Franklin Regional finds another gear in overtime to get past Penn-Trafford

By: Dave Mackall
Friday, January 26, 2024 | 11:02 PM

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Franklin Regional needed its leader to find another gear, and that’s what Cooper Rankin did.

The senior guard scored 10 of his 26 points in overtime Friday night to power the fourth-ranked Panthers to their third straight victory, a 63-58 decision over visiting Penn-Trafford in Section 3-5A boys basketball.

“I knew the team needed somebody to score the ball. They told me to go out and score and play hard, so that’s what I did,” Rankin said.

Franklin Regional (14-2, 5-1), which won for the ninth time in 10 games and remained tied with No. 2 Gateway atop the Section 3 standings, will step away from its WPIAL schedule and head to The Shootout at Seton Hill for a matchup with Obama Academy of the City League at 3 p.m. Sunday.

No matter the opponent, Franklin Regional coach Jesse Reed said there’s no room to take any time off.

“I told our guys, whenever you’re in a situation like we are where you’ve won some games and had some fortunate outcomes, there’s going to be a target on your back,” he said. “So, you’ve got to be ready to come and play every night. Everybody is in a dogfight. Every team can beat any team. You have to be ready to go.”

Rankin said the Panthers didn’t appear to be locked in, and Reed agreed.

“They gave us a good game,” Rankin said of the Warriors, who lost their fourth straight game and sixth in the past seven. “We didn’t play our best. The defense wasn’t that good, but we found a way to win.”

Added Reed: “If you’re not ready, that’s when you face battles like this, where you’re down most of the game and you’ve got to claw and fight back and find a way.

Connor Crossey added 11 points for Franklin Regional, which trailed by as many as seven points in the third quarter before rallying to send the game into overtime on Cam Rowell’s putback of his missed shot to tie it at 48-48.

“For the majority of the game, Penn-Trafford outplayed us,” Reed said. “But, down the stretch, when we needed to make plays the most, we locked in defensively, got stops when we needed to and executed when we needed to.”

Rankin took over the extra period. He scored on a turnaround jumper to put Franklin Regional ahead for good, sparking a 7-0 run that gave the Panthers a 57-50 advantage.

Penn-Trafford (8-10, 2-4) cut the deficit to 61-58 on Tyler Freas’ 3-pointer, then regained possession but couldn’t pull even.

“We still had a chance. We had the ball with the last possession,” Penn-Trafford coach Doug Kelly said. “We drew up what we wanted, and the kids just didn’t see what we were trying to do. Both teams played their (butts) off. We’ve had some injuries (to starters Carmen Metcalfe and Jason Sabol), but it doesn’t matter. Guys stepped up. We played really well tonight against a really good team.”

Freas led Penn-Trafford with 13 points. Evan Gross added 11 and Brayden Stone 10 for the Warriors, who head to Gateway on Tuesday.

Franklin Regional defeated Penn Trafford, 69-51, in the first meeting between the schools Jan. 2, but the latest encounter was different.

“Early on, we beat their press,” Kelley said. “Then, I think we went from trying to score against it to not turning it over. That mindset changed things.”

Rankin found another gear as the game progressed, and Reed took notice.

“I was really proud of the way he stepped up and the way he played, especially in the overtime,” Reed said.

“He held his composure the whole game and he got us into spots where we needed to be, made great plays down the stretch and led us defensively on the ball. I’m extremely happy with what he did tonight and how he helped us win the game. I’m proud of this team.”

Tags: Franklin Regional, Penn-Trafford