It was quintessential Keifer.

A player who seemingly can relax through a hurricane, Keifer was the engine which powered a superb Warrior Run performance Saturday at Loyalsock’s Ron Insinger Gymansium as the Defenders again reached the state tournament’s Sweet 16. Keifer scored 22 points, dealt eight assists and played terrific defense, helping Warrior Run rout highly touted Dunmore, 72-54.

Clayton Skokoski excelled off the bench, scoring a career-high 16 points, while joining defensive ace Landon Polcyn (12), Aiden McKee (11) and Ethan Balzer in double figures. Still, it was Keifer who made everything go, the floor general who kept making sure all Warrior Run’s dangerous pieces fit.

“When he’s bringing up the ball, no matter what press they throw at us, we never have any doubt that he’s going to make the right decision,” Skokoski said. “He always does the right thing; he doesn’t turn the ball over. He’s the best point guard I’ve ever played with.”

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's Aiden McKee (22) tries to dunk on Dunmore's Jimmy Clark (12) in the fourth quarter.

Warrior Run (25-2) reached the state tournament’s second round and there will play Audenreid Wednesday at a time and place to be determined. Keifer helped Warrior Run take control in the second quarter as the Defenders built a 30-17 halftime lead.

He then went off in the third quarter, scoring 15 points and draining three 3-pointers as Warrior Run sent its roaring fans who filled up the gym well before tip-off into frenzied joy. The thing is, even before that scoring spree, Keifer already had left a significant mark on the game, flourishing in all aspects.

A quarterback who put together a record-setting senior campaign last fall, Keifer again is running a potent offense and making it hum. He did so again while constantly facing intense defensive pressure from Nate Aviles, never buckling, nor wearing down.

“James Keifer … you just can’t say enough. I pulled him aside right at halftime and said he went crazy here in the second half last year,” Warrior Run coach Eric Wertman said. “He’s so poised, so smooth. (He’s like) ‘I’ve got you, Coach.’ He has an even-keeled demeanor all the time. He’s a great kid.”

Wertman was correct as Keifer scored most of his 18 points in the second half a year ago at Loyalsock when Warrior Run erased a double-digit deficit and defeated Minersville, 49-48 for its first state win in 25 years.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's James Keifer (3) and Clayton Skokowski (5) are all smiles after their win over Dunmore in the first round of the PIAA play-offs at Loyalsock Township High School Saturday.

Keifer made sure the wait was nowhere near as long this time. Going back to last year’s first round game, Keifer has made 13 of 18 shots in states at Loyalsock. He went Curry in the third quarter, draining three 3-pointers as part of his 15-point burst. That included a buzzer-beating trey which had Warrior Run ahead, 55-38 entering the fourth.

There, Keifer showed off his other attributes and his steal and dish to Polcyn gave Warrior Run its biggest lead at that point, 61-40. Counting his perfect day at the foul line, Keifer was 12 of 15 from there and the field.

“In warm-ups, I was feeling it. I was shooting it and I just felt supreme confidence going into that game,” Keifer said. “Once I hit the first one and got a couple foul shots, I just started shooting it. It felt good every single time, even the one miss I had (in the third quarter) felt good.”

Keifer is part of a decorated senior class which has transformed the program the past four seasons. All shined Saturday, but it was junior reserve Skokoski who helped Warrior Run deliver the knockout blow. After his family moved from Massachusetts last summer, Skokoski has worked hard to assimilate with the Defenders. At the most opportune time, he has perfectly jelled.

Skokoski drained two game-changing 3-pointers late in a comeback district championship win against Southern. He picked up where he left off Saturday, scoring 13 second half points. His fourth trey put Warrior Run ahead, 64-42 and Skokoski made five straight second-half shots, finishing 6 of 8 from the field.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's Aiden McKee (22) tries to drive around Dunmore's Luke Franek(35) in the fourth quarter.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this confident. It feels like everything is going in,” Skokoski said. “My teammates are seeing it, they’re recognizing it and I just have to keep shooting the ball when I’m open.”

Warrior Run has thrived throughout the season by moving the ball well and consistently setting up those open players for quality shots. They cooked up a tough defense with that same recipe Saturday, dealing 21 assists on 24 field goals.

The Defenders attacked early inside with McKee and Balzer which opened up the perimeter and helped them drill nine 3-pointers. Conversely, the outside shooting loosened up the post and Dunmore was forced to pick its poison. Turns out, both were lethal.

Balzer and McKee also produced double-doubles, Balzer collecting 17 rebounds and McKee 10. McKee also moved past Josh Kendrick for second on the program’s career scoring list with 1,634 points.

Polcyn added five rebounds with six assists and his fabulous defense against explosive Dunmore guard Brayden Caravan was crucial, holding him six points below his season average. Caravan only had two points by halftime and Polcyn held him to four field goals.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's Landon Polcyn (23) shoots around Dunmore's Nate Aviles (11) in the third quarter.

“It started at practice this week. They’re one heck of a team. They can shoot the ball really well and we just all week focused on closing out under control, getting a hand up and making sure they don’t get clean looks,” Keifer said. “It showed so much today. The second half they started hitting, but the first half and somewhat the third quarter I was so impressed by our defense.”

Dunmore (21-5) is the only team to beat District 2 Riverside champion Riverside and almost defeated it in last week’s championship. But what many expected to be one of the state’s best first round games turned into a rout as Warrior Run both opened up offensively and closed off Dunmore scoring opportunities.

Warrior Run allowed just one second quarter field goal and a 15-4 run had it up 13 by halftime. After Dunmore cut it to 11, Keifer drained 3-pointers on consecutive possessions and Warrior Run led by no fewer than 15 from there.

The Defenders rallied from seven down in the fourth quarter to beat Southern in overtime last Saturday and capture the program’s first district championship since 1988. As great as that feeling was, Warrior Run refocused, started working toward a bigger goal and played one of its best games against Dunmore.

“It took a couple of days to come off the Southern game, I’d say Wednesday, Thursday, Friday we were really dialed in,” Wertman said. “I’m super impressed with our performance, poise and the way we stuck together.”

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run Head Coach Eric Wertman.

Again, Warrior Run understands it must quickly turn the page as another challenge and strong opponent await. Still, surrounded by jubilant fans, Saturday provided the team another moment to cherish together.

“It’s awesome. It feels great,” Skokoski said. “We played phenomenal today.”

DUNMORE (54)

Brayden Caravan 4 4-5 13, Carter Sload 3 3-4 11, Nate Aviles 3 0-0 6, Jimmy Clark 5 2-2 15, Jake Costanzo 0 1-2 1, Luke Frarek 1 0-0 3, Lorenzo Leo 2 1-2 5. Totals 18 11-15 54.

WARRIOR RUN (72)

Carter Sheesley 0 0-0 0, James Keifer 6 6-6 22, Clayton Skokoski 6 0-0 16, Aiden McKee 5 1-2 11, Landon Polcyn 4 3-4 12, Ethan Balzer 3 5-7 11, Max Burden 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 15-19 72.

Dunmore 13 4 21 16–54

Warrior Run 15 15 25 17–72

3-pointers: Dunmore 7 (Clark 4, Sload 2, Caravan); Warrior Run 9 (Keifer 4, Skokoski 4, Polcyn).

Records: Warrior Run 25-2. Dunmore 21-5.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's Ethan Balzer (34) shoots against and draws a foul from Dunmore's Luke Franek (35) in the fourth quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run Head Coach Eric Wertman, middle, team and fans cheer on the team during a time out in the second quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's Aiden McKee (22) shoots over Dunmore's Jimmy Clark (12) in the third quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's Aiden McKee (22) dunks on Dunmore's Lorenzo Leo (51) in the first quarter of the first round of the PIAA play-offs at Loyalsock Township High School School.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Dunmore's Nate Aviles (11) and Warrior Run's James Keifer (3) battle for a lose ball in the first quarter of the first round of the PIAA play-offs at Loyalsock Township High School School.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's Ethan Balzer (34) shoot between Dunmore's Luke Franek (35) and Jimmy Clark (12) in the first quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's Ethan Balzer (34) shoot between Dunmore's Jake Costanzo (14) and Carter Sload (10) in the first quarter.