Karns City girls basketball completes District 9 championship four-peat with rout of Cranberry

February 28, 2026 Last Updated: February 28, 2026 01:52 PM Sports

Karns City players Hanna Dailey (13) and Naomi Venesky (1) celebrate after their win over Cranberry in the District 9 Class 3A girls basketball championship game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2025, at Clarion University. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy

CLARION — Three teams have tried to take down this iteration of the Karns City girls basketball dynasty.

All have failed.

The Gremlins, led by seniors Naomi Venesky and Hanna Dailey, beat Cranberry 43-19 in Saturday’s District 9 Class 3A championship game at Clarion University’s Tippin Gymnasium to cap a four-year run of dominance in the district.

Kane was the first to try in 2023, but lost 28-21. Brookville was next in 2024, but fell 36-20. And now the Berries have had two chances — KC dominated 50-32 in 2025 — and were found wanting on both occasions.

“It feels awesome,” Venesky said. “We said at the beginning this was one of our goals, so to actually get it done is awesome.”

“It’s a bittersweet feeling just to do it with all your friends,” Dailey said.

Karns City will face WPIAL fourth seed Seton LaSalle in the PIAA Class 3A first round Friday at a site and time to be determined. The PIAA brackets will be announced Sunday. The Gremlins advanced out of the first round once in the last three years, last season.

In the beginning of this dynastic run, Dailey and Venesky were critical freshmen role players who scored three and two points, respectively, in their first championship appearance. A year ago, it was Venesky who led the way on this stage with 25 points.

And Saturday, the stage belonged (offensively, at least) to Dailey. The senior, who head coach Steve Andreassi said before the game had a penchant for coming up big at Clarion, had perhaps the most impactful game of her career with 13 points. She added three rebounds, an assist and a steal unofficially.

Dailey was named the District 9 championship MVP.

Venesky and Dailey now join Mackenzie Craig and Alyssa Gibson as the program’s only players win four straight district championships.

“It makes us get emotional (thinking about these seniors),” Andreassi said, “but (Venesky) told me no more crying. … We’ve been connected through thick and thin, good and bad through four years.”

Karns City senior Hanna Dailey (13) shoots a layup against Cranberry in the District 9 Class 3A girls basketball championship game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2025, at Clarion University. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy

Dailey might go down as one of the most successful female athletes ever at Karns City. She is now an eight-time district champion after being a central figure for the girls soccer team that won four straight during her career and has owned District 9 for decades. She will play at Division III Shenandoah University next year.

“It’s definitely a great accomplishment,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d be winning eight, but here we are.”

It was her 3-pointer with 3:48 left in the first quarter that got KC its first bucket and gave it a 4-2 lead. She sank 4 of 6 free throws and provided a calming presence as the Gremlins struggled to make anything early on.

“Dailey has been our nemesis,” Cranberry head coach Carrie Melot said. “She has killed us every game this year.”

The Gremlins shot 3 of 13 in the first quarter, forced to settle for long jumpers and 3s against Cranberry’s well-executed zone defense that cut off the paint, then missed their first seven shots of the second quarter.

The Berries went on a slow 5-0 run to tie the game at 11-11 before Hannah Summerville (10 points) sank a jumper with 2:58 left before halftime. Venesky got ahead of the Berries’ defense for a transition bucket almost immediately after, then drilled a 3 with 1:35 left to rebuild KC’s lead.

Venesky scored 10, grabbed an unofficial nine rebounds, dished out two assists and had a steal.

“Absolutely,” Melot said when asked if she was pleased with her team’s defense, especially Jadyn Shumaker’s, against Venesky. “We knew we had to focus on three players. Naomi, obviously, was the first one, she’s the KSAC MVP for a reason. Terrific player, strong player, can play on all three levels, great defender, great rebounder.”

Summerville buried a buzzer-beating trey to make it 21-15 at halftime.

The Gremlins put some distance between them and the Berries in the third quarter. Alivia Farren drilled a 3 after another Dailey jumper, and Taylor Ritzert’s first bucket (a putback) made it 29-15 well into the third quarter.

Dailey helped close things out with a pair of fourth-quarter baskets, finishing 4 of 9 from the field.

“I knew I definitely needed to step up in this game,” she said. “Naomi has stepped up in all of our games, but she needed someone to step up (in this game).”

Ritzert, a freshman, played impeccable defense against Berries sophomore standout guard Darien Wenner, holding her to just two points, and finished with four points, four rebounds and two assists. Farren scored six points on a pair of treys, adding three assists.

Karns City won the battle on the glass 28-20 and forced 18 turnovers.

Eddie Clancy

Karns City guard Hanna Dailey (13) celebrates after Karns City's win over Cranberry in the District 9 Class 3A girls basketball championship game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2025, at Clarion University. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy

Karns City guard Naomi Venesky (1) celebrates with her team after beating Cranberry in the District 9 Class 3A girls basketball championship game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2025, at Clarion University. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy

Karns City senior Hanna Dailey (13) shoots a 3-pointer against Cranberry in the District 9 Class 3A girls basketball championship game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2025, at Clarion University. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy

Karns City guard Hanna Dailey (13) drives to the hoop against Cranberry in the District 9 Class 3A girls basketball championship game Saturday, Feb. 28, 2025, at Clarion University. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy