Photo by Andrew Grimm Madonna players and fans celebrate the basketball team’s win over Clay-Battelle Wednesday, sending the Blue Dons to the state tournament.

WEIRTON — Working his way through a crowd of celebrating players, students, parents and fans with a net waiting to be cut down, veteran coach George Vargo thought about how he came back to the Madonna boys program three years ago with the dream of getting the program back to the state tournament.

That dream became a reality.

His group of experienced Blue Dons opened a big early lead, then made enough foul shots in the clutch moments down the stretch to fend off visiting Clay-Battelle in Wednesday’s Class A, Region 1 Co-Championship game, 66-56, and earn that coveted trip to the state capital.

“This is huge, this means so much to me,” Vargo said. “I don’t have many more of these games left in me. We’ve been trying to do this for three years with these kids. We talked about it three years ago. It was the dream, and the dream came true.

“I have to take my hat off to my assistant coaches … the things they have done that nobody sees that I get to see, that is what helped us win.”

Senior Santino Arlia, after the Cee Bees had cut what had at one point been a 20-point Madonna lead down to just three multiple times, went seven of eight from the foul line in final 1:30 of the game, while the Dons as a whole went 12 of 15 from the line in the fourth quarter to thwart the comeback bid.

“Basketball games are won and lost at the foul line, and we won at the foul line,” Vargo said.

Matt Amaismeier sunk a pair from the charity stripe with 28 seconds to go, before another Arlia make 11 seconds later made for the final margin.

“Our senior leadership was great again,” Vargo said. “We kept them on the floor, Arlia made foul shots at the end, Matt made foul shots at the end, it was huge.

“It was good team win. We had good defensive plays, offensive plays, it was just an overall team win.”

Though it looked like Madonna (17-7), the Section 1 champ, was going to run away with it early, Clay-Battelle (9-12, Section 2 runner up) refused to go away.

Evan Bone put together a dazzling first quarter, netting 10 of his game-high 18 points, two assists, two blocks and four rebounds in the opening eight minutes while Dons raced out to a 26-7 lead after one.

“That good start really did help,” Vargo said. “That is what we were hoping to do, come out and pressure them early. Give Clay-Battelle a lot of credit, they fought back, came back and could have tied us.”

Clay-Battelle, however, picked things up on the defensive end and chipped away at the deficit in the second quarter, narrowing the margin to 36-23 at the break, before a 12-2 third quarter run by the CeeBees shrunk the once 20-point lead to just three at 44-41 late in the third.

The Dons briefly recovered to pull ahead by seven after three, but Clay-Battelle got within three again two more times at 57-54 and 59-56 in the fourth.

Madonna, though, scored the game’s final seven points, all from the charity stripe nearest its overflowing student section, sending the standing-room-only crowd into a frenzy down as the clock wound down.

“We needed to win this at home,” Vargo said. “That student body, that sixth man up there, they have been with us all year. I think (Wednesday) that the student body gave us the energy to overcome (losing the momentum).

“I give a lot of credit to our student body and our fans that came out.”

Arlia netted 17 points and dished six assists, while Matt Amaismeier added 13.

The Cee Bee’s Preston Luzader led their efforts with 17, including an 11 of 11 mark from the line.

The Blue Dons will be the No. 8 seed in the state tournament next week, and will face No. 1 James Monroe in the opening round at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Cameron, who the Dons have faced four times and defeated in the sectional final, won the other Region 1 co-final Wednesday. They are the No. 5 seed and face No. 4 St. Joseph later in the evening on Tuesday night.

“Wouldn’t it be great to see an OVAC matchup in Charleston?” Vargo remarked.