Craddock Helps Clarion Boys Beat Brockway

Chris Rossetti

Chris Rossetti

Published February 11, 2020 5:20 am
Image

Hunter Craddock ClarionCLARION, Pa. (D9Sports) — Hunter Craddock scored eight of his 14 points in a span of 2:45 in the second quarter, and Clarion used the 12-2 run that was created from those points to beat visiting Brockway, 54-41, Monday.

(Photo of Clarion’s Hunter Craddock)

“It was a key win for our playoff run,” Craddock said. “We are just trying to get every win we can. Now, we just have to go beat Karns City (Wednesday at Karns City).”

The victory is believed to have secured at least the No. 5 seed in the District 9 Class 2A playoffs for the Bobcats, who could move up to the fourth seed with a win over Karns City.

“It’s a big win,” Clarion head coach Scott Fox said. “They play in a tough conference (the AML) against Ridgway and Johnsonburg. So, it gives us a look at what some of those teams might do. They just played Ridgway in a nine-point game this weekend. It helps us better prepare for a northern tier team if we play one.”

On Monday, Clarion (13-8) led 17-14 following the second of two 3-pointers in the second quarter by Brockway’s Alec Freemer when Craddock took over.

Starting at the 4:27 mark of the second quarter, Craddock scored four baskets in short order also scoring at the 3:34 mark, the 3:11 mark and the 2:42 mark, the last off an offensive rebound, to put the Bobcats ahead 25-16.

“I collaborated on our team offense,” Craddock said. “I just put the ball in the bucket.”

The final bucket for Craddock during his great stretch, the one with the offensive rebound, might have been the one he was happiest about considering he said all he really cares about is how he rebounds.

“Coach Fox and Coach Louie (Clarion assistant coach Tom Lewis), they always Skylar (Rhoades) and I — and the whole team — in the mentality go after the boards, get the boards, boards first, crash the boards,” Craddock said.

Watch Craddock’s full postgame interview.

After Craddock’s personal run, Nick Frederick, who added 12 points and eight rebounds, then added four more points to the run to push the Bobcats’ lead to 29-16 late in the first half, and Clarion led 29-18 at halftime.

A lot of the Bobcats’ points came when they got out into transition.

“We know they’re not accustomed to running,” Fox said. “We were trying to get them out of the comfort zone by pressuring them and then trying to get out and break more.”

The advantage grew to 15 twice in the third quarter, the latest at 40-25 following another Craddock basket with 2:26 left in the quarter, before Brockway closed with 11, 44-33, going to the fourth quarter.

The Rovers (6-15) then got back-to-back baskets from Elijah Snell and Chad Bennett to open up the fourth quarter cutting Clarion’s lead to 44-37 with 6:51 to play.

But Josh Craig answered with a fastbreak bucket just five seconds later, and that started and 10-0 run for the Bobcats that put the game away.

Cal German scored a game-high 22 points for Clarion, including 10 of the Bobcats’ first 17 tallies.

Fremer and Jon Wood led Brockway with nine points each.

Brockway closes out the regular season with a game at C-L Wednesday.

Community Partner