SHIPPENVILLE, Pa. (D9Sports) — We are counting down the Top 10 high school sports moments from the 2016-17 KSAC season today we have the top two spots.
(Photo: Clarion baseball with its second-place PIAA Class 1A trophy. Photo by Christie Datko)
No. 2: North Clarion Girls’ Basketball Goes to Elite Eight
At the start of the season, expectations were high for the North Clarion girls’ basketball team after a fantastic 2015-16 season that saw the She-Wolves finish second in the KSAC and advance to the PIAA playoffs.
But there was also a feeling of a lot of unfinished business. Clarion had lost to Karns City in the KSAC title game in 2016 and then fell to Elk County Catholic in the District 9 Class 1A semifinals making both a KSAC and a District 9 title high on the list of goals in 2016-17.
Mission accomplished.
Led by superstar Tori Obenrader and a solid supporting class that included seniors Michaela Higgins and Cassie Wagner, North Clarion blew through the regular season winning its first 12 games before a mini-two-game losing streak to Moniteau and A-C Valley — the A-C Valley loss came on a controversial foul call in a tie game with no time on the clock. But the She-Wolves rebounded to win their next 14 games including twice paying back A-C Valley and also paying back Moniteau.
The win over Moniteau was a huge win, as freshman Abby Gatesman hit a shot with 7.3 seconds left to give North Clarion a 44-43 win in the KSAC title game, the first conference championship in girls’ basketball in school history.
The second win over A-C Valley was equally important, as North Clarion rallied past the Lady Falcons, 57-50, thanks to an 18-5 run after trailing by eight to advance to the District 9 Class 1A title game.
In the title game, Tori Obenrader scored 20 points and hauled down 17 rebounds to lead the She-Wolves to a 53-40 win and their first District 9 title.
Moving onto the PIAA playoffs, North Clarion made more history winning the first PIAA game in school history, 57-38, over Sewickley Academy thanks in large part to a 20-0 run to start the game.
A second-round showdown with Cornell proved to be no problem thanks to another great game from Obenrader (37 points, 19 rebounds) in a 68-58 win.
The dream ride came to an end in the PIAA quarterfinals when Bishop Carroll knocked off North Clarion, 58-49, but even that game showed the team’s character as they rallied from a 23-point deficit with 13 minutes to play to get within seven before running out of steam.
The team talked about its great ride after the season.
No. 1: Clarion Baseball Makes Improbable Run to PIAA Title Game
Someone believed in the 2017 Clarion baseball team — the Bobcats head coach Rob Jewett.
After the season, the seniors relieved that Jewett told them on the first day of practice he thought they had a shot to play for a state title.
He may have been the only one. As one of the senior recalled, he kind of looked at one of his teammates wondering what Jewett was smoking.
But it turns out Jewett had faith for a good reason.
These Bobcats could pitch and play defense.
Despite a team batting average of .259 — not all that great for a Major League team let alone a high school squad — Clarion went 21-4 on the year because it pitched the ball exceptional — team ERA of 1.14 — and it played solid defense — just 33 errors on the season and a team fielding percentage of .953.
Those attributes were on display no more so than in the PIAA semifinals against WPIAL runner-up Greensburg Central Catholic.
The Bobcats found themselves going up against Seton Hill recruit Neal McDermott, but it didn’t matter.
Reed Anthony, who was the D9Sports.com District 9 pitcher of the year after going 11-1 with a 0.40 ERA, matched McDermott zero-for-zero through six innings, and with the GCC ace out of the game in the seventh Clarion struck.
Well, first they got struck.
Senior Kyle Patterson told Jewett before his at-bat to lead off the bottom of the seventh that he hoped he was hit by a pitch, which amazingly he was.
Dominic Fleming then bunted him to second, and, following an intentional walk to Spencer Miller, Ryan Anthony moved the runners up 90 feet each with a groundout. That brought Reed Anthony to the plate, and Reed Anthony’s chopper to third couldn’t be fielded sending Clarion to Penn State and the state title game.
But the Bobcats would have never been in the position to win the game in the seventh if it wasn’t for some spectacular defense from center fielder Sterling Conner, who robbed GCC’s Jack Liberatore, who is headed to Ohio University to play baseball, from not only extra-bases in the sixth but also two RBIs. Liberatore drove a ball into the right-center field gap that looked destined to end Clarion’s season with two men on. But Conner raced over, dove, stretched out and came away with the game-saving catch.
Just being in the PIAA semifinals was a surprise considering Clarion lost the D9 title game in heartbreaking fashion, 4-1, in eight innings to Oswayo Valley. But a 4-3 win over Berlin Brothersvalley in the opening round of the PIAA tournament was followed by a 3-0 win over D9 rival Elk County Catholic and the 1-0 victory over GCC.
Meyersdale ended Clarion’s dream a game short with a 2-0 title-game win. But it is a season that will last forever, as the Bobcats became the first Clarion County baseball team to ever reach the PIAA title game and the first Clarion County ball team to reach a PIAA title game since Keystone football in 1989.
Clarion’s seniors talked about the season following its conclusion.
COUNTING DOWN THE TOP 10 STORIES IN JEFFERSON AND CLEARFIELD COUNTIES HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ACTION IN 2016-17
10(t). Redbank Valley wins D9 Class 2A volleyball title AND Moniteau softball wins fourth D9 Class 2A softball championship but is stunned in opening round of the PIAA playoffs
9. Karns City claims fourth straight District 9 basketball title
8. Clarion-Limestone Ends Long Football Playoff Drought
7. Zerfoss Fastest Boy in District 9
6. Karns City scores four in seventh to stun Chestnut Ridge in D5-8-9 Softball Title Game
5. Tori Obenrader has a School Year She Won’t Soon Forget
4. Clarion Football Forced to Large School Division After Season Starts
3. Larry Wiser wins 200th game as Clarion football coach
2. North Clarion girls’ basketball goes to Elite Eight
1. Clarion Baseball Makes Improbable Run to PIAA Title Game
Editor’s Note: While this brings and end to our series of Venango County Top 10 stories, we will be doing a District 9 Top 20 stories countdown starting soon.
