Thursday’s District 9 Boys’ Basketball Playoff Previews

There are three District 9 boys’ basketball playoff games Thursday night with two in the Class 2A quarterfinals and one in the Class 3A semifinals.

(Photo of Ridgway’s Matt Dush. Ridgway opens defense of its District 9 Class 2A title Thursday when it plays Smethport in the quarterfinals. Photo by Jared Bakaysa of JB Graphics. See more of Bakaysa’s work here)

D9Sports.com’s District 9/PIAA basketball playoff coverage Powered by Lezzer Lumber

CLASS 2A QUARTERFINALS

(5) Karns City vs. (4) Clarion

When and Where: 7 p.m. at Keystone High School
Records: Karns City 13-8; Clarion 14-8
Winner Plays: Keystone in the semifinals Tuesday
Karns City Leading Scorers: Chase Beighley (24.5 ppg), Nathan Waltman (11.4 ppg in 8 games), Ethan McElroy (10.7 ppg), Micah Rupp (8.2 ppg)
Clarion Leading Scorers: Cal German (21.6 ppg), Nick Frederick (10.6 ppg), Hunter Craddock (8.2 ppg), Skylar Rhoades (6.5 ppg)
Last District 9 Title: Karns CIty 2018 in Class 3A; Clarion 2003 in Class 1A
Notes: This is the third meeting this season between these KSAC South squads and the second in just over a week. Karns City won the first meeting, 70-55, Jan. 3 at Clarion as Beighley scored 21 points and Caiden Corbett added 16. German had 25 in the loss for Clarion. Last Wednesday, Feb. 12, with nothing to play for but which color jersey the teams would be wearing in this game, Clarion knocked off Karns City, 55-47, with German scoring 23 points and Frederick 14. McElroy had 15, Beighley 12 and Waltman 11 for Karns City … Beighley is District 9’s leading scorer while German is No. 3 in the district in scoring. Both players are over 1,000 career points as juniors … The Gremlins played a lot of the season without Waltman, their 6-foot-4 junior. He missed the eight games recovering from a football injury before returning in the game at Clarion Jan. 3. Then, after playing four games, the big man was hurt in practice and missed five more games. Since his return, Jan. 31, he is averaging 12.8 ppg … Karns City has struggled down the stretch going just 3-4 in their last seven games, while Clarion enters the postseason on a six-game win streak while winning 10 of 12 after a 4-6 start under first-year head coach Scott Fox … Karns City is the fifth-highest scoring team in D9 averaging 60.2 ppg, but the Gremlins rank 26th in scoring defense allowing 58.1 ppg. That is the most points per game allowed by a playoff team regardless of classification.

Karns City playoff information brought to you by: Lezzer Lumber • Tin Town Metal Works • State Representative Donna Oberlander (Paid for by Friends of Donna Oberlander)

Clarion playoff information brought to you by: Delta Contracting & Design/Ace Concrete & Excavating • Burford & Henry Real Estate Services • Tin Town Metal Works • State Representative Donna Oberlander (Paid for by Friends of Donna Oberlander)

(6) Smethport vs. (3) Ridgway

When and Where: 7:30 p.m. at Kane High School
Record: Smethport 13-9; Ridgway 16-7
Winner Plays: Coudersport in the semifinals Tuesday
Smethport Leading Scorers: Layne Shall (10.5 ppg), Noah Lent (8.4 ppg), Richie McDowell (7.1 ppg), Connor Alfieri (6.7 ppg) Hunter Heasley (5.6 ppg)
Ridgway Leading Scorers: Matt Dush (14.3 ppg), Zack Zameroski (12.9 ppg), Dan Park (7.8 ppg), Dominic Allegretto (5.1 ppg)
Last District 9 Title: Smethport 2012 in Class 2A; Ridgway 2019 in Class 2A
Notes: Ridgway is the defending District 9 champion having beaten Coudersport in the title game last year after losing to the Falcons in the 2018 title game … This is the second meeting this season between these teams with Ridgway winning the first in Smethport, 50-33, Feb. 10. In that game, Dush scored 17 points to lead the Elkers while Shall had eight to pace Smethport … Ridgway remains one of the top defensive teams in D9 and is second in the district in points allowed at 37.5 ppg … Smethport’s plus one scoring margin is the lowest among the Class 2A playoff teams … Ridgway enters the game having won 8 of 10 while Smethport has won 9 of its past 12 although two of those losses have come in the last three games.

Smethport playoff information brought to you by: Team Minard • Potter County Family Campground • Close’s Lumber Company

CLASS 3A SEMIFINALS

(3) Moniteau vs. (2) Kane

When and Where: 7:30 p.m. at Brookville High School
Records: Moniteau 12-10; Kane 14-8
Winner Plays: Brookville in the championship game Tuesday at Clarion University
Moniteau Leading Scorers: Ethan McDeavitt (14.8 ppg), Quinton Scriven (9.2 ppg), Gage Neal (9.0 ppg), Kyle Pry (7.6 ppg)
Kane Leading Scorers: Chad Greville (18.1 ppg), Mason Zuzek (8.2 ppg), Carson Whiteman (8.0 ppg), Zuke Smith (7.9 ppg)
Last District 9 Title: Moniteau never (0-5 in title game); Kane 2016 in Class 2A
Notes: Moniteau lost in last year’s D9 3A title game to Brookville … Kane has played two teams from the KSAC, both on the road, beating Clarion by two and Cranberry by 10 … Moniteau has a 10-point win and a 15-point win over Cranberry while beating Clarion by three at home and losing to the Bobcats by two on the road … Moniteau broke a three-game skid with a win over Redbank Valley in its final regular-season game, but the Warriors are just 8-10 after starting the season 4-0 … Kane is 10-4 in its last 14 games after starting the season 4-4. All four of those losses have come to playoff teams.

Moniteau playoff information brought to you by: Lezzer Lumber

Kane playoff information brought to you by: Team Minard

Full coverage of District 9 teams in the basketball postseason can be found here.