The agony
of defeat

By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor

Frankford High School’s basketball team may be down.
They certainly aren’t out.
The Pioneers are still pulling it together after a heartbreaking 77-73 loss in double-overtime to Communications Technology High School in the Public League championship game on Sunday at Temple University’s Liacouras Center.
But there’s still a chance for redemption in the state playoffs.
Thanks to their 14-1 record (22-5 overall), the Pioneers earned a spot in the Class AAAA state playoffs. They’ll face Ridley, District 1’s No. 7 seed, on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Southern High School.
Judging from the Pioneers’ performance against the Phoenix in Sunday’s league title game, it should be one heck of a show.
Senior swingman Malik Tinsley paced Frankford with 21 points, and guard Malik Ballard had 20. Senior forward Khayree Brown scored 13 points, including a bucket that tied the game with 20 seconds left and forced overtime.
Both squads battled on, finishing the first OT tied at 62. In the second overtime — with the teams tied at 68 — Communications Tech grabbed the lead once again. They didn’t let it go.
Phoenix senior forward Andrew Randall sank two points, quickly followed by two from guard Chris Jones — who scored seven of his 11 points in the final four minutes of play. The Phoenix hit a string of foul shots; Frankford’s Tinsley hit a three-pointer with 10 seconds left in the game, but time had run out on the Pioneers.
Frankford lost it, 77-73.
"I think we had our opportunities and it was a great game," said Frankford coach Ben Dubin, who has a 57-21 record during three seasons with the Pioneers. "I’m proud of the guys and the way they handled the situation. We struggled, but we were right there. They played their hearts out."
It was Frankford’s first championship appearance since 2004, and their sixth in school history. Although the Pioneers have reached the playoffs for 16 consecutive years, they haven’t brought home the title since winning back-to-back championships in 1988 and ’89. Communications Tech joined the Public League in 2006 and went to the title game that year, losing to Simon Gratz High School.
Both squads entered Sunday’s championship showdown with just one loss, and a determination to keep it that way. It took almost three hours and two overtimes to anoint the winner.
"We had too many chances to pull it out and we didn’t," said Brown, Frankford’s forward. "It hurts. We had a great season. We were confident. But unfortunately we fell short."
That season-ender was Brown’s fifth game back on the court since an ankle injury forced the 6-foot-1, 180-pound athlete to watch a few games from the bench.
"Earlier in the year I came down on a teammate’s foot," said Brown, who rejoined his teammates on Feb. 13 for a 54-52 playoff victory over Edison High School. "My first game back was real tough. I was limping a lot on it, but now it feels a little better. It’s still really swollen."
After the injury, Brown had several MRIs, x-rays and physical therapy, as well as some time on crutches.
Two weeks later he was back.
And ready to win.
The four-year player scored 45 points in postseason play this year, including 13 in the championship game, along with 11 rebounds.
"If you saw his ankle without his shoe on, you’d be amazed that he’s out there," said Dubin. "He takes charge and he plays with a lot of toughness."
On Sunday, Brown helped keep Frankford in the game several times — tying it with 10 seconds left in regulation and then putting the Pioneers in the lead with 2:16 remaining in the first overtime.
"It felt good. I was confident," said Brown. "My coach said to give me the ball and I was ready to make it. We all turned it up. We came out ready in the overtimes and we played hard."
Brown has played with pain in the past. He has torn ligaments in both ankles while at Frankford, missing time in his freshman and sophomore seasons because of damage.
"It was the same thing — I came down on a kid’s foot and twisted my ankle," recalled Brown, 18. "Both times when I came back, I was real rusty. But I knew I could do this. I love this game and I’ll do anything for it. I kept trying and I came through."
Brown, who scored an average of 12 points per game this season, was happy to have a shot at the championship in his final year with the Pioneers.
"I prayed for this," he said. "During the season we were the underdogs. For us to be here is huge. We played hard for this. We earned this." ••