Class 2, District 7 Semifinals Standouts

<p>One of the most competitive district tournaments in the state is the Class 2, District 7 field at New Franklin. Wednesday night’s semifinals pitted 21-2 Salisbury vs. 16-9 Slater in the first game followed by 24-4 Westran vs. 20-7 Harrisburg in the nightcap.</p> <p>With four quality teams in the same district, it was guaranteed that we would have two hotly contested, competitive semifinal games. And they delivered. In the first game, No. 1 seed Salisbury rallied from a 15-point deficit to defeat Slater 58-53. In the second game, No. 2 Harrisburg rallied from an early 11-point deficit to post a 54-50 victory over Westran.</p> <p>Here is a look at the top standouts from Wednesday night’s semifinals:</p> <h4>2022</h4> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="992311" first="Tanner" last="Lanes"] (Harrisburg): The 6’4" guard didn’t score his first point until late in the third quarter, but he finished up with a team-high 14 points in the Bulldogs’ victory. The talented lefty took over in the fourth quarter with 10 points, including a pair of late 3-pointers and a steal and layup down the stretch.</p> <p>Grant Biere (Salisbury): The 6’4" forward scored a team-high 18 points and was instrumental in the Panthers’ big second-half rally to overtake an upset-minded Slater team. He was most effective in the high-post area where he could hit that 12-15 foot jumper in the middle of the zone defense. He was also active on the boards at both ends as well.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1180628" first="Jakorie" last="Terrill"] (Slater): The 6’3" wing closed out his fine career with 18 points against Salisbury. He also grabbed more than 10 rebounds while playing a very good all-around game. He’s a slashing athlete who also did most of his team’s ball handling while playing the back line of his team’s defense.</p> <p>Gavin Cobb (Salisbury): The 6’0" guard scored 16 points against Slater. He was a Mr. Energizer Bunny throughout the game as he pushed the pace constantly and attacked the basket. He lived at the free throw line as he knocked down 10 shots from the charity stripe. He also delivered some impressive dimes to open teammates.</p> <p>Leyton Bain (Westran): The 5’9" guard finished with a team-high 16 points against Harrisburg. The quick lefty knocked down three 3-pointers on the evening. He also used his quick first step to hit a pair of floaters in the lane and along the baseline.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>2023</h4> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1288458" first="Brayden" last="Ott"] (Harrisburg): The 5’10" point guard scored 11 points in the victory over Westran. He knocked down three 3-pointers, including one from just inside half-court to beat the first quarter buzzer. In addition to his perimeter shooting, he displayed good quickness and playmaking ability with his passing skills.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1161302" first="Langden" last="Kitchen"] (Westran): The beefy 6’6" forward scored 13 points against Harrisburg. He powered his way to six points early before drawing constant double and triple teams from the Harrisburg defense. He’s a physical player who establishes a good, wide base to score inside on drop steps.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>2024</h4> <p>Cooper Francis (Salisbury): The 6'3" jumping jack scored 10 points in the victory over Slater. He could use his athleticism to jump over defenders to get buckets inside. He also had an impressive shooting touch from the baseline. He's a versatile athlete who can excel just about anywhere on the court.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>2025</h4> <p>Brandon Terrill (Slater): The talented 6’1" guard scored a game-high 21 points against Salisbury. He’s a very smooth youngster who could create for himself off the dribble and wiggle into the lane for buckets in traffic. He also hit three 3-pointers, including a couple impressive step-backs from long distance. He has an impressive offensive arsenal for a young player.</p>