The Cinderella story continued for Conestoga when the Pioneers pulled off a stunning 55-51 upset at Coatesville Feb. 25 to notch their 20th victory and reach the PIAA District 1 championship game for the first time in 38 years.

Juniors Rowan Miller, Cory Hogan and Shane O’Brien combined for 45 points to send coach Sean Forcine’s forces to the finals. 

Miller led the way with 18 points and 6 rebounds. His clutch 3-pointer with 2:28 on the clock snapped a 46-46 tie and the lead grew to 7 in the final 30 seconds. Hogan, who netted 15 points, snared 5 rebounds and dished out 3 assists, gave Coatesville fits by taking the ball to the basket and nailing a half-court 3-point shot just before the halftime buzzer.

O`Brien and Sam Gibbs added 12 and 9 points, respectively. Senior Ben Robinson played a crucial role by defending Coatesville’s dynamic threat Colton Hiller before fouling out early in the fourth period.

“I thought we played with extreme mental and physical toughness and that’s the only way you can beat a team like Coatesville,” said Forcine. “We limited turnovers in the second half and controlled the boards throughout the game.”

The victory sets up an unlikely battle for the title between a pair of underdogs. Conestoga eliminated the No. 2 seed while Whitemarsh disposed of No. 1 Lower Merion. So fourth-seeded Conestoga (20-7) will take on No. 5 Plymouth Whitemarsh for the Class 6A title at 8 p.m. on Feb. 28 at St. Joseph University.