The Official Website of The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association - District IV
Troy Holds On To Beat Warrior Run For District IV Title
By: Chris Manning | PIAA District IV | March 2, 2025 | Photo courtesy Chris Manning
MONTOURSVILLE - Troy coach Bob Woodward was emotional after they edged out Warrior Run, 44-41, in an instant classic to claim their second District IV, Class AA boys' basketball title in three years. "These guys are troopers, man. They're some of the best human beings I've ever been around."
It was a night of redemption after coming up short against Loyalsock in the district title game a year ago.
"It feels great after the loss last year," Lincoln Chimics said. "Just getting back into the same situation, and this time winning it."
Troy got in foul trouble early, negating their ability to press, which allow Warrior Run to dictate the pace of play to a slower, half court game, but, in the end, it didn't matter as the Trojans found a way to get it done.
"They definitely had the size advantage on us, but we knew we just had to call on our three principles - effort, attitude, and team play," explained Evan Woodward. "In the end, I think that's what helped us out."
While they couldn't get out and run offensively Troy could still play tough defense, even though it looked a little different this time. Instead of man to man to they went box-and-one as they focused on Warrior Run's 6-foot, 8-inch center Aiden McKee.
Sufficed to say, it worked, as they held him to just nine points as all of his buckets came on put backs or drop offs before he fouled out late in the game.
"He's a really good player," said Jack Burbage, who matched up with him two years ago in the district semifinals. "We knew what we had to do to shut him down. We held him to nine points, I think we had a pretty good night against him."
Burbage started on him, and when he got in foul trouble, Chimics and Eason Teribury both had their turns, but when they got in foul trouble they went to the 6-foot, 4-inch sophomore in Trey Teribury.
It was a 'break glass in case of emergency' scenario, and he came through, even drawing an offensive foul him.
"I just treated it as another game," Teribury remarked. "I just treated it as playing defense on another guy. He's a great player, I have all respect to him. I just poured my heart into this game."
But, in true Troy fashion this season, everybody had their moment to shine. Burbage scored the game tying bucket with 2:30 in the fourth, Chimics followed with six straight points as they two teams went back and forth, Joseph Frye made two free throws with 16 seconds left to make it a 3-point game, Woodward had the big block that started that whole sequence, and even freshman Spencer Martin chipped in, drawing the fifth foul on McKee with 39 seconds left.
"We took one on the chin last year in the final, and these guys have done nothing but work," remarked coach Woodward. "If I had to describe this team to somebody it would be like the people in the 80's and 90's, and even people in Troy now, that just carry their metal lunch pails to work with them every day. They just work, they don't care who gets the credit."
Burbage led the team with 16 points, five boards, and three assists, while Chimics finished with 10 points, and five boards.
Woodward added nine points, to go with three assists, and five boards, as Teribury scored seven points, and Frye finished with two. Martin added two steals, as well.
James Keifer led a hot shooting Warrior Run team with 17 points on the day, hitting five of his team's seven 3-balls, while Cooper Wilkins scored seven. Griff Harrington, and Jake Bruckhart had three points apiece, as Ethan Balzer netted two.
The Defenders looked like the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter, hitting four 3-balls, but Troy still found a way to come out tied with them at the first horn.
Burbage opened things up with a 3-pointer, but Keifer came back with a 3-ball of his own. A Burbage runner made it 5-3 Troy, but a Wilkins lay-up, followed by a McKee free throw saw the Defenders take a 6-5 lead.
Teribury answered with a 3-pointer off a Burbage assist, but Warrior Run followed with 3-pointers from Bruckhart, and Keifer to go up 12-8.
Teribury let it fly again, and while it didn’t go in, he was fouled on the released, and hit all three free throws to make it 12-11.
"It felt good," Teribury said about his early offense. "I tried to get into a rhythm."
A key difference in the game was free throw shooting, Troy went 8-for-13, Warrior Run was 4-for-14.
A Burbage put back followed and Troy was back up 13-12.
Wilkins would hit a 3-ball to put Warrior Run back up 15-13, but a driving lay-up from Chimics saw it a 15-15 game after one.
The Trojans looked hesitant to drive to the basket early on, and they noted McKee did make a difference.
"He brings a presence that we're not used to," said Chimics. "We just had to get comfortable with it, and settle down."
Defense dominated the early part of the second quarter as nobody scored until there was 4:21 to play, and that was Teribury going 1-for-2 from the free throw line.
Balzer gave the Defenders a 17-16 lead off two freebies, while a Keifer bucket extended the lead to 19-16.
Woodward bagged a 3-ball for a 19-19 score, followed by a Burbage 3-pointer to put Troy up 22-19. A Chimics lay-up saw Troy take their biggest lead of the game, 24-19, but just before the half Keifer hit another 3-ball for a 24-22 score at the break.
Woodward opened the third with a 3-pointer to push the lead back to five points, but a 5-0 run from Warrior Run saw them tie the game up at 27-all.
A Burbage free throw and 3-pointer made it 31-27 Troy, with Wilkins, and Woodward trading baskets for a 33-29 score as they headed into the fourth.
Kiefer cut it to 33-32 with a 3-pointer as the final frame's first bucket, then back to back put backs from McKee gave the Defenders a 36-33 lead with 3:20 to play.
A Woodward free throw made it 36-34 with three minutes left, but the big play of the quarter was his weak side help volleyball spike that seemed to spark the Trojan team.
"I just saw our guy get beat, and I wasn't there quick enough to try to take a charge, so I just jumped, and hoped I blocked the shot," he explained. "It definitely felt good. I'm just glad that we're able to get a stop there, and then get the lead there."
That led to Troy's first fast break basket of the game, a Burbage lay-up to make it 36-36 with 2:30 on the clock.
Keifer continued to be clutch for the Defenders, though, hitting a 3-ball with two minutes to go for a 39-36 lead.
Chimics answered, getting a put back on his own miss to make it a 1-point game.
At the other end Wilkins went to the line but missed both with 1:31 to play.
Chimics kept attacking, getting a lay-up with 1:22 on the clock for a 40-39 Troy lead.
McKee came through for the Defenders 30 seconds later, hitting a jumper off the glass to see them go back up 41-40.
They forced Troy into a turnover on the ensuing possession, but as the Trojans brought up the full court pressure on Warrior Run's inbound play. They knocked the ball away, which led to McKee getting his fifth foul during the scrum with 39.7 seconds on the clock.
Nine seconds later Troy took the lead on a Chimics lay-up, 42-41.
The Trojans made it a point to attack the basket more in the fourth, and while the first three times at the rim came up empty, their persistence paid off down the stretch.
"It was what we should have been doing is what we did in the last two minutes of the game, is attacking down hill," said Chimics. "Getting the ball up the court, and just doing what we do best, and that’s run the floor."
Warrior Run wasn't done, though, as Keifer found his way to the foul line with 19.4 seconds to play. He missed both, though, and the Defenders were forced to foul, sending Frye to the charity stripe, where went 2-for-2 for a 44-41 lead with 16 seconds to go.
Troy had fouls to give, using them to keep Warrior Run from getting off the tying 3-ball. The Defenders called timeout with 8.5 seconds left to set up a last shot, but the Trojans hounded them all possession, eventually forcing a desperation heave that didn’t make the rim.
"We know defense wins championships, that's what hey say, and that's our mindset every week," explained Burbage. "We've got to keep getting better, though, lots more to work to do."
Coach Woodward was proud of how his players didn't let the big moment effect them.
"We didn't panic," he said. "Our kids kept their composure in this sort of environment. It's like a college environment, probably better than a college environment. Our kids were cool in timeouts, and willed the win."
While for the four seniors it might have a been redemption, for Teribury, who watched last year's loss from the bench, it was a little bit different.
"I knew there were people ahead of me," he said. "I knew I was waiting for my turn, so it just felt good to come to there, and play with these group of seniors."
Troy will host the District II runner-up on Saturday, March 8, giving them a week to prepare for something they haven’t been able to do these past three years - win a state playoff game.
“We're definitely going to hammer the film," said Chimics. "We're going to go over their sets, we're going to go over everything, focus on the fundamentals, and just fine tune everything, and see if we can get our first state win."
Archives
