Franklin Regional boys basketball battles through Section 1-5A slate

By: Paul Schofield
Saturday, January 24, 2026 | 11:01 AM

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Franklin Regional’s boys basketball team played two key Section 1-5A games last week.

The Panthers (11-4, 7-2) held on to defeat McKeesport, 55-52, in a battle for second place Jan. 20. The win set up Friday’s first-place showdown at Gateway (10-5, 8-1).

The section has proved to be unpredictable.

Other than winless Albert Gallatin (2-13, 0-9), every team has shown an ability to win on any given night. For example, a month ago Latrobe defeated Uniontown by 40 points on the road and then lost by 10 at home. Franklin Regional has beaten McKeesport (8-7, 5-4) twice but lost at Uniontown.

McKeesport entered Friday’s games tied with Uniontown (9-7, 5-4) and Penn-Trafford (7-9, 5-4) for third place. Laurel Highlands (8-7, 3-6) and Latrobe (5-10, 3-6) were tied for sixth.

“I have not seen a team go winless in a section in along time,” McKeesport coach Dan DeRose said. “You have to respect everyone and try not to be the team Albert Gallatin beats.”

The Panthers used a quick start to defeat the Tigers. Six different players hit 3-pointers in the first quarter as the Panthers opened a 23-8 lead.

Franklin Regional moved the ball quickly against the Tigers’ 3-2 zone and hit the open shots.

The Panthers’ red-hot shooting forced DeRose to call two quick timeouts.

“Lamont Perkins twisted his ankle the last game, and we did not know if he could go,” DeRose said. “We went to a zone to protect him, and we did not defend well enough.

“It changed our style. We like to pressure teams, what we did in our comeback. We should not have been in that situation.”

Franklin Regional coach Jesse Reed said it is tough to shoot like they did early.

“We were getting good looks, but they were not going in,” Reed said. “I am proud of how the players performed. We made enough plays to get the win.”

The Panthers did miss a couple easy layups, and one player missed a dunk. McKeesport’s pressure defense also forced turnovers.

Webber Rankin and Logan Walter each scored 13 points for the Panthers. Sophomore Oliver Levens did hit a couple key free throws in the closing seconds.

Following the Gateway game, the Panthers were scheduled to host Laurel Highlands on Tuesday and visit Latrobe on Friday.

“We are getting our competitive level where it needs to be coming down the stretch,” Reed said. “Seeing us being able to execute in tough section games like this and being able to pull out the win is good to see.

“I am happy for the guys the way they are competing and battling. As long as we do that, we will give ourselves a chance to win games, and it comes down to making the plays at the end.”

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional