The Clearfield Bisons will look to extend their remarkable season Tuesday night when they take on the Bradford Owls in the first round of the District 9 AAA tournament at 7 o’clock in Arthur J. Weiss Gymnasium. The Owls and Bisons have already squared off twice this season, with Bradford playing the Bisons closer than most teams have been able to all season.
In game one between the two squads the Bisons traveled to Bradford and appeared to be sluggish due to the trip. The Bisons actually trailed numerous times during the game and were able to erase a six point deficit with only a minute remaining to send the game into overtime. Things were back and forth in the first overtime with the game still being tied at the end of the first extra period. The Bisons were able to eventually pull away in the second overtime and come away with a 68-62 victory.
In the Bison\’s second meeting with their league foe the Bisons jumped out to a quick seven point lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Bradford kept it close most of the game by only trailing by three at the half, but Clearfield was able to hold off the Owls\’ furious comebacks. Jarrin Campman and Matt Shiner paved the way for the Bisons in the meeting with 15 and 10 points respectively, while Ryan Mackey and Pug Fuhrman paced the Owls with 12 and 10 points.
Clearfield and Bradford have a long playoff history with each other as this will be the fourth time in five years that the two teams will square off. In 2005 the Bisons perhaps pulled off the biggest upset in District 9AAA playoff history when they knocked off the number 1 seeded Owls and kept them from reaching the championship game for a fourth straight year.
The Bisons will look to make sure that they aren’t the ones who fall victim of a monstrous upset, because with a win the Bisons will be guaranteed a second straight trip to the PIAA State Playoffs. The winner of Tuesday\’s match up will travel to Clarion University on Saturday to take on the winner of the St.Marys vs. Punxsutawney game for the District Championship.
Tip off for Tuesday’s game is scheduled for 7 o’clock with a short ceremony prior to the game to honor the 1998-1999 Clearfield Bisons squad which holds the school record for wins in a season with 24, a mark this years squad is aiming for.
