Mifflinburg boys advance in District 4, top South Williamsport 64-45

Mifflinburg High School defeated South Williamsport 64-45 at South Williamsport High School on Thursday, advancing in the District 4 Class 3A/Class AAA quarterfinals and registering the program’s first playoff victory in five years. The Wildcats will meet Scranton Prep, the District 2 champion, next week at a District 4 site to be announced.

South Williamsport opened aggressively, with guard Levi Butler coming out hot in the first quarter; one account notes Butler had 14 points in the late stages of the opening quarter, while another credited him with his 17th point of the quarter on a 40-foot banked hook at the buzzer that left Mifflinburg trailing by 10. Despite that early surge by Butler, Mifflinburg responded and took control by halftime.

Mifflinburg led 34-26 at the break, then "immediately put the pedal to the metal in the third quarter," using a sustained run that flipped momentum. Grady Brubaker scored eight of his game-high 19 points in the third quarter, and a lay-in by Griffith with 1:30 left in the period pushed the Wildcats in front 52-33; Griffith finished with a game-high 27 points. Those third-quarter bursts created a lead large enough for Mifflinburg to withstand a late South Williamsport push.

South Williamsport trimmed the margin to 13 midway through the fourth quarter, but Mifflinburg answered and closed out the game, holding the Mounties scoreless enough down the stretch to preserve the 64-45 final. Photographs from the gym captured late-game action including Chance Quimby putting up a shot in the final minutes, Robert Regan driving to the basket and contesting rebounds, Neeko Brown (4) fighting for position, and Chad Martin of Mifflinburg reaching for boards.

With the quarterfinal win the Wildcats advance in the PIAA postseason; the program will face Scranton Prep next week at a District 4 location to be announced. Officials and team statisticians should be consulted for the official box score to confirm full player totals, including Levi Butler’s exact first-quarter and game totals and the full name of Griffith, who is identified by last name in available reports.