The boys basketball postseason has arrived, and so has Clifton Central’s defense.

The Comets forced 20 Milford turnovers, and scored on eight of them, to help dominate the Bearcats 59-32 Monday night at The Crater in a Class 1A Hoopeston Regional quarterfinal. With the win, Clifton Central will play Heyworth on Wednesday night in Hoopeston.

“They really couldn’t handle the pressure of the 1-2-2 [zone defense] last time we played them,” Clifton Central junior guard Mayson Mitchell said. “We knew we had to come out with that, and it worked just like we planned.”

The first quarter started slowly for both teams. Clifton Central (21-9) went 0 for 4 from the field to start the game, including 0 for 3 from behind the arc. The Comets did not get their first points until a layup from junior Kaden Neveu, assisted by senior Blake Chandler, off a steal.

From there, the Comets rolled, starting and ending the quarter on a 6-0 run and allowing only one Milford field goal to carry a 17-4 lead through one quarter.

“We didn’t shoot from 3 well [to start], but we still have to keep shooting no matter what,” Clifton Central coach Brandon Schoon said. “We just had good ball movement and good open looks. I thought that was really big for us.”

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Clifton Central's Mayson Mitchell elevates for a shot as Milford's Isaac Schaumburg guards during a Class A Regional game on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (Nicholas Holstein for Shaw Local)

Milford only managed four made shots from the field in the first half, and was still staring at a 31-12 deficit at halftime.

“Being a young team, we came out a little too timid, didn’t get after it as much, and that led to the offensive struggles,” Milford coach Wade Fox said of its offensive struggles.

Clifton Central opened the second half on an 8-0 run and caused a quarter-high nine turnovers in the third to lead 53-19. The Comets would rest their starters for the fourth and comfortably pull out the win.

The Comets are a step closer to the program’s first regional title since Schoon was a senior at Clifton Central in 2014. The first-year head coach of the Comets knows the road is tough, but the confidence is high.

“Going into the second round, we’re going to have a tough team to battle [in Heyworth],” Schoon said. “We’ll be ready to go, I’m excited for it, and I know the boys are ready to go.”

Mitchell led the Comets with 16 points, followed by Derek Meier’s 11 and Neveu’s nine. Clifton Central shot 37% from the field.

Milford (6-24) certainly is young. Of the Bearcats’ 13 players, eight of them are underclassmen, so experience-wise, a lot of Milford’s games have not been favorable. But it’s those underclassmen that make Milford excited for what’s to come.

“We got a great group of kids that have done it for years now at the grade school level,” Fox said. “They’re getting used to it here at the high school level, and they’re going to be great.”

Freshman Maddox Muehling led the Bearcats with eight points, and was followed by five points from sophomore Lucas Summers. Milford shot 11% from the field.