SHIPPENVILLE, Pa. (D9Sports) – We are counting down the Top 10 high school sports moments from the 2016-17 season in Jefferson and Clearfield County sports, and today we are on Nos. 5 and 6.
(Photo: Aaron Park, Brookville)
No. 6: Unlucky 13 – Punxsutawney’s Streak of Baseball Championships Ends at 13
Taxes, death and Punxsutawney District 9 baseball titles. They all seemed like a natural occurrence in life.
Until the third one didn’t happen.
With the Chucks District 9 Class 4A baseball semifinal game at Clearfield tied at seven in the bottom of the 10th inning, the Bison’s Zane Morgan hit a chopper to third, and Logan’s Johnston’s throw to the plate wasn’t in time giving Clearfield an 8-7 win.
Just like that Punxsutawney’s hopes for a 14th straight title were over. Just like that the Chucks weren’t going to be baseball champions in D9 for the first time since 2003 someone else was going to raise the trophy in the classification Punxsutawney played in – that someone was Clearfield, who beat Bradford in the title game.
Punxsy actually looked like it was in total control of the game leading 7-4 going to the bottom of the sixth. But Clearfield got a run back in the sixth to get within two and then took advantage of a pair of bases-loaded walks in the seventh to force extra innings.
No. 5: Aaron Park – Brookville
It’s a safe bet that many people outside of Brookville hadn’t heard of Aaron Park going into the 2016-17 school year.
That is no longer the case.
Park quickly established himself as the next up-and-coming player in District 9 earning a pair of Rookie of the Year honors along the way.
He was the D9Sports.com District 9 Basketball Rookie of the Year after averaging 9.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game for the Raiders, who finished second in District 9 and may have won the championship if Park hadn’t gotten hurt in the title game. He shot 56.5 percent (87 of 154) from the field.
As good as Park was in basketball, he was even better in baseball leading Brookville to the District 9 Class 2A title and the PIAA Class 2A semifinals while earning D9Sports.com District 9 Rookie of the Year honors again.
He hit a team-leading .413 with four doubles, a triple and 19 RBIs and quickly developed into one of the top pitchers in District 9 going 8-3 on the mound with a 1.53 ERA. In 59 ⅔ innings of work, he struck out 45.
COUNTING DOWN THE TOP 10 STORIES IN JEFFERSON AND CLEARFIELD COUNTIES HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ACTION IN 2016-17
10. Brookville Wrestling Continues D9 Dominance
9. Ashley Hallowell of DuBois and Leah Miller of Punxsutawney
8. Will Myers Becomes All-Time Leading Scorer at Clearfield
7. Brockway Girls’ Soccer Wins First Title
6. Unlucky 13 – Punxsutawney’s Streak of Baseball Championships Ends at 13
5. Aaron Park – Brookville
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