ADAMS TWP — Garrett Ashbaugh didn't play much, but that was OK.

The junior guard on the Mars boys basketball team was just happy to be on the floor and a part of history.

“On the tip, I was jittery as heck,” Ashbaugh said. “I was freaking out.”

Ashbaugh, who missed the last three weeks — including the Planets' WPIAL playoff run — with a badly sprained ankle, made it back into the starting lineup Tuesday night at home against Oliver in the play-in round of the PIAA Class AAA playoffs.

It was the first state playoff game in the program's history and Ashbaugh wasn't about to miss it.

He scored just three points as the Planets cruised to a 66-42 win over the Bears (7-17). But that wasn't the point.

“My team put me on their back (when I was out),” Ashbaugh said. “They said they would get me to the state playoffs as long as I was back to play in them. Here I am.”

And here is Mars (18-7) equaling the win total from last year when it had the program's all-time leading scorer, Christian Locher, and a veteran roster chock full of seniors.

This year, the Planets have no senior on the roster — just a bunch of hungry upperclassmen who were eager to make their own history.

“We had three or four guys get a lot of experience last year,” said junior Owen Nearhoof. “We also had some good guys coming up that we expected a lot from, too. We lost a lot of guys, but we still had high hopes.”

Not many outside the Mars gym figured the Planets would have the kind of success they have enjoyed this season.

A stout schedule that included section foe Hampton (22-4) twice, quad-A Seneca Valley, which won its play-in-round game Tuesday, and WPIAL Class AAA champ New Castle (26-0) has prepared them for the rigors of the state tourney.

Mars had a relatively easy time handling an undermanned Oliver team.

The Planets had a 17-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and led by as many as 28 in the second half.

Matt Getsy and Mitch Buzard each scored 12 points to pace the Planets. Zach May added 11.

Mars coach Rob Carmody wasn't sure what to expect because of the variables at play.

“There was that unknown,” said Carmody. “Everyone is 0-0. What did they have to lose? What do we have to lose?”

The Planets will play Greater Johnstown (22-2) in the next round of the state playoffs at Richland High School in Johnstown at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

“The season is longer than it has ever been. We're playing in March,” Carmody said. “At this point, there is a lot of repetitiveness. You really have to have a lot of enthusiasm and focus at this time in the season. The length of the season is a tribute to their success.”

And the Planets don't want it to end any time soon.

“This means a lot to us,” Buzard said. “We lost a lot of great players and great seniors last year and we were able to match the win total. We just want to keep it going.”

OLIVER 42Darrell Barron 2-5 0-0 4, Xavier Palapac 7-13 2-2 21, Will Wells 0-2 0-0 0, Ray Robinson 4-13 1-1 9, Brian Griffin 0-0 0-0 0, Carlton Watson 0-3 0-1 0, Eric Haas 0-0 0-0 0, Kevin Griffin 1-8 4-10 6, Justin Mitchell 1-5 0-0 2.

Totals: 15-49 7-14 42.

MARS 66Garrett Ashbaugh 1-3 0-0 3, Owen Nearhoof 2-10 1-2 5, Ben Erdahl 4-6 0-0 8, Ethan Lewis 0-0 0-0 0, Alex Locher 3-7 0-0 6, Matt Getsy 5-10 2-2 12, Mitchell Buzard 4-5 3-4 12, Zach May 4-4 0-0 11, Brett Kloc 1-1 0-0 2, Josh Goetz 2-4 1-2 5, Adam Bayuk 0-0 0-0 0, Gabe Spurlock 0-1 0-0 0, Jason Lozzi 0-2 2-2 2, Austin Fetsko 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals: 26-53 9-112 66.

Oliver 3 15 16 8—42Mars 17 20 21 8—663-point goals: Oliver 5 (Palapac 5); Mars 5 (Ashbaugh, Buzard, May 3).

Friday: Mars vs. Greater Johnstown at Richland High School in Johnstown, 7:30 p.m.