MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Sullivan County's Tucker Blasi (2) shoots over North Penn Liberty's Evan McTish (22) in the first quarter.

Sullivan County scoring 58 points last Thursday does not shine a light upon how it became District 4’s best Class A boys’ basketball team.

But seeing that six players scored at least seven points sure does.

Simply put, it has been a collective effort which has turned Sullivan into its program’s third district champion. Every player did his part again last Thursday and Sullivan turned a 13-point third quarter deficit into a dramatic 58-54 title win against 2025 champion North Penn-Liberty.

Together, all will try to continue pulling the rope in the same direction Friday at Williamsport when the Griffins (22-4) face Coventry Christian at Williamsport’s Magic Dome.

“Everyone on our team can make a good contribution. We basically have seven starters,” senior guard Tucker Blasi said after producing 10 points and four steals. “We have five guys and two guys who come off the bench and can start every night. We have 4-6 guys who can go for double digits any night and that’s a pretty tough high school team to guard.”

Indeed, that has helped the Griffins produce their most wins in a season since 2016. They need one more win to tie the 2012 and 2013 teams for a program record 23 victories.

That Sullivan has reached these lofty heights is a testament to each player making a vital impact. The Griffins have made a nine-win improvement since last season and all the work which sparked the resurgence came bursting out against North Penn-Liberty.

In addition to the scoring balance, four players made at least three steals, Cayden Smithkors and Jaiden Moore were all over the boards and Dom Marotti and Ryan Murray excelled off the bench. Marotti scored the go-ahead basket off a Blasi steal with 47 seconds remaining. A Colin King steal and layup followed by Lucas King’s two clutch free throws completed the comeback and Sullivan earned its spot in program lore.

“That’s who we are. Our leading scorer had 12 (in the final. We’re not dominated by one or two people,” Sullivan coach Glenn Vaughan said. “I guess if I was an opposing coach, it’d be tough to scout us because you just never know. (Last Thursday), offensively and defensively they all made a lot of plays.”

It has been that way all season. Really, Sullivan has built its winning culture upon balanced teams, but this 2026 squad especially drives home the point. Six players average 5.1 or more points per game and three are at 9.4 or more. The Griffins have made 86 3-pointers, but also feature a quality inside game, having the ability to go inside and outside.

Put it together and Sullivan has enjoyed its best season since 2018 and went undefeated in the Mid-Penn East Division before winning three straight district playoff games. That included exacting revenge against a Lourdes squad in the semifinals which had beat it both last December and in the 2025 semifinals.

Combine that depth with a ferocious work ethic and one has a district championship formula. It’s the same one used by the 2012 and 2023 squads. So, after finishing fourth in the district last season, Sullivan wasted little time attacking the upcoming season. The seeds were planted there and a championship team blossomed as the campaign continued.

“We talk about how it’s the stuff you do in the offseason and team camps and things like that which make the difference,” Vaughan said. “It’s hitting weights, hitting open gyms … all the stuff you do to try and get better between March and November is for moments like this.”

Sullivan could turn to all its that preparation when North Penn-Liberty forced it against the ropes in the third quarter. The Mounties went on a scoring binge and led 44-31 with less than two minutes remaining in the third. It was not where Sullivan wanted to be, obviously, but the Griffins believed they were meant for moments like those.

Then they proved it. Sullivan cut the lead to seven entering the fourth, kept chipping away and made their strong finishing kick in that final minute. From nearly a year’s worth of effort came a coveted championship.

“It’s nowhere we haven’t been before,” Blasi said. “We work on that stuff in practice. We were ready for it. It was just time to get to work.”

“This is the exact thing we’ve been talking about all season,” Marotti said. “This is what we have been working for.”

So, while Sullivan can attack a team in multiple ways with multiple players, it is a dedicated commitment which really bonds it together. Really, that is what links so many Sullivan successful teams over the last 16 seasons, including 11 state qualifiers.

“The way the guys fought really stands out,” Vaughan said. “They’re just tough kids and it’s easy to coach a group like that.”

Vaughan has been Sullivan’s head coach since 2005 and quickly established a winning tradition. That’s not easy at a small public school, but year after year, Sullivan continues pumping out winners. A little balance and a lot of work has proven it can take a program a long way.

The work continues Friday. And whenever this season ends, it will start up soon again. That is how it is done at Sullivan, and while some excellent seniors will graduate, the baton will be handed to a strong group of underclassmen eager to keep the tradition going strong.

“I’m willing to bet that whenever the season ends, they’ll be guys immediately back in the gym. Guys will be working and getting shots up and looking ahead to next year,” Blasi said. “The environment that Vaughn has made his whole career has been pretty amazing. Now we have a thing going and I think it’s going to keep going.”