High school boys basketball: Hornets on a roll
Published 12:00 am Saturday, February 3, 2024
Salisbury’s #2, Juke Harris, looks to corral a loose ball during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #2, Juke Harris, gives a look to an official during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury head coach, Albert Perkins questions an official during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #11 Hank Webb goes for a rebound during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #5, Mike Jeter, brings the ball up court during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #5, Mike Jeter, heads up court during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #2, Juke Harris, shoots a three pointer during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #15 Braylon Taylor brings the ball up court during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #15 Braylon Taylor looks to pass during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #15 Braylon Taylor pulls down a rebound during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #0, Bryce Dalton, applies the pressure during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #2, Juke Harris, gets called for a foul as he drives to the basket during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #3, DeShawn Brown makes a lay up during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #5, Mike Jeter, looks to pass during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury head coach, Albert Perkins gives instructions to a player during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #5, Mike Jeter, drives to the basket during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #2, Juke Harris, reaches for the opening tip during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Salisbury’s #2, Juke Harris, looks to pass during their game Wednesday, January 30, 2024 at Salisbury High School against West Davidson. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Salisbury’s boys basketball team has been playing so well that fans have started discussing a potential rematch with Reidsville.
It could happen.
Salisbury (17-3) is No. 2 in the 2A West RPI rankings. Reidsville (17-0) is No. 1.
Reidsville beat the Hornets 59-50 in the fourth round of the playoffs, the regional semifinals, in 2022-23. Two years ago, the Hornets beat Reidsville’s Rams 64-58 in the first round.
But don’t ask Salisbury head coach Albert Perkins about Reidsville. He’s friendly as a puppy most of the time, but if you ask him to look that far ahead, you might get glared at.
His focus is on South Davidson. South Davidson is 3-16 and a 40-point underdog against the Hornets, but South Davidson is next on the schedule, so the Wildcats have the undivided attention of Perkins.
“Our guys are having great practices,” Perkins said. “My coaches and I are keeping the goals in front of them, but we are letting them know we prepare one practice and one game at a time. It’s important that we don’t get ahead of ourselves.”
The Hornets endured a strange, momentum-breaking week recently when they didn’t play at all. Perkins explained that the Central Carolina Conference schedule is built around Davidson County’s exam schedule. He said next season the Hornets hope to schedule a non-conference game for that week.
Perkins was hired in August as the replacement for Bryan Withers, who guided the Hornets with quite a bit of distinction for eight seasons. August is not the ideal time to be hired as a basketball coach, especially at a school where at least half the basketball players are going to be on the football field until mid-November.
Mike Geter, Salisbury’s dynamic football quarterback/defensive back, was banged up after the playoff loss to Shelby and missed the first two games of the hoops season, and then Geter and Deuce Walker both missed the first Thomasville game as Shrine Bowl participants.
But Perkins and his staff, which still includes 40-year coach Erich Epps, have made it work. The Hornets have won 10 in a row and haven’t tasted defeat since Dec. 22. They are scoring 78 points per game, while allowing 50.
Geter — the reigning Rowan County Male Athlete of the Year —and Walker obviously are amazing athletes, but they don’t look like amazing basketball players at first glance.
They do grow on you. Walker is a tenacious and physical rebounder and defender and he’s shooting free throws better than he did in the past. Geter has his hot and cold streaks as a shooter, but the constants for him are competitiveness, decision-making and leadership. He brings those three things to the table every night. His modest scoring average isn’t all that relevant. The more you see him, the more you appreciate that he’s one of the county’s best players.
Mostly Geter and Walker, seniors who have been important pieces for Salisbury football and basketball since they were freshmen, are winners. They went 43-6 in their careers on the football field. In basketball, they are 67-19, with five of those losses coming as freshmen during the shortened COVID season. They are 38-3 in CCC games, 4-0 in CCC tournament games and 5-3 in state playoff games. That’s a lot of priceless experience.
Juke Harris, who competed on the North Hills varsity as an eighth-grader and played at West Rowan as a freshman, joined Walker and Geter at Salisbury when they were sophomores. The Hornets are 59-14 with Harris in the lineup. The 6-foot-6 Wake Forest recruit is a prolific scorer, averaging 23.1 points as a sophomore and 29.2 points as a junior. He is averaging 31 points per game this season, with a high of 45.
Harris has scored 2,017 points while wearing the uniform of the Hornets, more than anyone in program history.
Harris, who can score with 3-pointers, mid-range jumpers, layups, dunks and free throws, has been held below 20 points only once. He had 18 in Salisbury’s 62-56 loss to Cannon School.
Cannon School is 21-9 and is a strong NCISAA program with a Miami recruit. Salisbury’s other setbacks were to Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (a one-point loss without Geter) and to 4A Chambers. Chambers is the second-place team in a stout 3A/4A league that includes North Meck.
West Rowan has a good 3A team. Salisbury beat the Falcons 90-58 in a Christmas tournament semifinal.
Central Davidson is 19-1 and tearing up 3A. The Hornets beat Central Davidson 85-53 in the Christmas tournament championship game.
Salisbury hasn’t come close to losing to a 2A. The Hornets’ Central Carolina Conference games to date have been 80-35, 82-35, 81-37, 99-46, 91-52, 94-47, 67-39 and 77-31. When you’re beating Thomasville by 45, Lexington by 39 and North Rowan by 47, you’re got a chance to go all the way, something the Hornets have not done since 1987.
Salisbury has added another double-figure scorer this season in Braylon Taylor, a crafty sophomore who gets the bulk of his points with mid-range floaters and jumpers.
Guard Bryce Dalton contributes ball-handling and passing skills and is another 3-point threat. Forward Hank Webb is a long defender, who keeps balls alive on the glass, takes charges and provides some 3-pointers. Rugged rebounder Dashawn Brown returned to the lineup last week after missing two games and a number of practices, so Perkins plans to work him back into the mix slowly. Brown is not a big scorer, but the Hornets will need his toughness when the time comes to start taking on teams such as West Caldwell, West Stokes — and maybe even Reidsville.
Bo Brincefield, who is close to the end of the SHS bench, has become a cult hero for his efforts late in blowout games. He’s been getting on the floor almost every game for two minutes of “Bo Time” and he usually makes fans go crazy with a bucket.
Keial Matthews, Trey Davis and Macari House and several other talented athletes give the Hornets a deep bench and competitive practices.
The NCHSAA has scheduled a Final Four for the Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem.
If Salisbury can stay at No. 2 in the 2A West RPI rankings, it would mean the chance to play four straight playoff games at home before heading to a neutral site at the Joel Coliseum, Harris’ future home arena.
