(PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
BLACKBIRD HERO … Pettisville’s Josh Morris tosses a pass in a non-league game at Pettisville High School versus Delta. Morris would later provide the game-winning triple in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. VIEW ALL PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
DELTA PANTHER … Alex York drives to the hoop with a Blackbird defender on his hip.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
PETTISVILLE (November 29, 2024) – Pettisville sophomore Josh Morris THOUGHT he bagged a go-ahead three-pointer with 17.1 on the clock that would’ve given his Blackbirds a one-point lead over Delta.
That bucket didn’t count because just before that shot was released, Pettisville coach Brian Leppelmeier called a timeout.
No matter though, because what Leppelmeier drew up during that stoppage found Morris free on the right of the top of the key, where this time his triple that struck gold with 3.8 ticks left counted to give the Blackbirds a 29-28 win.
Pettisville is now 2-0 in the young season while it was the opening game for the Panthers.
“That’s the first time in my coaching career I’ve had a kid hit a game winning shot twice,” Leppelmeier quipped after regarding Morris’ do-over thanks to the timeout.
As far as the game winning play AFTER the timeout? “It was a baseline out of bounds play that we moved to the sideline, and we had two looks,” Leppelmeier explained.
“We had Josh on one side and Jack (Leppelmeier) on the other and we figured that all the attention would be on Jack and Josh came to that side and was open.”
“We really didn’t talk about whether to take a two or a three but a three is nice to go up late like that.”
Both teams struggled offensively early. Pettisville took a 10-2 lead with 6:46 left in the half on Caden Bishop’s left corner triple but that bucket would be the last for Pettisville for the next 12 minutes.
Alex York began a run of 13 straight Panther points with a triple and a right-wing jumper. A pair of baseline drives from Tyson Bower gave Delta a one-point advantage with 2:44 to go in the second, then Brady Morr’s putback at the buzzer extended the margin to 13-10.
Bishop’s bucket on a feed from Jack Leppelmeier off a Delta turnover with 2:46 to go broke the scoreless streak for the Blackbirds and kept them within three as the Blackbirds played enough solid defense to stay in striking distance.
“(Delta) coach (Matt) Brighton does a phenomenal job with that zone, he packs it in, and those guys play it so well. It’s not something that someone is going to just pick apart,” Leppelmeier said of his team’s offensive woes.
“However, we stuck with it. We went 1-3-1 and created some turnovers. We battled back and got a few things in transition.”
York’s second long range shot with 7.8 left in the third doubled the Panther margin to 20-14 heading into the fourth.
Leppelmeier’s back-to-back baskets starting the fourth got Pettisville within a deuce, but Bower answered with a third drive on the baseline and hit a long three-ball to make it 25-18 with 5:26 left.
Bower nailed another from outside the arc with 3:20 to go to keep the lead at seven, but a rash of Panther turnovers, six in all in the fourth quarter, hindered them the rest of the way.
Alex Galvin’s bank at 1:32, then Leppelmeier’s bomb from another area code 40 seconds later after a turnover chopped the deficit to 28-26.
Leppelmeier’s steal off a long cross court pass then set up Morris’ twice over heroics. “This was a game where you just had to keep grinding,” Leppelmeier stated.
“It was a typical game with Pettisville and Delta, you just have to grind it out. It was low scoring, kind of a slugfest but you just have to keep at it and play.”
Bower led all scorers with 16 but the Panthers shot 12/29 and committed 14 turnovers. Leppelmeier had 12 for Pettisville who shot just 12/32 but hit 6/10 in the fourth quarter. The Blackbirds had 10 turnovers.
DELTA (28) – Martinez 0; Alig 0; Bower 16; Gibbons 0; Morr 4; York 8; Lintermoot 0; Hallett 0; Brasher 0; Totals: 8-4-0 – 28
PETTISVILLE (29) – Leppelmeier 12; Galvin 9; Aeschliman 0; Morris 3; Wyse 0; C. Bishop 5; Totals: 7-5-0 – 29
DELTA 2 11 7 8 – 28
PETTISVILLE 7 3 4 15 – 29
Junior Varsity: Pettisville, 32-24