Returning cast gives Beaver Falls reason for optimism after tough postseason loss

WASHINGTON — Perhaps with a hope to emulate the success the school had in the fall, Beaver Falls boys’ basketball head coach Carliss Jeter started five key players from the Tigers’ football team in Monday’s opening round postseason matchup against Washington.

Unfortunately for Jeter, the opponent Prexies possessed a lineup filled with stars known better for their abilities on the hardwood, resulting in a 57-45 loss at Washington High School.

"It's all football players on this team," Jeter said after the loss. "I had maybe two pure basketball players and I lost one."

Entering the 2021-22 season, Jeter would’ve been the first to tell you that his team’s greatest strength would be in the back court. However, with three upperclassmen guards missing from the equation, things change.

Before the year started, senior Anthony Franchi moved to South Carolina to be with his mother. Juniors Isaiah Sharp and Da’Sean Anderson, both key players for the Tigers this season, were unavailable on Monday night, which led to problems.

In a game where both teams combined to turn the ball over 39 times, it was not passing, but shooting that ultimately did the Tigers in. In the first half, Beaver Falls made just five of their 25 attempts from the field – one of them being a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer before half time.

"You can't beat the sisters of the blind shooting like that," Jeter joked.

Washington was led by Tayshawn Levy, who had a game-high 22 points.

Trailing by double-digits for nearly the entire contest, Beaver Falls was able to avoid things from getting completely out of hand thanks to the production of senior guard Xaviere Collins. On a night where the Tigers struggled to find the bottom of the basket, Collins came off the bench to contribute a team-high 13 points.

"They just outplayed us for the first three quarters," Collins said. "They shot better and beat us on the boards. That's what made the difference."

Throughout the entire contest, Jeter could be heard screaming from the sidelines, “Don’t quit orange, don’t quit!”

In the fourth quarter, Jeter’s players showed their head coach that they were listening.

After scoring just 21 points in the first three quarters of play, Beaver Falls rallied to score 24 in the final eight minutes. Washington’s 23-point lead at the start of the final frame was trimmed to just 10.

Jaren Brickner led the charge, scoring all 10 of his points in the final six and a half minutes. Efforts like that have Jeter already excited for next winter.

"We'll be something to reckon with," Jeter said.

In addition to Brickner, Jeter has a handful of others that give him reason to be optimistic. This year's Tigers' roster had nine juniors, including key contributors like Sharp, Anderson, Brickner, Trey Singleton and Isaiah Aeschbacher.

The talent is there. Jeter says what must come next is putting in the work, something he is confident his group is capable of — thanks in part to what else, but the football program.

"I know (Nick Nardone) does a great job with Beaver Falls," Jeter said. "He'll have them in the weight room. Hopefully I can carry it over and get them better for next year."

Contact Noah Hiles at nhiles@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @_NoahHiles.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Returning cast gives Beaver Falls optimism following playoff loss