Basketball

Treon helps C-K put this one in the record books

By Michael Boytim

mboytim@altoonamirror.com

CLAYSBURG -- Building a program from the ground up is often a multiple-step process.

Mike Harris and the Claysburg-Kimmel boys basketball team took a huge one Wednesday night.

A season after losing a home playoff game, the Bulldogs took care of business on their home court in a 57-51 win over the defending District 6 Class 2A champions United to clinch not only a spot in the semifinals Saturday against top-seeded West Branch but also a spot in the upcoming PIAA playoffs.

"It's phenomenal. Last year, we were happy to be here and have a playoff game, and we got beat," Harris said. "Everybody was mad and worked hard in the offseason. This year, we were the fourth seed, and I told the guys it's different now. People have expectations, and (the players) have expectations. They went out there and played really well."

Claysburg-Kimmel got what has become regular outstanding contributions from sophomore Brayden Haney (a game-high 22 points) and senior Elias Ritchey (12 points, a 6-for-7 performance from the foul line and seven assists) but what may have put the Bulldogs over the top was a 15-point performance off the bench from Christian Treon.

"(When I score) it helps the team, and I have always been about a team effort and teamwork to help our team," Treon said. "I have been locking in all day for this game. I have been thinking about it all day, and it's nice to come out here, do my thing and get the job done at home."

Treon's three-point play with 1:52 left in the first quarter gave Claysburg-Kimmel its first lead, and his 3-pointer with 4:01 left in the third quarter reclaimed the lead and started a 12-1 run that gave the Bulldogs control of the game going into the fourth quarter.

"He has been practicing lights out the past couple days," Harris said. "I told our assistant coach he wasn't coming out. He's had unbelievable practices. He came in, caught the ball and hit a 3, and he's been doing things like that all week. He works hard all the time. He's the kind of guy that would shovel off the pavement in winter to get some shots in."

Haney's three-point play to start the fourth quarter put the Bulldogs ahead, 49-39, but United scored the next nine points. Haney made a layup to stop the run, but the Lions' Isaac Worthington drilled a 3-pointer with 2:53 remaining to tie the game at 51.

"We were down by 10, and one of our freshmen, Cole McGinnis, hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to get us going into the fourth quarter," United coach Matt Rodkey said. "Our kids battled back. I'm so proud of them for not quitting and never giving up."

Worthington finished with a team-high 21 points, but after his shot to tie the game, Claysburg held United scoreless.

Ritchey made two free throws with 2:12 to play, and Treon put the Bulldogs up two scores on a layup before Ritchey and Haney made one free throw each to set the final.

"It's been 40-plus years since anything like this has ever happened," Treon said. "So this is a good feeling."

Well, at least 50 years.

"Everybody said they don't know. It's been so long (since C-K won a playoff game) that no one knows," Harris said. "It's been at least longer than 40 years, and they say 15 wins is the most in school history (Mirror records show C-K went 15-10 in the 1973-74 season)."

Late in the game, Haney had an open look at a 3-pointer and started to shoot it before pulling it down and burning off more clock with Claysburg up five.

"That's the growth of Brayden from a sophomore at the beginning of the season to the veteran sophomore at the end of the season where he's more mature," Harris said. "He's directing people and figuring it out."

Harris said Haney isn't the only player who has grown throughout the season and pointed to the Bulldogs responding to United's late rally.

"Early in the season, we would have lost our composure," Harris said. "They have been really coming together as a team to not let that happen. We have good senior leadership in Elias Ritchey, Aidan Simpson and Anthony Napolitano that get the guys to calm down and take a deep breath."

Though they are both members of the Inter-County Conference, Claysburg-Kimmel and West Branch have not played this season.

"We have to score, and we have to somehow stop them," Harris said. "They are really good. They beat Southern Huntingdon by mercy rule tonight. It's going to be a good test for us, but Juniata Valley (which C-K defeated) beat them on the road, so we're excited about that, because that shows we at least have a chance."

UNITED (51): I. Worthington 7 1-4 21, D. Worthington 2 0-2 4, Darr 2 0-0 4, Payne 4 0-0 10, Felix 1 0-0 3, Stiffler 0 0-2 0, Burkett 1 0-0 3, McGinnis 1 0-0 3, Jelley 1 1-2 3, Kordish 0 0-0 0. Totals -- 19 2-10 51.

CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL (57): Haney 9 2-4 22, Ritchey 3 6-7 12, Napolitano 3 0-0 6, Simpson 0 0-0 0, Walter 0 2-2 2, Treon 6 1-1 15, Douglas 0 0-0 0. Totals -- 21 11-14 57.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

United 17 12 10 12 -- 51

Claysburg-Kimmel 14 13 19 11 -- 57

3-point goals: Claysburg-Kimmel 4 (Haney 2, Treon 2); United 11 (I. Worthington 6, Payne 2, Felix, Burkett, McGinnis).

Records: Claysburg-Kimmel (15-8); United (11-12).

Officials: Billy Pfeffer, Derrick Soellner, Craig Andros.