SECTIONAL FINAL … Brycen Grubbs looks for an open teammate in Hilltop’s sectional final at Pettisville.
PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
STAT SHEET STUFFER … Pettisville senior Jack Leppelmeier races the ball up the floor in the first half. Leppelmeier recorded a triple-double (30 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) to lead Pettisville past Hilltop 68-47. VIEW 74 PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
By: Elliot Schneider
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
PETTISVILLE (February 26, 2026) – Jack Leppelmeier didn’t just lead Pettisville to a sectional title Thursday night, he controlled every facet of it.
In the Division VII Sectional Final against Hilltop, the BBC Player of the Year delivered a masterclass, powering the Blackbirds to a 68-47 victory and a trip to the district round behind a historic triple-double performance.
Leppelmeier finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, dictating the tempo from start to finish. He scored at all three levels, cleaned up the glass on both ends and repeatedly created open looks for teammates when Hilltop tried to collapse on him.
When the game threatened to tighten, the ball found its way into his hands, and more often than not, the possession ended in points for Pettisville.
His impact was felt immediately. Pettisville raced out to a 9-3 lead to open the game, with Leppelmeier setting the tone as both scorer and facilitator alongside Graycen Osterday, Ryan Bishop and Alex Galvin. The early surge forced Hilltop to play from behind the rest of the night.
Osterday provided the perfect complement to his senior leader. The freshman guard erupted for 18 points, knocking down six three-pointers, four of which came in the opening quarter.
His outside shooting stretched the defense and created driving lanes that Leppelmeier exploited throughout the contest, helping the Blackbirds build a 24-16 lead after one.
Hilltop leaned on Drew Bailey, who finished with a team-high 19 points, including several timely three-pointers to keep the Cadets within striking distance. Anthony Jiannuzzi and Micah Rossman added key baskets as Hilltop attempted to chip away at the deficit.
But every push from the Cadets was met by Leppelmeier. He opened the second quarter with a pair of free throws, later scored on back-to-back possessions to stop a Hilltop run and consistently made the right read when help defenders collapsed.
By halftime, Pettisville held a 38-25 advantage, a lead built largely on Leppelmeier’s fingerprints in nearly every possession.
The third quarter followed a similar script. When Bailey drilled consecutive threes to trim the margin to single digits, Leppelmeier responded with a momentum-swinging and-one.
Moments later, Osterday buried his sixth three of the night to extend the lead to 50-35. Even when Leppelmeier wasn’t scoring, he was orchestrating, drawing attention, finding shooters and securing defensive rebounds to prevent second chances.
Hilltop made one final surge late in the third, cutting into the lead before Kobe Hoylman beat the buzzer with a three-pointer to send Pettisville into the fourth ahead 53-42.
From there, Leppelmeier closed the door. After Jiannuzzi opened the quarter with a score, Pettisville answered with three straight baskets, including two putback layups from Bishop.
In the final four minutes, Leppelmeier poured in eight points, attacking the rim, hitting mid-range pull ups, and finishing through contact to put the game out of reach and secure the 30-point triple-double.
When the final horn sounded, it was clear the night belonged to him. The stat line, 30 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, only told part of the story.
His control of the pace, ability to answer every Hilltop (8-15) run and leadership in the biggest moments defined a performance worthy of a championship stage.
Pettisville (14-9) will take on Edon March 5 in the Division VII district semifinals at Bryan High School.
PETTISVILLE (68) – C. Hogrefe 0; Aeschliman 0; Leppelmeier 30; Osterday 18; Galvin 9; Bishop 8; Crawford 0; Z. Hogrefe 0; Hastings 0; Hoylman 3; Totals: 16-11-3 – 68
HILLTOP (47) – Grubbs 0; T. Hartman 0; Bowers 0; Bailey 19; Jiannuzzi 13; Rossman 12; Verdin 3; Dempsey 0; Totals: 8-9-4 – 47
PHS 24 14 15 15 – 68
HHS 16 9 17 5 – 47
For more local news, see High School Sports Schedule For Thursday, March 26, 2026 (WEATHER PERMITTING).