RED BLUFF >> In a matchup of the Tehama County rivals, the Corning High boys basketball team held off Red Bluff on Friday night, 61-57, to claim a first-ever Division III win in the Northern Section playoffs.

The sixth-seeded Cardinals got off to a fast start against the hosts and, except for a brief period, held the lead throughout. Meanwhile, the Spartans missed eight of their first nine shots; some rimmed in and out, while others were shots in the paint that just didn’t fall.

“We came out flat; Corning was ready to from the tip,” Spartans head coach Darren Nye said. “And we just couldn’t find a rhythm.”

Corning now set its sights on playing in the semifinal round against Foothill in Redding on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. If Corning defeats the Cougars, it will meet either Pleasant Valley or Enterprise in the championship game on March 1 at Butte College, with tip offset for 5:15 p.m.

The game ended the season for the Spartans (16-12), who received a third seed — one of the higher seedings they’ve had in recent years.

Ivan Jones scored the game’s first four points to spark the Cardinals to an 8-2 run to open the game. However, Red Bluff’s Kayden Leaf and Bryce Owens led an 11-5 run, culminating in a 3-pointer by Leaf at the end of the quarter.

Despite the slow start, the Spartans trailed just 14-13. But in what turned out to be the game’s theme, just when it seemed as if the Spartans were about to take the lead and control the game, the Cardinals fought back.

Mirroring the first quarter, Corning scored the first four points of the second quarter to make it 18-13. Red Bluff pulled back to within one, at 18-17, on an Owens 3-pointer.

Three times in the quarter, the Spartans tied the game — and every time, the Cardinals responded.

Corning head coach Nate Borer sensed the momentum shifts but also knows his team.

“I know the boys are fighters; these are some of the hardest-working (players) I’ve ever coached,” Borer said. “They’re scrappers.”

The Cardinals took a 24-22 lead into the locker room at halftime. Ryan Ross hit a jumper to open the second half to tie the game at 24 — and moments later, Leaf got to the rim to lay it in for a 26-24 lead with 5:50 left in the third.

Unfortunately for the hosts, it turned out to be their only lead of the game, as Jeff Mendros found Brody Martinovich in the paint for a lay-in to knot the game at 26. From that point on, the Cardinals outscored the Spartans 21-7 to end the quarter.

The big play was Casey Long’s half-court buzzer-beating shot to make it 45-33 entering the fourth.

“My assistant yelled at Casey, ‘Hey get over there you’re gonna catch and shoot,’ and he didn’t hesitate. Just let it go. And I don’t think he even hit the rim,” Borer said, noting it’s usually who takes the ball who takes that shot.

Long’s shot could have been a backbreaker. Instead, the Spartans slowly but steadily clawed their way back into the game.

Red Bluff got within 47-42 with 5:49 to go when Leaf hit Ryan Ross on an inbound pass. But once again, the Cardinals responded when Martinovitch hit a 3-pointer to push the lead back out to eight.

A pair of 3-pointers, by Ross and Leaf, drew Red Bluff to within four with 4:32 left. But as they had all night, the Cardinals responded as Martinovich hit another three to make 57-48 with 3:25 to go.

That’s when the hosts went on a 9-2 run to draw to within 59-57 on a three by Ross and lay-ins from Owens and Sides, the run-capper with 44 seconds left.

The Cardinals than made one of two free throws to make it 60-57 with 25.8 seconds to go. The Spartans had a couple of opportunities to score but missed on both of them, and a jump ball gave the Cardinals possession and essentially ended the game.

The win culminated a week when Cardinals had the week off from school. But Borer said his team stayed focused all week and watched a lot of film to prepare themselves for the win against Red Bluff.

Still, he said, “When you only win by four and you hit a half-court three…”

Nye said he was gutted by the outcome.

“The ball just didn’t fall our way,” he said. “It’s a tough loss. It stinks for the seniors go out like that, but it doesn’t take away from the year that they had.”