Ligonier Valley boys knock off top-seeded Richland to claim 1st District 6 title

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, March 2, 2018 | 10:16 PM

CRESSON — Playing in all those high-level football games apparently gave Jackson Daugherty a ticket to make his own calls on the basketball court.

The Ligonier Valley senior decided it was time.

He called a timeout on his own in the fourth quarter, strode to the bench and proceeded to lecture the team about the importance of staying tough in the District 6 Class 3A boys championship game on Friday night.

“I just said, ‘Who wants it more?' ” said Daugherty, a wide receiver on the school's football teams that won back-to-back District 6 Class 2A championships and advanced deep into the PIAA playoffs the past two seasons, reaching the semifinals in 2016.

His advice spread a calm over the huddle and lit a spark, and Ligonier Valley, after falling behind in the closing minutes for the only time, responded with a 58-54 victory over top-seeded Richland at Mt. Aloysius College, the school's first PIAA district title in the sport.

“It's a phenomenal feeling,” Ligonier Valley coach Todd Hepner said.

Ligonier Valley (21-4) advances to the PIAA first round against Lancaster Mennonite (17-9), the fourth-place team in District 3, at a site and time to be determined.

Ligonier Valley last played in the District 6 championship game in 1987, losing to Bishop Guilfoyle, and also lost to Bedford in the 1981 title game.

In their latest attempt, at least one thing was certain: A team known as the Rams were going to win.

After that, it was anyone's guess as to the actual outcome between the No. 1-seeded Richland Rams and the No. 2-seeded Ligonier Valley Rams.

The Rams from Ligonier Valley provided the answer by coming away with a thrilling victory.

Michael Marinchak scored 21 points and Marrek Paola added 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead Ligonier Valley, which seemingly was in control for much of the time until Richland made its fourth-quarter run.

“We got excited a little too early,” Marinchak said. “When they came back on us, our leader, Jackson Daugherty, put things into perspective. He told us, ‘You guys haven't won anything yet. Stop celebrating!'

“We took that to heart because he's been in so many big situations before on the football team. This is the same thing.”

Hepner was shaking his head at the thought of being upstaged by one of his players.

“It's the first time I've never said anything in the huddle,” Hepner said, forcing a smile. “Jackson used his leadership ability to settle us down. He just told the guys, ‘Look, I've been here.' He did a phenomenal job.”

Said Daugherty, a Cal (Pa.) recruit: “I just took things into my own hands. I had to. I'm used to being a leader. I did stuff like that a lot during football season. It just came natural, and I can't say enough about this team. I've got great teammates.”

For Marinchak, the team's excitable point guard, the feeling is mutual.

“This was maybe my best game, our best game as a team,” he said. “This team is a great bunch of guys. You can't ask for anything better than that.”

Though Ligonier Valley took control early and stayed in front almost exclusively, it wasn't a comfortable feeling more often than not.

Richland (21-4) rallied from a 10-point deficit early in the third quarter to take its only lead in the fourth on a 3-point shot by Tyler Zimmerman with 3 minutes, 5 seconds left.

The Cambria County Rams team tied it at 44-44 moments earlier on a basket by Trevy Hardison.

After Marinchak scored on a layup to pull Ligonier Valley within 47-46, Paola's three-point play with 2 minutes remaining put Ligonier Valley back in front 49-47, and the Rams team from Westmoreland County held on down the stretch behind accurate free-throw shooting.

Marinchak made 5 of 6 from the line in the final 32 seconds and finished 11 for 13.

“If you come to a practice and watch us shoot foul shots, it's not great sometimes,” Hepner said. “We told them those shots were very important. If we don't make those, we don't win.”

Ligonier Valley converted 20 of 23 to just 12 for 23 for Richland.

Ligonier Valley set a tone early, taking off to leads of 6-0 and 8-1 before settling into a comfort zone throughout the first half. LV held an 18-10 advantage after the first quarter and was ahead at halftime, 28-22.

The third quarter was more of the same, though Ligonier Valley played through foul trouble, enduring a rough patch in the fourth when it briefly lost the lead and responded to Daugherty's calling.

LV led Richland after three quarters, 40-32.

The 6-foot-6 Paola eventually was forced to the bench with four fouls in the fourth, shortly before teammate Aaron Tutino, another football star, fouled out.

But Paola returned and played cautiously, though his jump hook to start the three-point play that put Ligonier Valley back in front for good was his biggest shot.

Paola added four steals to his double-double, despite playing with the four fouls throughout much of the fourth quarter.

Zimmerman and Hardison scored 17 points apiece and Hardison grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Richland, with was playing in its second consecutive District 6 final.

Richland lost to Central Cambria a year ago but beat the Red Devils in the semifinals this year to reach the championship game again.

Ligonier Valley previously reached the PIAA playoffs in 2000, ‘03 and ‘04, losing all three times in the first round, before merging with Laurel Valley.

In 1942, when the school was known as the Ligonier Mounties, they won Section 13B and reached the WPIAL championship game, losing to Monaca.

Dave Mackall is a freelance writer.

Tags: Ligonier Valley