BOYS' BASKETBALL: Nativity enjoys historic season

Apr. 18—POTTSVILLE — Hail to the Hilltoppers!

The Nativity boys' basketball team reached new heights during the 2020-21 season, going 23-4 overall and winning the school's first Schuylkill League championship with a 57-49 victory over Pottsville, claiming the District 11 Class A crown with a triumph over Notre Dame-East Stroudburg and capturing its first-ever PIAA Class A state championship with a 51-47, overtime victory over Berlin Brothersvalley.

With the state crown, the philosophy of fifth-year head coach Mike Walborn came to full fruition. The Hilltoppers loaded up their non-league schedule with tough and talented teams to prepare themselves for a long postseason run.

Over the course of the season, Nativity played the District 11 champions in Class AA, 3A and 4A and perennial Berks League powerhouse Berks Catholic, then slayed the county's two biggest schools in the league playoffs.

"Without a doubt, it helped," Walborn said about his team's difficult regular-season schedule at Hershey's Giant Center after the Hilltoppers' PIAA title victory over Berlin Brothersvalley. "We tried to stack (the schedule) as much as we can, and we try to do it every year because this is the only goal. Everything else comes with it if you get here."

The 2020-21 season was no better example. Here's a look back on Nativity's magical season:

Dec. 11, 2020 Allentown C.C. 72 Nativity 51

ALLENTOWN — Christian Spugnordi and Liam Joyce each netted 18 points and Tyson Thomas tallied 17 as Allentown Central Catholic downed Nativity in a non-league boys' basketball game.

Joyce had nine of his points in a 19-9, game-opening run and the Vikings never looked back. ACC, which shot 21-for-28 from the foul line, led 37-20 at halftime and 60-34 after three frames.

Kegan Hertz and Cody Miller each scored 12 points for Nativity, while Marquis Ratcliff added 11. Allentown Central Catholic went on to win the District 11 Class 4A title and PIAA Class 4A state championship with a 41-40 victory over District 10 champion Hickory.

The Hilltoppers were one of the few teams to play Dec. 11 after Gov. Wolf and the PIAA shut down the winter sports season due to the coronavirus pandemic for a month.

Jan. 8, 2021 Nativity 66 Weatherly 60

WEATHERLY — When you're a small school and have bookend 6-foot-6 players, you get the ball inside to them.

Nativity was able to do just that on Friday night, and it earned the Hilltoppers their first win of the 2021 season.

Marquis Ratcliff scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots, and fellow big Kegan Hertz contributed 18 points and seven boards, and the Hilltoppers did just enough to get past Weatherly in the Schuylkill League Division III opener for both teams.

The season got under way a month late due to the coronavirus pandemic, and players wore masks throughout and socially distanced themselves while not on the court Friday. It didn't matter, as long as they got to play.

"It was nice to get out and be able to play," said Nativity head coach Mike Walborn. "You didn't know what to expect, and we were down a couple guys. But that's how the season's going to be. You're going to have to adapt and just do the best that you can."

Jan. 11, 2021 Nativity 49 Marian 42

POTTSVILLE — Nativity's boys basketball team is making a recent habit of dueling teams in close games.

After the Hilltoppers edged Weatherly last Friday in a nail-biter, Nativity took to its home court Monday night against Marian in a Schuylkill League Division III game.

Nativity found a way to win late, scoring 16 points in the final quarter and taking a triumph atop Lawton's Hill.

"It's been that way the last couple of years," Nativity head coach Mike Walborn said. "We just seem to don't know how to put teams away. Marian's a very good team, and we were lucky to escape tonight."

Trailing 36-33 after the third stanza, Nativity narrowed the gap to one point when Kegan Hertz scored off Jack Miller's assist 13 seconds into the fourth period.

Then, after stealing the ball, Nativity's Jake Hoffman was fouled by Marian's Dewin Concepcion on Hoffman's bid to score coast-to-coast. Hoffman's two free throws put the Hilltoppers (3-0, 2-0 D-III) ahead with 6:32 left in regulation.

Nativity never led by fewer than two points (40-38) the rest of the way.

Jan. 14, 2021 Executive Education 69 Nativity 51

ALLENTOWN — Jevin Muniz scored 26 points as Executive Education Academy Charter, which later won the District 11 Class 3A crown, downed Nativity in a non-league game.

Marquis Ratcliff and Kegan Hertz each scored 19 points for the Hilltoppers, whose record fell to 2-2.

Jan. 16, 2021 Nativity 53 Pine Grove 20

PINE GROVE — Nativity entered Saturday in first place in the Schuylkill League Division III standings. Pine Grove shared the Division I top spot with Pottsville. So, when those division leaders met in a non-league game, something had to give.

And how.

Kegan Hertz scored 15 points and Marquis Ratcliff added 14 as Nativity routed Pine Grove.

Ratcliff had seven points and Hertz netted six in an 18-4, first-quarter run that pretty much settled the issue.

The Hilltoppers also held the Cardinals scoreless in the third quarter.

Jan. 18, 2021 Nativity 71 Lourdes 45

POTTSVILLE — Kegan Hertz poured in a game-high 26 points as the Hilltoppers raced past Lourdes in a Division II-III crossover contest.

Hertz tallied 13 in the first quarter as Nativity rolled to a 24-11 lead.

Marquis Ratcliff was next for the Hilltoppers with 14 points, followed by Cody Miller with a dozen.

Jan. 20, 2021 Nativity 61 Tamaqua 49

POTTSVILLE — Marquis Ratcliff scored 20 points and Kegan Hertz added 12 as Nativity earned a non-league triumph over Tamaqua atop Lawton's Hill.

Ratcliff, who had 11 rebounds, and Hertz, who posted 12 boards, combined to tally 16 of the team's 25 field goals. Cody Miller and Julius Walborn each added nine points for the Hilltoppers.

Jan. 25, 2021 Nativity 52 Berks Catholic 50, OT

POTTSVILLE — Marquis Ratcliff had 17 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots as Nativity outlasted Berks Catholic in overtime in a non-league game.

Jake Hoffman added 12 points for the Hilltoppers. Each team had 22 field goals, but Nativity outscored the Saints 6-4 from the foul line.

It was the first of three overtime games for Nativity this season.

Jan. 27, 2021 Nativity 75 Clemente Charter 46

POTTSVILLE — Marquis Ratcliff scored seven of his team-high 20 points in a 23-6, third-quarter run that propelled the Hilltoppers past Roberto Clemente Charter in a non-league game.

Cody Miller added 17 points and Kegan Hertz tallied 16 for Nativity, which outscored Roberto Clemente 43-18 in the second half to pull away from a 32-28 halftime lead.

Jan. 29, 2021 Nativity 61 Weatherly 33

POTTSVILLE — At halftime of Friday's Schuylkill League Division III matchup atop Lawton's Hill, AC-DC's "Thunderstruck" rang through the Nativity gymnasium.

It was an appropriate theme for the Hilltoppers, who shocked Weatherly early and coasted to a romp over the once-beaten Wreckers.

An aggressive defense that produced 10 turnovers in the first quarter alone was too much for Weatherly. The Wreckers' eight-game winning streak ended.

"When we talk and communicate and push and extend our (2-3) zone, I think we can play with anybody," Nativity head coach Mike Walborn said.

That zone was particularly problematic for the Wrecker guards.

"That's how I want to play the zone. We want to bring it up and be aggressive with it," Walborn said. "... If that back row is telling the front row where the shooters are, that is great."

Two members of that back row are junior Marquis Ratcliff and senior Kegan Hertz. They had combined for 32 of the Hilltoppers' 58.7 points per game so far this season and were effective again on offense.

Ratcliff finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. The performance included 10 points in the third quarter after Weatherly had pulled as close as nine (34-25) early in the period.

Jan. 30, 2021 Nativity 71 Mahanoy Area 34

POTTSVILLE — Cody Miller scored 14 of his game-high 21 points in the first half as the Hilltoppers built a 45-16 lead by halftime and cruised to a Division III win over the Golden Bears.

Marquis Ratcliff added 15 for Nativity.

Jan. 31, 2021 Nativity 54 Schuylkill Haven 35

POTTSVILLE — Kegan Hertz and Marquis Ratcliff led the way as Nativity scored a Schuylkill League Division II-III crossover victory over Schuylkill Haven on Sunday afternoon atop Lawton's Hill.

Hertz finished with 19 points and Ratcliff added 15 for the Hilltoppers, who rallied from a 26-22 halftime deficit to record the victory. Jacob Hoffman added 10 points for Nativity.

Feb. 4, 2021 Nativity 53 Williams Valley 40

POTTSVILLE — Kegan Hertz led a balanced attack with 14 points as Nativity cruised past Williams Valley in a non-league game.

Cody Miller knocked down four 3-pointers for his 12 points, and Jacob Hoffman added 11 for the Hilltoppers, who led 23-14 at halftime.

Jesse Engle paced Williams Valley, which would eventually advance to win the District 11 Class 2A title, with 13 points.

Feb. 5, 2021 Nativity 62 Shenandoah Valley 25

POTTSVILLE — With its ability to score via the 3-pointer, Shenandoah Valley's boys' basketball team poses a unique challenge for most opponents.

But the Blue Devils were no match for Nativity on Friday night atop Lawton's Hill.

Shooting 50.9% (28-for-55) from the field, holding a 32-15 edge in rebounds and forcing 23 turnovers, the Hilltoppers won their 10th consecutive game, 62-25 over Shenandoah Valley, in a Schuylkill League Division III matchup.

"We just tried to not give up open threes," Nativity head coach Mike Walborn said. "In doing that, you will get layups, and they got a couple of layups out of it, but that's OK. We accomplished what we tried to do, and it worked."

Nativity (12-2, 8-0 D-III) scored the game's first eight points and never trailed as 10 Hilltoppers found the scoring column.

The Hilltoppers again found success behind their two tallest players — Kegan Hertz and Marquis Ratcliff. Hertz had 15 points and seven rebounds, while Ratcliff posted 10 points and a game-best nine boards.

Seven of Ratcliff's rebounds came in the opening half, when Nativity never allowed Shenandoah Valley to get closer than six points after the opening surge.

Feb. 6, 2021 Muhlenberg 71 Nativity 60

POTTSVILLE — Kegan Hertz's 16 points paced four double-figure scorers for Nativity in a non-league loss to Muhlenberg, a Class 6A team from Berks County.

Jake Kuperavage and Marquis Ratcliff each scored 11 points and Jacob Hoffman contributed 10 for the Hilltoppers, who led 18-17 after one period before Muhlenberg scored 28 second-period points.

Feb. 8, 2021 Nativity 66 Minersville 31

MINERSVILLE — Monday was a big night for Nativity's boys' basketball team in general and for senior Kegan Hertz in particular.

Hertz scored 14 points in the third period, including the 1,000th of his career, on a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 8.9 seconds left in the quarter, as Nativity rolled to a Schuylkill League Division II-III victory over Minersville in the Thomas Fitzpatrick Gymnasium.

Hertz finished with 21 points and junior Marquis Ratcliff added 17 as Nativity outscored the Battlin' Miners 26-3 in the third quarter to pull away from a 29-22 halftime lead to remain undefeated in Division III.

Feb. 10, 2021 Nativity 74 Mahanoy Area 33

MAHANOY CITY — Marquis Ratcliff scored 17 points and Kegan Hertz netted 16 to lead Nativity to a Division III win over Mahanoy Area.

Nativity scored 26 points in the second period to take a 40-18 halftime lead.

Feb. 12, 2021 Nativity 58 Marian 54

HOMETOWN — In the first half, Nativity's boys' basketball team needed all the help it could muster, particularly after standout junior Marquis Ratcliff committed two personal fouls early.

But the Hilltoppers got that help, especially from senior guard Keenan Brennan and junior guard Cody Miller.

When Ratcliff came out to start the second half, he took over as Nativity outlasted Marian in a Schuylkill League showdown for first place in Division III.

Ratcliff scored 15 points in the second half, enabling the Hilltoppers to hold off a Marian team determined to draw even in the loss column and perhaps force a playoff tiebreaker for the division crown.

"We just found a way to win," Nativity head coach Mike Walborn said. "We're starting to trust each other as individuals and not hanging our heads. These tight games are allowing us to get new looks to different teams."

Those contributions included Brennan, who matched his single-game season high with eight first-half points, and Miller, who scored four 3-pointers en route to 13 points.

And the Hilltoppers needed every one of those points because of the close finish.

Trailing 56-54, Marian had the basketball with 8.4 seconds left. A pair of passes got the ball to Colts forward Brendan Lonergan. As he crouched to confront his defender on his way to attempting a shot, he was whistled for an offensive foul.

"It's one break in a game that's this close," Marian head coach John Patton said. "That last play goes to them on the offensive foul. Instead of a tie game, it's their ball. It's that close. I think these teams are so evenly matched."

Nativity was able to inbound the ball to Ratcliff, who was fouled with 1.1 seconds remaining. He converted both foul shots for the final score.

Feb. 13, 2021 Bethlehem Catholic 53 Nativity 49

BETHLEHEM — Marquis Ratcliff scored 18 points and Kegan Hertz added 13 for Nativity in a non-league loss to Bethlehem Catholic.

The Hilltoppers led 41-38 after three periods, but Bethlehem Catholic held Nativity to seven points in the final period.

Ryan Glassmacher scored 20 points to lead three double-figure scorers for the hosts, who eventually advanced to the District 11 Class 4A championship game.

Nativity, which fell to 15-4, would not lose another game for the rest of the season.

Feb. 16, 2021 Nativity 69 Shenandoah Valley 44

SHENANDOAH — Kegan Hertz paced a trio of double-digit scorers with 15 points as the Hilltoppers clinched the Schuylkill League Division III title with a win over the Blue Devils.

Marquis Ratcliff added 14 points and Cody Miller had 13 for Nativity (16-4, 11-0 D-III).

Feb. 21, 2021 Nativity 61 Tri-Valley 36

HEGINS — Division III champion Nativity improved its record to 17-4, 12-0 in the division, with a victory over Tri-Valley (6-7, 6-7) on Sunday afternoon.

Kegan Hertz tallied 22 points to pace the Hilltoppers, who took a 32-15 halftime lead. Marquis Ratcliff added 14 points for the winners in the final regular-season game.

Feb. 25, 2021 Nativity 66 Blue Mountain 36

POTTSVILLE — For the first time since 1982, Nativity will play for a Schuylkill League boys' basketball championship.

Led by the 6-foot-6 pair of Kegan Hertz and Marquis Ratcliff, the Hilltoppers advanced to Friday's title game with a romp over Blue Mountain in Wednesday's semifinals at Martz Hall.

"It means everything to me. It means everything," Hertz said of Friday's game against Pottsville, a 63-33 winner over Williams Valley in Wednesday's second semifinal. "I can't explain it."

For Nativity head coach Mike Walborn, a Blue Mountain graduate, the bid for a league crown was more important for his players than himself.

"I didn't take the job to hang banners and put my name on the wall," he said. "I took the job to get kids better and to love the game of basketball and for the older kids to pass on what the older kids passed on to me."

Those older kids now include Hertz, a 1,000-point career scorer who enhanced his credentials in the first half as the Hilltoppers rolled to a 36-15 lead at intermission. Averaging 15.2 points per game entering Tuesday, he surpassed it with 17 points in the opening half.

"I just came in with a good attitude, and my shots fell," Hertz, who finished with 24 points, said.

Those shots included back-to-back 3-pointers during the second quarter after Nativity took control midway through the first frame.

Feb. 26, 2021 Nativity 57 Pottsville 49

POTTSVILLE — All you had to do was look at the joy on the players' faces, on head coach Mike Walborn's face and on the faces of a wildly enthusiastic student section to know this was history.

Nativity captured its first-ever Schuylkill League boys' basketball championship Friday night, grinding out a 57-49 victory over three-time defending champion Pottsville at Martz Hall.

The final few seconds set off a wild celebration both on court and off as the Hilltoppers won the first Battle of the Hills with a league championship at stake.

"Everyone was just so stoked for it, and we came out with a win," Nativity senior captain Kegan Hertz said after he scored 14 points and had five rebounds.

He also joined Nativity's parade to the free-throw line down the stretch, sinking three of four before teammates Cody Miller and Keegan Brennan each converted two foul shots during the final two minutes.

When it was over and the team photos were taken, the Nativity players climbed the steps of Martz Hall to greet their fellow students. They were joined by Walborn, who will be celebrated for years by fans and alumni alike for leading the Hilltoppers to a feat never accomplished.

Nativity's last appearance in the boys' league final was in 1982, when now-defunct Saint Clair took the title.

Nativity (19-4) surged midway through the first half and held a 29-20 halftime lead, but Pottsville (15-3) came back behind junior guard Darren Yost, who was a pest to the Nativity attack in the third period. He had three steals and nine points in the frame.

Despite all of that, Pottsville, which last led early in the second period, never regained an edge until 6:06 remained in regulation when Nicco Heimbaugh, who had 11 points, sank one of his three 3-pointers in the game for a 44-41 advantage.

The Hilltoppers, who beat Blue Mountain in Wednesday's semifinal, tied the game at 44-44 on a three-point play by Miller, who had 10 points in the game, with 5:49 left. Nativity then took the lead to stay on senior Jake Kuperavage's triple with 5:01 remaining.

March 10, 2021 Nativity 80 Clemente Charter 61

POTTSVILLE — Wednesday's District 11 Class A semifinal atop Lawton's Hill was not going to win any style points, but all Nativity wanted was a chance to defend the championship it won last year.

"I think we definitely didn't play to the best we're capable of, but we did have a week and a half off," Nativity junior Marquis Ratcliff said.

The Hilltoppers, playing their first game of March, earned their 20th victory of the season and came away with the title chance as they outscored Roberto Clemente Charter.

"When we did what we do, we did it well and it showed," Nativity head coach Mike Walborn said. "We had a lot of mental lapses, a lot of bad passes and mental mistakes, but it's survive and advance."

The victory sets up a title rematch at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Martz Hall with Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg, which defeated Weatherly 66-61 in Wednesday's other semifinal. The Hilltoppers won last year's title by a 71-54 score.

Wednesday, Nativity gave up seven treys to the black-and-gold-clad Pirates. Those 3-pointers and Nativity's 12 second-half turnovers were enough to keep Roberto Clemente Charter in the game into the fourth period.

Led by senior Kegan Hertz's 11 points in the first period, the Hilltoppers answered RCC's 7-2 lead with the next 12 points, took a 25-17 edge after one period and expanded their advantage to 43-28 at halftime.

While Hertz scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half, Ratcliff, Nativity's other 6-foot-6 forward, showed the way in the second 16 minutes. He tallied 16 of his 22 points in the latter half. After RCC used a three-point play from Jose Zayas to pull within 10 at 64-54, Ratcliff took a feed from Hertz for the bucket that blunted the Pirates' charge.

"I was happy with the way we moved the ball. When we were doing it, moving and cutting, looking to the post and establishing it, when we did it, we did it really well," Walborn said.

The result was Nativity's highest point total of the season as the Hilltoppers shot 35-for-64 (54.6%) from the field.

March 13, 2021 Nativity 69 Notre Dame-ES 55

POTTSVILLE — It took two minutes for Nativity and Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg to score a point in Saturday night's District 11 Class A boys' basketball championship game at Martz Hall.

The answer came from the 3-point arc.

The Hilltoppers drained nine treys, seven in the first half, and earned their second straight district championship with a victory over NDES.

"It's a lot of hard work that goes into it," Nativity head coach Mike Walborn said. "We're having a heck of a lot of fun."

Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg was bidding for its first crown since 2019, when the Spartans (13-3) beat the Hilltoppers for the title, but Nativity avenged that loss last season for the crown and doubled up this time.

Senior Kegan Hertz scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Hilltoppers, while fellow 6-foot-6 forward Marquis Ratcliff had 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Yet, while they combined for 21 first-half points, it was a pair of bombs from senior forward Jacob Hoffman that got the Hilltoppers started.

The teams played a frenetic first half, but both teams went scoreless over the first two minutes. Nativity broke up the drought with a bang as Hoffman scored two straight 3-pointers, which ignited a scoring spree.

The victory sent Nativity into a PIAA Class A Tournament that featured only district champions.

March 19, 2021 Nativity 72 St. John Neumann 70

POTTSVILLE — For an agonizing second, all that Nativity's boys' basketball team was seeking to achieve this season hung with a shot in midair.

For that same second, District 4 titlist St. John Neumann's dream of a berth in the PIAA Class A semifinals seemed possible as Davion Hill's deep 3-pointer glided toward the basket.

"I felt like it was going in. I've banked a few," Hill said, "so I thought I was going to bank it, but it came off just a little too hard (off the backboard)."

With that miss, Nativity escaped with a 72-70 victory Friday night over a Knights team that scored 28 points in the fourth period, but needed just one more 3-pointer to win.

"Oh, we panicked, but luckily, we hit a couple of shots when we needed to and hit a foul shot here or there and were able to pull a win out," Nativity head coach Mike Walborn said.

That triumph thrusts the Hilltoppers back to the same round that it achieved last season before the coronavirus pandemic forced a halt to the PIAA postseason. This time, Nativity will face a second-year program in District 3 champion LaAcademia Charter, a 55-50 victor over District 1 titlist Phil-Mont Christian in another quarterfinal Friday.

For most of Friday's game, Nativity (22-4) asserted itself with Ratcliff, who had 25 points and 15 rebounds, and his fellow 6-foot-6 teammate, Kegan Hertz.

And yet it was nearly not enough.

Nativity's Keegan Brennan broke loose for a layup with 42 seconds remaining, giving the Hilltoppers a 71-66 edge. But during a period in which St. John Neumann (17-4) forced 10 turnovers, the Knights' David Hill drained a 3-pointer with 27.8 seconds remaining to pull his team within two, 71-69.

Knights head coach Jamie Spencer immediately called timeout and, as the teams were heading to their respective benches, a technical foul was called on Ratcliff.

That put Davion Hill, who led all scorers with 34 points, on the line for two free throws to tie the game. But, emblematic of the Knights' 8-for-19 performance at the foul line Friday night, he sank just one of two.

The technical foul also gave St. John Neumann possession after the foul shots, but David Hill then was called for traveling with 14.7 seconds left.

Hertz then was fouled on the inbounds play with 13.4 seconds remaining and sank one of two to give the Hilltoppers a 72-70 lead. On the Knights' ensuing possession, Davion Hill was called for an offensive foul with 7.7 seconds remaining.

Davion Hill then got a steal on Nativity's final possession and launched his 3-point, game-winning attempt just before the final buzzer sounded.

March 22, 2021 Nativity 73 La Academia 64, OT

LANCASTER — Nativity has two big men in junior Marquis Ratcliff and senior Kegan Hertz, 6-foot-6 players who each have cleared 1,000 career points.

La Academia Partnership Charter also has tall players in 6-foot-7 Jamal Lebedev and 6-6 Issac Fadlemoula.

But only one team has Cody Miller.

The junior guard posted a season-best 23 points, including six 3-pointers, as the Hilltoppers defeated District 3 champion La Academia Charter on Monday night in a PIAA Class A boys' basketball state semifinal at Lancaster Catholic High School.

The Hilltoppers overcame a shaky third quarter and rough final seconds of the fourth to score 12 of the overtime's 15 points and advance to the PIAA state championship for the first time in school history.

Nativity will face District 5 champion Berlin Brothersvalley, a 78-52 winner over District 9 titlist Clarion Area, at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey.

"I didn't know when, but I knew some day we'd get there," Nativity head coach Mike Walborn said.

"Oh my God, it feels amazing," added Hertz, the senior team captain who tallied 21 points and 10 rebounds. "I thought we were going to lose it, but we fought back and made it, man."

Nativity trailed the second-year La Academia squad 52-47 entering the final period after a frightful third quarter in which the Hilltoppers committed eight turnovers and were held to just eight points.

Nativity led by as many as 12 points in the second quarter and 39-32 at halftime before LAC went on a 20-6 run.

"I said, 'Relax, you've got a quarter. You're fine,' " Walborn said he told his team. " 'Everything's good.' "

It was particularly good for Miller, whose previous season-high in points was 21 against Mahanoy Area on Jan. 30.

With the Hilltoppers trailing 56-54, Miller canned a triple with 3:21 left in regulation to complete Nativity's comeback for a 57-56 lead. Then, with 48 seconds left, he broke away for a layup that gave Nativity a 61-57 edge.

La Academia battled back, using two free throws by DeMajh Salisbery with 11.8 seconds left and a layup by Issac Fadlemoula with 4 seconds remaining to produce a 61-61 deadlock after regulation.

The Hilltoppers' Keegan Brennan then made sure that would be the Lancaster school's last hope. He opened overtime with his third three of the game from the right corner for one of Nativity's 11 triples. That began a streak of 10 straight points for the Hilltoppers, including another trey from Miller, to set his season best in single-game scoring.

Junior Marquis Ratcliff scored his 1,000th career point and was honored for the milestone immediately after the game.

March 25, 2021 Nativity 51 Berlin Brothersvalley 47, OT

HERSHEY — There is a popoular T-shirt worn by Nativity boys' basketball fans that says, "Toppers Unite."

That idea was never needed more after the Hilltoppers trailed by double digits in the third period of Thursday's PIAA Class A state championship game at the Giant Center.

Battling back from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter, Nativity secured Schuylkill County's first boys' basketball state championship in 51 years when the Schuylkill League and District 11 champion Hilltoppers defeated Berlin Brothersvalley.

"It's really hard to describe to you, but we've had so many ups and downs over the last three, four years," Nativity head coach Mike Walborn said, "and we've lost so many of those games by one, two, three points."

Not on this day.

This was a Hilltoppers squad that refused to accept defeat against a Mountaineers squad that had won 55 of its previous 57 games and, like Nativity, had its 2019-20 season end in the middle of the PIAA postseason by the coronavirus pandemic.

"It means so much to us. We had so much support from the school and the students, and I'm so glad they could be here for us," Nativity senior captain Kegan Hertz said after he accepted the PIAA championship trophy and the team then rushed to the corner of the Giant Center to celebrate with its fans.

Nativity's grit came to the forefront in overtime as players scrambled for loose balls and forced the District 5 champion Mountaineers into foul trouble. Nativity shot 17-for-25 from the foul line, including 12-for-14 in the overtime period. Senior Keegan Brennan shot 6-for-6 in the 4-minute overtime and classmate Jacob Hoffman went 3-for-4.

"All of the hard work that we did throughout the season, it finally felt great to come out a champion," Hoffman said. "We put in the work and I knew it would pay off in the end."

Nativity became the first Schuylkill County boys' basketball state champion since Saint Clair topped Laurel Valley in 1970 and the Schuylkill League's first boys' PIAA champ since Lourdes in 1990. The Hilltoppers' victory also came 15 years to the day that Nativity girls won the last of their five state championships in 2006.

It is the PIAA's biggest stage, and on Thursday the Nativity boys delivered.

Contact the writer: ccurley@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6019; @ChuckCurley on Twitter