By Ed Farrell
Herald Assistant Sports Editor
ERIE — Cassie Fill had a feeling, so she went with it. And that, in part, keyed Kennedy Catholic High girls basketball team to another District 10 title.
Fill fired in a 3-point field goal from the deep corner of Gannon University’s Hammermill Center with 16.7 seconds remaining in regulation Saturday afternoon, and the Lady Golden Eagles eventually edged Eisenhower 36-34 in triple-overtime.
Fill finished the regular season with 190 points and has added 12- and 13-point playoff games. But until Saturday she had not heaved a 3-point attempt, much less connected for one.
“I don’t think I’ve ever shot a ‘three’ in a game, but I’ve been working on them, just in case. So I guess ... I don’t know ... when the ball got passed to me (by Marina Wareham), why not try it? It went in. ... I just kind’ve saw the opportunity, and I took it,” the shy senior said, relating she was not one of the primary options on the play.
“I got the ball and I don’t know what possessed me to shoot it, but I just shot the ball and it went it. So I was lucky, I guess,” Fill related.
“Cassie Fill has been our workhorse all year long,” praised 2nd-year Kennedy coach Tom Burns. “She’s been that third-leading or second-leading high scorer every game, but she finally had her day. She hit a big three there. I don’t remember her hitting a three all year long,” Burns admitted, “but I can tell you right now, she was popping them in practice out on the arc, and I was like, ‘Man, we need to get Cassie Fill the ball.’ And sure enough, when we needed it most, she dropped one.” Tied at 29 at the end of regulation, the teams traded turnovers and times-out during the ensuing, extra 12 minutes.
Kennedy’s Marissa Carry connected for a triple with 2:44 remaining in the initial 4-minute session, but Eisenhower’s Stefanie Santo scored a putback with 10.4 ticks to play. Then in attempting to follow up a teammate’s miss at the buzzer, she was fouled by Fill and converted the back end of a 2-shot situation, drawing Eisenhower even at 32.
The 2nd OT ended in a scoreless stalemate. But approximately a minute into the 3rd overtime period Fill fired in a set shot from the wing and Caitlin Lenhart later added what proved to be the decisive digits with her 6th and 7th freebies of the game with 51 ticks to play. Lenhart lent flawless 7-for-7 free-throw shooting which was crucial to Kennedy, as Eisenhower ended 6 for 12.
Eisenhower’s Emma West’s left-wing shot eased Eisenhower within 36-34 with approximately 35 seconds left. With Kennedy clinging to that lead the Lady Golden Eagles committed their 21st miscue with 25.9 seconds, and Eisenhower head coach Dave Allenson summoned a timeout. But in the waning seconds West’s potential game-winning shot went awry and the long loose ball was recovered by Wareham at the buzzer, clinching Kennedy’s 16th D-10 Class A crown.
“It feels awesome!” Fill admitted. “I’ve been wanting District 10 since freshman year. ... The girls worked really hard. All the seniors really wanted it, and all the underclassmen really helped out getting us ready, and everyone was prepared, so we’re excited to win.”
“Last year, I just wasn’t prepared, I wasn’t as prepared as I was this year,” Burns recalled regarding his initial season at Kennedy’s helm when Eisenhower edged KC 41-31 in the semifinals. “But I took the time, we watched films together, team and coaches. ... This year, we came up here and executed.
“This is absolutely wonderful!” Burns continued. “For (school super intendent) Pete Iacino and Kennedy Catholic, I’m glad to give them what they’re used to seeing.”
Notes: Kennedy (18-5) connected on 13 of 36 (36.2 percent) floor shots, while Eisenhower ended 13 for 53 (24.5). ... With Fill, Lenhart and Wareham evenly dividing 21 rebounds, KC claimed a 34-27 edge on the glass. ... The Lady Knights (14-11) were led by Santo’s 10 tallies and game-high 9 caroms and West’s 11 points. ... Eisenhower ended with only 12 turnovers. ... KC’s Brittany Charsar and Eisenhower’s Meghan Stanton both dished out 6 assists. ... It was incorrectly reported in The Herald earlier this week that KC girls cagers did not win a playoff game during the ’06-07 season under former head coach Gloria Pacsi. In fact, KC claimed a 49-25 opening-round win over Cochranton, but bowed to Farrell 72-35 in the semifinals to finish 12-14.
———
DISTRICT 10
CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP
EISENHOWER 10 2 11 6 3 0 2 34
KENNEDY 10 7 6 6 3 0 4 36
EISENHOWER — Sanders 0-0-0-0, Lundmark 1-0-0-3, Santo 4-2-5-10, Hollabaugh 1-0-1-3, Stanton 1-0-1-3, Sherry 2-3-4-7, West 5-1-2-11. 3-pt. goals: Lundmark 1, Stanton 1. Totals: 13-6-12-34.
KENNEDY CATHOLIC — Wareham 4-0-0-9, Carry 2-0-0-5, Lenhart 1-7-7-9, Fill 6-0-0-13, Charsar 0-0-0-0, Hawley 0-0-0-0. 3-pt. goals: Wareham 1, Fill 1, Carry 1. Totals: 13-7-7-36.
Sports
Related Photos
KC girls edge Ike in 3OT for D-10 Class A crown
- Sports
-
-
WM baseball, Sharpsville and Wilmington softball playing for D-10 titles
Sharpsville and Wilmington softball teams and the West Middlesex baseball squad return to the diamond today to compete for District 10 championships.
SOFTBALL
Class A Championship
Coach Bob Zikovich's Sharpsville Blue Darlings (15-2) battle a tough Saegertown (18-2) squad at 2 p.m. today at Penn State-Behrend in Erie. -
PIAA Track Notebook: KC's Wareham made round trips to "The Ship"
The most impressive race during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships did not take place at Shippensburg University, nor will you read its results in any newspaper on or any web site.
To be sure, it was a race against time, but not in the sense of being defined by a coach’s hand-held device, nor Seth Grove Stadium’s scoreboard clock. -
Hickory girls grab PIAA Class AA Track team title
SHIPPENSBURG — This news bulletin just in: Mercer County athletes dominated during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships.
Nothing new there, you say? Well, perhaps you’re correct, considering how well the area aggregation annually accounts itself on Memorial Day Weekend at Shippensburg University. Therefore it was not surprising how much hardware was hauled home — once again. -
PIAA Track: Hickory's Bell, Lubarski, Regginello grab gold
SHIPPENSBURG — There’s a big difference between being seeded 1st and finishing 1st — Matt Bell can attest to that.
After settling for silver last year, the Hickory High senior put the shot 59 feet, 6 3/4 inches Friday afternoon to garner gold at the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University. -
WM to play for D-10 baseball title; GC, Sharon, Sharpsville lose
Four area baseball teams were in action on Friday in the District 10 semifinals as the squads battled to compete for District 10 championships on Monday.
West Middlesex rolled past error-prone Linesville, 8-0, in Class A action at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park.
In Class AA, both Sharon and Sharpsville suffered 2-1 losses. The Tigers fell to Saegertown at Ainsworth Field in Erie while the Blue Devils lost to Titusville at SRU.
In Class AAA, the Grove City Eagles were denied the chance to defend their D-10 crown after suffering a 6-3 loss to Warren at SRU. -
Farrell volleyball falls in D-10 semifinals
The Farrell High boys volleyball team suffered a 2-0 (25-15, 25-12) loss to Saegertown on Thursday night in the District 10 semifinals at Meadville Area High’s “House of Thrills.”
“This was the first year we made it out of the first day (pool play) of the playoffs,” said Steelers’ coach Dan Dragicevic. “I’d like to cite my seniors (Eric Demus, Anthony Perkins, Jaylen Chambers and Lawrence Hughes). -
Locals ready to go for gold at Shippensburg
Now that Mercer County is on the map, it’s incumbent upon the area aggregation to chart a course for the ultimate destination — Seth Grove Stadium’s medals stand — during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships.
Led by West Middlesex High sprinter Clay Allen, many Mercer Countians are seeded at or near the top of their respective events for the annual 2-day marathon at Shippensburg University, which commences 9 a.m. Friday. It will continue beginning 9 a.m. Saturday. -
D-10 Playoffs: Local teams go 6-for-6
ä Grove City 1, Harbor Creek 0 — At Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park, what the Grove City Eagles couldn’t accomplish themselves, the Harbor Creek Huskies unwittingly did for them.
Unable to plate runs themselves, Torin Smith scored the Eagles’ only run when teammate Tyler Devine’s seeming inning-ending pop-up to left field was dropped by Harbor Creek’s Chris Merritt in the bottom of the 7th inning of Tuesday’s tourney opener. -
Great year for WM track; local qualifiers listed
It’s been a big year for the Big Reds.
Though there’s no official documentation, the 2011-12 academic year may be the most successful in West Middlesex High’s athletic annals. -
SPORTVIEW: Local names Kroko, Lutz, Kareklas in news elsewhere
IT’S ALWAYS GOOD to hear of former area people who have gone on to athletic success in other areas, or the family of former area residents. Following are a few of those stories:
ä Bob and Betty Kroko of Sharon are avid followers of professional baseball. No, not necessarily the Pittsburgh Pirates or Cleveland Indians like many local fans.
The Krokos keep a close eye on the Austria Major League! - More Sports Headlines
-
