Deer Lakes boys ready to make most of this PIAA trip

By: Josh Rizzo
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 | 9:36 PM

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Collin Rodgers has a more clear perspective on how difficult it is to win. The Deer Lakes senior will play in the PIAA boys basketball playoffs for the third time in four seasons when the Lancers take on District 6 championship Huntingdon at 7 p.m. on Friday on the road to open the Class 4A tournament.

When Deer Lakes lost in the consolation game last season, it hurt.

“Honestly, I think I took it for granted after the first two years,” Rodgers said. “For some people, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing to have a deep run at states. It felt like an expectation yearly, and it was shocking not playing basketball at this time last season. This is something I appreciate, and I feel honored.”

How the Lancers earned their spot this time will provide a different perspective on states than Rodgers’ first two trips, which saw Deer Lakes open at home. The Lancers (12-14) will have to hit the road.

Huntingdon is led by senior guard Elliott Guisler, who averages 14.9 points. Caleb Rutter, a 6-foot-5 senior center, averages 10.7 points and 8.1 rebounds.

The Bearcats’ No. 3 scorer, Kobe Carthen, averages 9.9 points.

Lancers coach Albie Fletcher said he knows things will feel different. Playing an unfamiliar team is hard, especially when it’s a two-and-a-half hour bus ride to get there.

“They seem to have some good scorers on the offensive end,” Fletcher said. “They have some size and a 6-5 guy in the middle, so they have weapons for sure. One of the toughest challenges is the bus ride to make sure we stay focused and make sure we take care of business. It’s always tough playing tough on long trips and in someone else’s gym.”

The Lancers, who lost four of their final five regular-season games, haven’t been an easy out in the playoffs. Deer Lakes, which was seeded 13th, upset Derry and Hopewell to reach the WPIAL semifinals.

The Lancers only lost by two points to Quaker Valley in the semifinals.

Rodgers said to have the same kind of success at states, Deer Lakes will have to be careful with the details.

“We are a physical team, but we aren’t going to wow anyone with our size,” Rodgers said. “We have to do the little things right each and every possession. We can’t waste possessions in the state playoffs. All the teams are good.”

If the Lancers beat Huntingdon, they could get a rematch against the Quakers, who will host the third-place team out of District 10, Hickory, in the first round.

Fletcher said he hopes Deer Lakes can solve a few more problems to continue its season.

The Lancers have done so in the playoffs.

“I think we had a lot of things to figure out throughout the year,” Fletcher said. “Basketball wise, I thought down the stretch we started putting things together and being more consistent. We had shown flashes throughout the year, but we had to figure out how to play through adversity and stick together more.”

Tags: Deer Lakes