NORTH CLARION 84, VENANGO CATHOLIC 70

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Dec. 17, 2008

FRILLS CORNERS – Jeremy Schmader scored a game-high 40 points to lead North Clarion to an 84-70 win over visiting Venango Catholic in a KSAC-North boys’ contest Wednesday night.

Schmader, who reached the 40-point plateau for the second time this season, shot 75 percent (12 of 16) from the field and 94 percent (15 of 16) from the free-throw line while also coming away with five steals, dishing out four assists, hauling in two rebounds and blocking one shot.

His effort helped offset ad combined 39 points from Venango Catholic’s Parker James and Max Rynd. James netted 26 points for the Vikings while Rynd had 23.

North Clarion used a 23-16 second-quarter advantage to take a 43-36 halftime lead and then pulled away in the fourth quarter outscoring Venango Catholic 26-18 in the frame.

Bryan Burkhart added 12 points and six rebounds for the Wolves, while Zach Weaver had 10 points and six assists. Kyle Gilbert chipped in eight points and nine rebounds, and Steven Hargenrader added eight points and seven boards. North Clarion shot 56 percent (32 of 57) from the field including a blistering 63 percent (31 of 49) from inside the arc.

North Clarion is now 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the KSAC-North, while Venango Catholic drops to 2-4 overall and 2-2 in the conference. It is North Clarion’s best start since starting the 1999-2000 season 14-0. The Wolves finished 22-5 that season.

NOTES – Schmader also had 40 Dec. 5 vs. East Forest. He is the first player in District 9 to put up 40 points twice in the same season since the 2007-2008 season when Johnsonburg’s Calvin Grumley did it three times and North Clarion’s Justin Schmader did it twice. Since the 2000-2001 season, 40 points has been reached in a boys’ game by a District 9 player 19 times with 11 different players doing it.  

NORTH CLARION 84, VENANGO CATHOLIC 70

Score by Quarters

Venango 20 16 16 18 – 70

N. Clarion 20 23 15 26 – 84

Venango Catholic – 70

(point only)

M. McNellie 4, P. James 26, E. Paskie 4, M. Kulinski 10, M. Rynd 23, B. Freeman 1, B. Guth 2.

North Clarion – 84

Jeremy Schmader 12 15-16 40, John Bobak 2 0-0 4, Zach Weaver 4 2-2 10, Bryan Burkhart 6 0-1 12, Chad Wolbert 0 0-0 0, Steve Hargenrader 4 0-0 8, Kyle Gilbert 4 0-1 8. Totals 32 17-20 82.

North Clarion 3-pointers: 1 (Schmader)