Penn Hills road warriors savor upset win in state playoffs

By: Josh Rizzo
Thursday, March 10, 2022 | 1:27 AM

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Penn Hills coach Chris Giles dismissed the idea that the PIAA should try to tailor the Class 5A state playoff brackets to limit travel.

Despite a travel mishap following the game, Giles enjoyed what 476-mile trek provided for the Indians. Packed into a gym with little support, Penn Hills, which was the seventh seed, knocked off previously undefeated District 3 champion Lampeter-Strasburg on March 8 at its gym, 62-39.

On the way home, the bus driver bringing Penn Hills home said he was too tired to drive. The Indians had to call for another ride, which took about three hours to get there. Penn Hills got back to the school at 3:45 a.m. Tuesday.

“I would do it again, 100 percent,” Giles said. “Not about the bus ride, but the game. There were probably about 30 to 50 Penn Hills fans there and the gym was packed. It was us against the world and we embraced it.”

Excited over the victory but stuck in the bus an hour outside of Lancaster wasn’t where junior 5-foot-11 guard Noah Barren wanted to be.

“That was the tough part, the bus ride,” Barren said. “But it was a good experience. We were playing in a crowded gym against an undefeated team.”

The Indians (19-5) were fortunate to be in the game. After losing to Highlands in the WPIAL quarterfinals, Penn Hills needed Laurel Highlands to beat New Castle in the WPIAL final. The Mustangs did so, by two points in double overtime.

“We just tried to lock in at practice,” said Barren, who finished with 14 points. “We wanted to make everything more serious. It was win or go home.”

What had Giles excited about the win over Lampeter-Strasburg (27-1) was how Penn Hills played together. Jaden Dugger led the Indians with 18 points, while Robert Thomas added 12.

“We’re a true team,” Giles said. “We don’t have one guy who has to score every night for us to win. We’ve had seven or eight guys this season score 15 or 20 points in a game. How many other teams can say that?”

Penn Hills wrestled the lead away from Lampeter-Strasburg early in the second quarter and never trailed again. The Indians caused the Pioneers’ offense a ton of headaches, blocking six shots and altering many others.

“It was a good experience. It was crowded,” Barren said. “We had to lock in on defense. We felt confident in the second half.”

Penn Hills victory earned the Indians another long trip — a second-round matchup against East Stroudsburg South at Bald Eagle Area High School, which is a 266-mile round trip.

But no matter what happens along the way, don’t expect Giles or his players to complain.

“If we don’t lose to Highlands, we don’t have to worry about the travel,” Giles said. “Honestly, waiting on the bus wasn’t that bad. Safety is the most important thing, first and foremost. The kids were safe and the driver was safe. That’s what we were most worried about.”

Tags: Penn Hills