lead, 49-47, on a basket by Bosco Ramiro Alonzo before Kilhoffer tied it at 49. Alonzo then put the Terrors back up a point, 50-49, when he hit one of two free throws.
But the Rams were able to work the ball inside to Kilhoffer who laid it in and was fouled. He missed the free throw, but Otto wasn’t able to capitalize at the other end.
Until the fourth quarter, it was all Terrors.
Otto-Eldred led 19-8 after a quarter and built the lead to 34-20 at halftime before getting it to as many as 16 in the third quarter and 15 at the end of the quarter after a 3-pointer by Trey Dalton that beat the horn.
But in the fourth, things went south for the Terrors and north for the Rams.
Kilhoffer netted six points, Drew Akers nailed a key 3-pointer and Kacey Raubenstrauch chipped in four tallies to fuel the Johnsonburg comeback.
Meanwhile, nothing went right for Otto with the Terrors making only one basket in the fourth quarter and going 1-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Kilhoffer led all scorers with 16 points with freshman Austin Green chipping in 10 points and Akers adding seven for Johnsonburg.
Seth Drummond paced Otto-Eldred with 13 points, all in the first half. Dalton added 11.
Johnsonburg will take on Elk County Catholic in the District 9 title game Saturday at Clarion University’s Tippin Gym at a time to be determined.
Otto-Eldred faces North Clarion in the consolation game to decide the third- and fourth-place finishers. That game is at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Kane High School.
All four teams have qualified for the PIAA playoffs.
JOHNSONBURG 51, OTTO-ELDRED 50
Score by Quarters
Johnsonburg 8 12 12 19 – 51
Otto-Eldred 19 15 13 3 – 50
JOHNSONBURG – 51
Ryan Kilhoffer 8 0-1 16, Jake Sheldon 1 0-0 2, Isaac Schloder 2 0-0 4, Kacey Raubenstrauch 3 0-0 6, Trevor Lobaugh 0 0-0 0, Drew Akers 3 1-2 9, Tyler Singer 2 0-0 4, Nick Bliss 0 0-0 0, Austin Green 3 2-2 10. Totals 22 4-5 51.
OTTO-ELDRED – 50
Sawyer Drummond 3 2-2 8, Dylan Close 2 2-5 7, Damen Palmer 1 0-3 2, Bosco Ramiro Alonzo 2 4-7 9, Jordan Sherwood 0 0-0 0, Seth Drummond 5 1-1 13, Trey Dalton 4 0-0 11, Nick York 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 9-18 50.
Three-pointers: Johnsonburg 3 (Green 2, Akers). Otto-Eldred 7 (Dalton 3, Seth Drummond 2, Close, Ramiro).
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 58, NORTH CLARION 29
CLARION, Pa. – Leading by just two going to the second quarter, Elk County Catholic used a 17-2 run to start the quarter to open up a 17-point lead on its way to a 58-29 win over North Clarion in the District 9 Class 1A boys’ basketball semifinals at Clarion University’s Tippin Gym.
After racing out to a 7-0 lead, top-seeded ECC (25-0) found itself up only two, 11-9, against fourth-seeded and upset-minded North Clarion (14-10) going to the second quarter.
But a pair of 3-pointers from Gabe Kraus, five straight points from Dan Stauffer and four from Nate DaCanal helped the Crusaders open up a 28-11 lead following Kraus’ second triple of the quarter with 2:48 to play in the half.
ECC lead was still 14, 30-16, at halftime, and an 8-2 run in the third quarter with all eight points coming from Ryan Newton helped the Crusaders get the advantage to 19, 41-22, after three.
DaCanal paced ECC with a game-high 20 points to go with 12 rebounds, while Krause added 14 points and Newton nine.
DaCanal talked about the game.
Nathan Banner paced North Clarion with nine points.
ECC, looking for its second consecutive D9 title, plays Elk County rival Johnsonburg in Saturday’s title game at Tippin Gym, while North Clarion faces Otto-Eldred at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Kane High School in the consolation contest. All four teams have qualified for the PIAA playoffs.
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 58, NORTH CLARION 29
Score by Quarters
North Clarion 8 7 6 7 – 29
Elk Co. Cath. 11 19 11 17 – 58
NORTH CLARION – 29
Nathan Banner 3 2-8 9, Chase Schmader 2 0-0 5, Zander Hargenrader 2 0-0 5, Keeven Weaver 1 0-0 2, Sam Minich 1 0-0 2, Logan Minich 1 0-0 2, Noah Meyers 1 0-0 2, Jesse Schmader 0 0-0 0, Kyle Mills 1 0-0 2, Tyler McCord-Wolber 0 0-0 0, Matson Higgins 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 2-8 29.
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC – 58
Ryan Newton 4 1-2 9, Dan Stauffer 3 0-1 7, Brad Dippold 1 0-0 2, Gabe Kraus 5 1-4 14, Nate DaCanal 10 0-0 20, Logan Hoffman 2 0-0 4, Jared Braun 0 0-0 0, Frank Singer 0 0-0 0, Alex Breindel 0 0-0 0, Erick Mader 1 0-0 2, Joe Aiello 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 2-7 58.
Three-pointers: North Clarion 3 (Banner, Schmader, Hargenrader). ECC 4 (Kraus 3, Stauffer).
