Between June 26 and July 30, D9Sports.com Sports Editor Chris Rossetti will be counting down his Top 25 favorites stories in District 9 from the 2017-18 school year starting with No. 25 June 25 and finishing with No. 1 July 30. Again these are Chris’ favorite stories and are open for debate.
No. 10 North Clarion perfect in girls’ basketball through District 9; Advances to the second round of PIAA playoffs
After North Clarion won its first-ever District 9 girls’ basketball title in 2017 and advanced to the PIAA Class 1A quarterfinals, it was seen as hard to top coming into 2018 considering the She-Wolves had lost three starters from that team including point guard Michaela Higgins.
But North Clarion still had Tori Obenrader, perhaps the greatest girls’ basketball player to ever come out of Clarion County, and Abby Gatesman, who had a decent freshman season.
Add that to a string of supporting players – it seemed like it was a different one every night – and the She-Wolves accomplished a feat that is rather rare in District 9 history, winning a district title while going unbeaten through the District title game.
A 52-49 win over A-C Valley in the championship game left North Clarion at 26-0, they finished 27-1 after going 1-1 in the PIAA playoffs. That perfect mark meant the She-Wolves were just the second District 9 girls’ team in at least the last 22 years to finish a district title unbeaten and the first in Class 1A or 2A, the two hardest classes to win in D9. The other team to do it was the 2012 Bradford Lady Owls in Class 3A.
Chris Rossetti’s Top 25 Sports Stories in District 9 for the 2017-18 School Year
No. 25 – A-C Valley girls win first PIAA playoff basketball game in school history
No. 24 – Two District 9 girls finish in Top 10 at District 9 Cross Country Meet
No. 23 – Jack Krug bursts onto the scene, helps Brookville football return to the postseason
No. 22 – Brendan Zerfoss wins D9 Track MVP Award, two PIAA medals
No. 21 – Cranberry wins District 9 Class 2A softball title
No. 20 – Ridgway/Johnsonburg Co-op Flourishing
No. 19 – Coudersport shoots lights out in beating unbeaten Ridgway for boys’ 2A hoops title
No. 18 – Clarion stops Kane’s run of D9 football titles; Win PIAA Game
No. 17 – Beimel’s dash wins D9 4A baseball title for St. Marys 1st 2000
No. 16 – Led by 4×100-relay team, Brookville boys’ track & field goes back-to-back in D9
No. 15 – Brookville Wrestling Continues Dominance
No. 14 – Brookville girls’ basketball goes from 6-16 to District 9 3A title and second round of PIAA playoffs
No. 13 – Record-setting players in D9 girls’ basketball
No. 12 – Nick Stewart becomes District 9’s all-time leading rusher
No. 11 – Lingenfelter records every out by strikeout
No. 10 – North Clarion girls’ basketball perfect in D9
No. 9 – Coming July 18
No. 8 – Coming July 19
No. 7 – Coming July 20
No. 6 – Coming July 23
No. 5 – Coming July 24
No. 4 – Coming July 25
No. 3 – Coming July 26
No. 2 – Coming July 27
No. 1 – Coming July 30
