ERIE – Fake left, bolt right down the baseline, go up strong, throw down an emphatic two-hand dunk. A great start by a great player leading his team to great heights.

The player: Erie's Jacob Johnston. Those were the first points of the game, and the first of 40 for Johnston, who led the Cardinals to a 73-65 win over the Paw Paw Bulldogs in the Class 1A Erie Regional championship Friday night at Erie High School.

Johnston went 13-for-15 from the floor and 12-for-13 from the line, lifting the Cardinals (18-12) to their first regional title since 2005. Johnston's last three games, he's scored 37, 49 and 40 points.