But the scrappy Scarlet Dragons never quit and scored the next 10 points, the final three coming on a Jesse Muthler 3-pointer with just 1:38 to play.

Alas it was Huntingdon senior Elliott Guisler who had the final counter-punch when he stole the ball and laid it in with 42 seconds left to put the Bearcats ahead. He later added a free throw to set the final score of 48-46, avenging a loss for Huntingdon to Central in last year’s title game.

“We made some big-time plays at the end,” Central coach Paul Frederick said. “The guys kept scrapping on defense and forcing turnovers. We just came up a little short, but I’m proud of the kids the way they fought back. There were so many times where we got it to two points, and then they built it back to five or seven, but we kept fighting.”

Following Muthler’s 3-pointer, Central got a defensive stop and tried holding the ball until Huntingdon fouled someone. Frederick used two timeouts, but eventually Guisler knocked the ball loose, collected it and finished a wide open layup.

02/23/26 Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Central's Bentley Dickson puts up a shot over Huntingdon's Aaron Sullivan.

“I saw the ball and attacked it,” Guisler said. “I got it, and it was an easy layup. It was the best feeling ever. I knew once I got that, we were good.”

Guisler finished with 20 points, tying Carthen for a game-high total.

“Elliott has been starting for us since he was a freshman,” Huntingdon coach Jordan Fortson said. “Him coming up and making that play at the end — I couldn’t be happier to see it. During our timeout at the end, we talked about defensive strategy after they took the lead. The kids never wavered. The kids never quit, executed what we wanted to do and Elliott used his instincts and got that steal. It was big.”

Central made just one field goal in the first quarter, a Christian Heuston 3-pointer, and shot 10 percent from the field.

“We had a lot of self-inflicted wounds, especially in the first half,” Frederick said. “That didn’t help, but I want to credit them. They played a good game and made a lot of big plays, especially in the third quarter. It was a good high school basketball game.”

Huntingdon’s largest lead was nine — just before Central’s 10-0 run that began with a Heuston basket before eight straight points by Muthler, who finished with 12 points. Heuston led the Scarlet Dragons with 15 points in his final high school game.

“This has been a great group of seniors,” Frederick said. “I’m proud of them, and they have come a long way. Their basketball ability has come a long way. Their leadership has come a long way, and they have done a great job. We lost a lot of talent and leadership last year, but these seniors kept the program going in the right direction.”

Fellow senior Dylan Hoover nearly tied the game with 2.2 seconds left. He drove from the corner, and his layup rested on the rim for a second before falling out.

“It just held on the rim,” Frederick said. “It just rolled the other way. We were trying to get up the court as fast as we could. Huntingdon did a good job stopping us, but by the time we got it up, he was wide open in the corner. I figured I couldn’t draw up a better play (if he called a timeout) than him attacking the basket. He attacked, and it just didn’t quite go in, but it was a good effort to try and tie the game.”

Huntingdon will take on the fourth-place finisher from the WPIAL on Friday, March 6.

“We have grown so much from last year,” Guisler said. “We just wanted it so much more this year. This is amazing after going 0-for-2 in district championships.”

Central won the regular season game when Hoover made two free throws with 5.5. seconds left.

“We have evolved and learned,” Fortson said. “We play in a tough conference where every game you are being tested. You have no choice but to get better. It’s a long season. They come into practice and work hard, and I’m glad to see it pay off for them. These guys love playing together. They are a family. We knew Central was going to play all 32 minutes and not go away, but when times got tough, my guys dug deep. Instead of falling apart, they came together and got it done at the end.”

HUNTINGDON (48): Morris 0 0-2 0, Carthen 8 3-4 20, Guisler 9 1-4 20, Lane 1 0-0 2, Anders 1 0-0 3, Sullivan 0 0-0 0, Zauzig 1 0-0 3. Totals — 20 4-10 48.

CENTRAL (46): Muthler 3 4-5 12, Heuston 6 2-2 15, Hoover 3 0-2 8, Beltz 1 0-1 2, Dickson 4 0-2 9, Rhodes 0 0-0 0, Scott 0 0-0 0, Reynolds 0 0-0 0. Totals — 17 6-12 46.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Huntingdon 9 13 18 8 — 48

Central 3 16 14 13 — 46

3-point goals: Huntingdon 4 (Carthen, Guisler, Anders, Zauzig); Central 6 (Hoover 2, Muthler 2, Heuston, Dickson).

Records: Huntingdon (15-9); Central (15-9).

Officials: Jim Racchini, Chuck Glasser, Chad Walsh.