Grit and Drive Push Clearfield Past Huntingdon

HYDE — The season is drawing closer, and closer, to a conclusion for the Clearfield Bison, at least when it comes to the regular season. Just two weeks left on the slate, and four total games, would tell the tale of what was next. However, no player was looking that far ahead. Every individual on the roster, and the coaching staff, was focused on the here and now, and the next opponent. Up next for the team was a second round against the Huntingdon Bearcats, as the Laurel Highlands games continue to be tough right up to the very end.

That was exactly what both teams wanted, and inside the Bison Gymnasium, both sides would grind, push, and duel for 32 minutes. At any point, both teams could have broken away, and it never happened. Grit and desire would be needed to win this, and Clearfield found that grit when it mattered, pulling off a 63-54 win that could have gone either way.

“These kids just battled. We won this game because of a lot of grit,” Bison head coach Nate Glunt said afterwards. “Huntingdon is well coached, very athletic, and they played hard. Give those kids a lot of credit for not quitting.”

Glunt was extremely accurate in the description, as the Bison got out to a quick 5-0 lead to start the game. But, immediately after, Huntingdon’s Kobe Carthen bucketed three straight shots. Another two immediately followed by Cole Lane, plus a jumper by Elliott Cavisler. The 12-0 run forced a timeout by Clearfield to reset. The break in the action worked, as they would immediately get back to work and pulled to within a possession at the end of the quarter.

All game long, that was how it would be. Neither team had a comfortable lead at any point, something that Glunt was quick to point out.

“They were outscoring us in the first quarter, and outrebounding us the entire first half,” he said. “We battled back hard in the second quarter. I don’t know how we even had a lead going into halftime because of how it went. I think at one point we got out front by 14 points, and immediately after they would hit a three, a three, and a foul shot.

“It was that kind of game.”

Clearfield’s 29-25 lead at the break was not safe, but the second half adjustments were clearly making strides. The entire squad was turning up the pressure, forcing tougher shots, but more importantly got to the glass and pulled down rebounds. Clearfield would have the final advantage on the boards, 34-26, but most of that came in the second half.

A pair of the star players got going as well, with Tanner Kaskan and Evett Maines contributing to the point total in the third. Clearfield won the quarter, 20-16, to increase the lead into the final eight minutes.

In the fourth, Clearfield was held to only two shots from the floor, those coming from Maines, who finished with a team-high 19 points. All players that stepped foot on the court would tally points. Braison Patrick added in 14 points, with Parker Collins gaining 11. What made a big difference was ball movement, and Huntingdon forced to put the Bison at the line. Early going, both from the floor and the line, baskets were hard to come by. Clearfield was only 13-for-27 in the first half, but was able to execute from the line. In the fourth, they hit the line 14 times, making nine of them.

By contrast, Huntingdon went only 3-for-8 at the stripe, and forced 14 fouls in the second half, 10 of which were in the fourth quarter.

Huntingdon did have the highest scorer on the night, as Carthen finished with a game-high 20 points. Cavisler paced close behind with 11 of his own, but the team struggled shooting in the second half, finishing only 12-for-34.

Clearfield also won the junior varsity contest, 46-36.

With only three games left in the regular season, and a 17-2 record, the Bison are well on their way to a playoff run, and a potential Laurel Highlands championship and District IX championship opportunity. Even so, Glunt is not focused on that, nor is he giving any inkling to his team to focus that far ahead.

“Right now, all we are worried about is Thursday, because we have to go right back to it,” he said. “We got P-O, on the road, in a tough place to play, especially when it’s a rivalry. That’s all we are focused on, and then we will focus on the next game after that.”

Clearfield’s game against the Mounties comes after they topped them earlier this season, 76-30, in the Bison Gym.

SCORE BY QUARTER

Huntingdon 14 11 16 13 – 54
Clearfield 11 18 20 14 – 63

Huntingdon – 54

Javion Morris 2 0-1 6, Kobe Carthen 9 1-2 20, Elliott Cavisler 5 1-1 11, Cole Lane 3 0-2 6, Caleb Rutter 1 1-2 3, Aaron Sullivan 1 0-0 3, Brayson Anders 2 0-0 5, Jonah Nance 0 0-0 0, Landen Humphrey 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 23 3-8 54.

Clearfield – 63

Parker Collins 3 3-4 11, Evett Maines 11 1-2 19, Elijah Glunt 1 4-6 7, Braison Patrick 3 7-10 14, Tanner Kaskan 2 1-4 5, Noah Rumfola 2 0-0 4, Easton Maines 1 1-1 3. TOTALS 23 17-27 63.

GAME STATISTICS
Huntingdon/Clearfield

• Shooting: 23-66/23-53
• Rebounds: 26/34
• Fouls: 23/14
• Turnovers: 13/11
• Three-Point Shots: Morris-2, Carthen, Sullivan, Anders/Collins-2, Ev. Maines-4, Glunt, Patrick

Clearfield Bison Basketball Scoreboard

DATE AND OPPONENT	SCORE	RECORD
12/2 HOLLIDAYSBURG	PPD.	0-0
12/4 HOLLIDAYSBURG	71-59	1-0
12/8 at Huntingdon	69-45	2-0
12/11 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA	76-30	3-0
12/15 at Penns Valley	61-45	4-0
12/17 at Somerset (6:15 p.m.)	71-39	5-0
12/19 CHESTNUT RIDGE	PPD.	5-0
12/22 BELLWOOD-ANTIS	64-60	6-0
12/29 at Curwensville (6 p.m.)	56-31	7-0
12/30 CHESTNUT RIDGE	87-40	8-0
1/5 at Bald Eagle Area	69-43	9-0
1/8 at West Branch	81-42	10-0
1/12 at Central	56-44	11-0
1/14 at Bellefonte	73-52	12-0
1/16 at Forest Hills	44-72	12-1
1/21 BISHOP GUILFOYLE	PPD.	12-1
1/22 BISHOP GUILFOYLE	53-48	13-1
1/23 TYRONE	82-65	14-1
1/26 at Brookville (7:15 p.m.)	PPD.	14-1
1/28 at Hollidaysburg	53-55	14-2
1/30 CENTRAL CAMBRIA	78-38	15-2
1/31 at Brookville	62-56	16-2
2/4 HUNTINGDON	63-54	17-2
2/5 at Philipsburg-Osceola
2/9 PENNS VALLEY
2/10 PUNXSUTAWNEY (7:15 p.m.)