Riverside junior Brandon Reed scored 20 points and hit 11 of 12 free throws, had 6 assists, 5 steals and 5 rebounds to lead the Vikings to a 70-57 win over Central Columbia on Saturday in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A boys playoffs.
Age: 17
Family: Mother, Michelle; father, Brad; sisters, Brielle and Braelyn
Other sports you play. Soccer and golf.
Athletes you admire? Michael Jordan and Kemba Walker.
Any sports teams you follow? Charlotte Hornets and Duke men’s basketball.
Is yours a close-knit team? We’re like a big family. We always hang out. We’ve been in the gym for at least eight months. We’ve been working for this since this summer. We all know everything about each other. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and how to combine those for team chemistry.
Do you have any pre-game rituals or superstitions? Always before the game I step on the Slip-Not and give one of our assistant coaches a fist bump, and he tells me, ‘Good luck. Go get ‘em.’
Did you throw anything different at Central Columbia? Same game plan usually for every team. We know if we play our game, we’ll win. Definitely a huge focus on us and if we come ready to play versus whether they come ready to play.
Now you’re back at it Wednesday. What’s the approach for round two against Trinity? You’re in the second round of states now, so pretty much any team you play is going to be good. We have to go and play our game.
It’s not often you get to play at Martz Hall in Pottsville. What does that opportunity mean? It’s definitely something I’ll always remember. Playing there, it’s like the best place to play in high school basketball.
Is this your biggest thrill in sports? We’ve gotten so far, it’s definitely there. It’s amazing.
Who’s your funniest teammate? Hunter Geise. He’s funny. He’s a clown. He’s the main person on the bench who is always getting us hyped up. He’s dancing, going crazy. It’s hilarious.
What is the one dish served in your house that you can’t live without? My dad’s steak. Very good steak.
Three people you would like to have dinner with. My great grandfather George Cole, LeBron James and Peyton Manning.
Who’s been your biggest influence in sports? My grandpa, Michael Cole. He always tells to arc the ball and not shooting it flat. It really helps me out.
Give me a skill you’d like to master away from sports. Does being good in the classroom count? I’m pretty good in school.
What’s your best subject? I like science. The human body, anatomy, and then I like biology, too.
Is that something you want to pursue in college? I haven’t really decided but something involving the human body, or working for the Food and Drug Administration and testing vaccines, something like that.
After high school, what sport, basketball or soccer, do you see yourself playing? Whichever one is best for me educationally and whatever is on the table.
Related posts:
Marty Myers began his career as a sports writer at The Wayne Independent in Honesdale, where he served as sports editor and later managing editor. After 10 years there, he joined The Times-Tribune in 1994 and has spent the ensuing years reporting on high school sports, local and professional golf. An award-winning journalist, he also enjoys his duties as a copy editor for The Times-Tribune, editing stories and designing pages. A native of Williamsport, Marty resides in Clarks Summit. Reach him at mmyers@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100 x5437 or @mmyersTT.