By Matthew Jordan

With wins over Crestwood, St. Vincent-St. Mary and Walsh Jesuit, the girls basketball team has claimed the Division II Uniontown district championship. The Knights move on to the regional tournament at Mansfield Ontario High School.

Senior Erin Orsini thinks the Knights are playing their best basketball of the season.

"Right now we are starting to gel," Orsini said. "This is the right time for us to click for the tournament, and we are happy with the way things are going."

After a first-round 57-33 rout of Crestwood, Hoban advanced to play St. V-M. The Knights won easily, 66-48.

Coach Tracy Miller thought beating the Irish was a great victory.

"The atmosphere was nice, and our kids were pumped up," Miller said. "It is a good feeling when you beat anyone in the tournament, not just St. Vincent-St. Mary."

The real story was serious injuries suffered by Irish senior Kara Murphy and junior Chelsea Ciptak. Ciptak sustained two concussions on earlier dates and was suffering from post-concussion effects.

Despite Ciptak's injury, people will more likely remember Murphy's injury because an emergency medical team had to be called, and she was taken out on a stretcher. During the 30-minute delay, a moment that transcended sports occurred. As the Irish were making a prayer huddle, senior Tenishia Benson took action and got her team to join in the prayer.

"I got our players over there," Benson said. "It really showed it is just a game."

Benson also got the near sellout crowd on its feet as both the Irish and Knights looked beyond their rivalry and formed a circle. The whole gym prayed the "Our Father" for Murphy, who was still being attended to by the training staff.

In the district championship, the Knights got another chance at Walsh Jesuit, which beat them earlier in the year 60-50. This time the Knights prevailed, winning 43-38. They move on to face the winner of the Wapakoneta and Ottawa-Glandorf game today at 6:15.

Benson has high hopes for the future.

"Our team confidence is up right now," she said. "[Senior] Heather Armbruster is hitting threes and [senior Rachel] Tecca is rebounding well."

Miller isn't completely satisfied with just being district champions.

"We won [19] games, and it's been a great season so far," Miller said. "But our main goal isn't quite done yet."