Chartiers Valley finally gets past Mars, sets up grudge match with New Castle

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, March 10, 2021 | 10:25 PM

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The weight of the world is now off the shoulders of the Chartiers Valley boys basketball team.

After losing in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals the last two years to Mars, the Colts found out the the third time was a charm after beating the Fightin’ Planets, 63-55, Wednesday to advance to the district finals.

“It’s the trilogy,” Chartiers Valley senior Brayden Reynolds said. “We couldn’t get them the first two times, and in this game, I kind of took it personal. I didn’t want to go out as a senior losing to Mars three times in the semis. That wouldn’t sit well with me.”

Early on, it looked like history was going to repeat itself as Mars came out flying. The Planets built an 8-0 lead, then a 10-0 lead, and then it was 13-0 before the midway point of the first quarter.

Chartiers Valley third-year coach Brandon Sensor never called a timeout. He trusted his players to play out of the slow start, and they didn’t let him down.

“Offensively, we were fine,” Sensor said. “We were getting good shots. They just weren’t going in. So nothing was wrong with our offense. Defensively we just had to zone in a little bit. I was going to (call a timeout) at one point, but then we hit a shot, and then we got a stop, and we went on a run.”

It was a run that changed the game.

From the midway point of the first quarter until the midway point of the second, Chartiers Valley went on a 24-1 run.

Sensor was asked what the key to the dramatic turnaround was for his Colts.

“Defense,” he said. “Pressuring them like crazy, especially their guards on the side, being physical inside. It was the defense and the rebounding. Plus, our shots were falling, but it starts with the defense.”

Mars scored nine points late in the first half to go to the locker room down 32-23.

A quick start to the third quarter by the Fightin’ Planets pulled them within four points at 32-28; however, senior Garrett Alauzen sparked another Colts run of 14-2 that put Chartiers Valley up 46-30.

“He’s been getting better as the season’s gone on,” Sensor said of Alauzen, who ended up with 16 points. “Talk about a warrior. Talk about a good kid. He has such a great attitude. As the season goes on, he’s getting more and more confident.”

The Colts defense kept Mars’ leading scorer, senior Mihali Sfanos, off kilter all night. He came in averaging nearly 18 points per game and didn’t score his first point until there was one minute left in the second quarter. He finished with 12 points.

“We just wanted to be physical and really pressure that ball outside on the perimeter so we could help on that post play they have,” Sensor said. “They have some big guys inside, but I thought we were physical and did a great job switching and communicating. They stuck to the game plan and played hard.”

In the fourth quarter, Mars was able to make it a two-possession game, but a costly turnover on an inbound play and clutch free throw shooting down the stretch by Reynolds helped earn the program’s first trip to the finals since winning it all in 2015.

“I told my teammates in the fourth quarter, ‘Just get me the ball and I’ll get you guys open,” Reynolds said. “We’re going to the championship, just let me do my thing.’”

Besides setting up teammates, Reynolds’ thing is scoring. One of the best in the WPIAL, Reynolds had a game high 26 points, including hitting on 5 of 6 free throws down the stretch.

Mars (16-4) will not be going to the district finals for the first time since 2017. Junior Zach Schlegel led the Fightin’ Planets with 14 points.

On Saturday night at 8 p.m. at North Allegheny, Chartiers Valley will face section foe New Castle for the third time this season. Both teams won big on the road in the first two meetings.

The Red Hurricane won by 28 points in January while the Colts returned the favor with a 18-point victory in February.

“We’re excited. We’re really excited,” Reynolds said. “We want them, and I know they want us. It’s going to be a dogfight.”

Tags: Chartiers Valley, Mars