DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 57, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 49

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AML Championship Game ~ February 9, 2008

Cardinals take home AML Championship

ST. MARYS – No Dom Varacallo? No problem thanks to Christian Spilman for the DuBois Central Catholic boys’ basketball team.

DCC (23-2), which was missing its leading scorer Varacallo, who tore his ACL last week, got 28 points from Spilman, Varacallo’s backcourt mate, to defeat Elk County Catholic 57-49 for the AML boys’ basketball title Saturday night at St. Marys High School. It is DCC’s second straight AML Title and the Cardinals fourth straight win over ECC, something that hadn’t happened since 1969.

Spilman was the main reason for victory No. 4, as he hit 7 shots including five three-pointers while also going 9 of 10 from the free-throw line. He was the lone Cardinal in double figures.

DCC led 26-20 at halftime and then built the lead to 10, 41-31, at the end of three quarters thanks to a 10-0 run during the quarter.

John Ferraraccio and Will Gangewere each added seven points for DCC.

Logan Haberberger led ECC (20-4) with 16 points, while Eric Mastrogiacomo added 14 points. ECC was without its leading scorer Nate Higgins, who missed the game with the flu. The Crusaders also didn’t have Matt Bauer, who was also sick.

More information will be posted on this game if we receive it.

NOTES – The four loses are the most for ECC since going 14-13 in 2003. The Crusaders followed that campaign up by going 27-3 in both 2004 and 2005, 33-0 with a PIAA Class A title in 2006 and 27-3 last season. This is the fifth straight 20-win season for ECC, the school’s longest streak of 20-win season since going six straight years with at least 20 wins from 1988 to 1992 … DCC improved to 17-63 all-time vs. ECC. The Cardinals four straight win tie the longest win streak in school history vs. ECC. DCC also won four straight from 1968-69 … Varacallo’s availability for the D9 playoffs is still questionable. He is hoping to be able to suit up with a brace … Spilman now has 946 career points … It was the sixth time in the last nine games that ECC has failed to reach 50 points, while DCC has held five of its last six opponents to under 50 points with the six getting 50 exactly.

DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 57, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 49

Score by Quarters

DCC 11 15 15 16 – 57

ECC 7 13 11 18 – 49

DCC – 57

Spilman 7 9-10 28, Hassan 2 2-4 6, Gulvas 0 0-0 0, Gangewere 2 2-2 7, Moclock 1 0-1 3, Kunkle 0 0-0 0, Ferraraccio 2 3-4 7, M. Pentz 1 0-0 2, T. Pentz 1 0-0 2, Marshall 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 16-21 57.

ECC – 49

Garner 0 0-0 0, Jones 0 0-0 0, Agosti 0 2-2 2, N. Wortman 2 0-0 5, R. Wortman 1 1-2 4, Haberberger 4 8-11 16, Mastrogiacomo 7 0-0 14, Nissel 3 1-2 8. Totals 17 12-17 49.

Three-pointers – DCC 7 (Spilman 5, Gangewere, Moclock). ECC 2 (N. Wortman, R. Wortman).