Bucktail boys to meet Norry Christian in semifinals Saturday
By Bees O’Brien
FARWELL- The Bucktail Bucks boys’ team are in the midst of their best ever run in since joining District IV. Bucktail (12-11) made easy work of Meadowbrook Christian in front of a packed house on Tuesday in the 1A quarterfinals. They will now meet top seeded Northumberland Christian, or Norry Christian as they’re known in Northumberland County.
The battle for a spot in the 1A title game and a state playoff bid is on the line. Game time is set for 6pm at Loyalsock High School. It’s been a long time since this program has played at Loyalsock. The last time was during the final years of the old West Branch Conference. The court is new to the Bucks, but not to head coach Travis Fantaskey. During his playing years the Bucks made multiple trips to meet the Lancers.
Norry advanced with a strong effort against Benton. The Warriors own playoff victories over Bucktail in both the 2021 and 2022 quarterfinals. The Bucks only trailed Norry by one point heading into that 2022 meeting, but failed to score a single point in the game’s final quarter in the loss
How They Got Here
Bucktail put forth their best total team effort to run past Meadowbrook Christian in the quarterfinals and win their first ever playoff game, 53-31.
Norry Christian took advantage of a poor shooting night from Benton to knock off the Tigers 54-24. Benton trailed by just a 23-12 deficit at halftime, but potent 1,000-point scorer Graydon Beishline never got off the ground and Benton was eliminated.
Key Players
Braylon Fantaski led Bucktail on Tuesday with 12 points. It was a balanced attack by the Bucks on both sides of the ball. Brody Pentz collected double-double number 14 on the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Will Steele put up his best night of the season by scoring 10 points, while coming off of the bench. Gary Whipp added 9 points and grabbed 5 steals.
Brett Mason was held in check with just 4 points, but the senior could come up big. Mason had the hot hand for Bucktail to close out the regular season. Forward Johnny Green will be called on heavily on Saturday night to defend 6’8” Alec Phillips.
Phillips is a force in the middle for the Warriors, but his listed height may be a bit of an exaggeration. In person he appears to be floating around the 6’5” or 6’6” range. Still a big force that the Bucks will need to contend with, as he has blocked 134 shots this season, grabbed 113 rebounds and collected 8 double-doubles and a triple-double.
The Bennett brothers, Connor and Ethan will be ones to watch. Connor is Norry’s leading scorer and rebounder. Ethan has scored well throughout the season and both have height standing over 6’3”, with Ethan being the taller of the two.
Samuel Garvin has also been a threat. Garvin is second on the team in scoring and has dropped in 26 three-point baskets on the season.
The Rest Of The Field
Galeton sent shockwaves through the 1A field with their upset over 3 seed Cowanesque Valley on Tuesday night. It’s the second straight trip to the semifinals for the Tigers. Last year they finished fourth after losing their consolation meeting to this year’s semifinal opponents, NP-Liberty.
NP-Liberty is poised to get back to the state playoffs and another win over Galeton will get them to the district title game and another state playoff berth. The Mounties upended defending District IV champions Sullivan County in the quarterfinals.
The winner of this contest will meet the Bucktail vs Norry winner in the 1A Championship Game next Wednesday or Thursday, with the losers of both meeting one of those same days in the consolation contest with a state playoff berth on the line.
