UNION 96, EAST FOREST 50

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Feb. 7, 2008

Knights claim KSAC-East crown

RIMERSBURG – Union completed one of the most improbable runs in KSAC history since, well, Union won the KSAC Title coming out of nowhere in 2005 when it beat East Forest 96-50 to claim the 2008 KSAC-East crown and a spot in Saturday’s KSAC Title Game.

Going into Thursday night’s game, Union needed just a win or a Karns City loss to claim its first KSAC-East crown (the KSAC has only been split in two divisions the last two seasons) and the Golden Knights got both thanks to Clarion’s 60-48 upset of Karns City leaving Union (16-7 overall, 15-4 KSAC-East) a game ahead of the Gremlins (16-8, 14-5). Last season, the Knights were 9-15 overall and 7-12 in the KSAC-East and lost its top scorer and two of its top three scorers to graduation.

Union wasted little time of taking care of two-win East Forest jumping out to a 42-20 halftime lead and then putting up 35 more points in the third quarter.

A.J. Ethriedge, who missed the Knights game at Rocky Grove Tuesday after being thrown out of Saturday’s game with two technical fouls, with 24 points. Scott Booth added 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals, while Spencer Varner had 13 points, 10 rebounds and Neil Scott 10 points and 12 boards. Clay Burns also chipped in with 18 points, as Union posted the most points in a game in District 9 this season.

Corey Snyder led East Forest with 22 points with Zach Miller adding 12 tallies.

NOTES – Union will take on Rocky Grove for the KSAC Title at 1 p.m. Saturday at Clarion High School. The girls’ KSAC Championship game will follow at 3 p.m. between Union and Keystone … Keystone beat Clarion for last year’s KSAC boys’ title in the first-ever KSAC title game … Snyder finished the season with exactly 500 points while averaging 20.8 ppg. He also finished his career at East Forest with 1,108 points, the sixth most in school history. He and his brother, Bobby, who graduated in 2006, combine for 2,392 career points. Bobby is third all-time in school history in scoring at 1,284. Corey Snyder is the first East Forest player to score all of his career points as a member of District 9. East Forest joined District 9 from District 10 four seasons ago.