Birmingham bound: Red Bay punches ticket to state semifinal with win over Cold Springs
The Tigers are B’ham bound.
For the first time since 2020, the No. 3-ranked Red Bay High School varsity boys’ basketball team has clinched a spot in the AHSAA Class 2A basketball final four after defeating Cold Springs 64-52 in the Class 2A Northwest Regional championship game in Hanceville Monday morning.
“I really felt that we were good enough to win this regional,” RBHS head coach John Torisky told the media after the game. “We knew it would be hard, but these guys really developed along the year—probably more so than I thought they would, to be honest with you. I think this is one of the best offensive teams I’ve ever coached. But it’s just one of those things where everything’s coming together at the right time.”
All was well in the end, but it was an inauspicious start for the Tigers against Cold Springs.
Red Bay fell behind by eight points midway through the first quarter before making an explosive response. Sophomore Khalil Luster, who finished with a game-high 23 points, and senior Jaxon Vinson led the charge and helped Red Bay tie the game up 16-16 before the end of the first. Then in the second quarter, Luster scored 10 of Red Bay’s 24 points as the Tigers doubled up on the Eagles to take a 40-28 lead into halftime.
After going down by eight points early, Red Bay closed out the first half on a 36-16 run.
In the second half, Red Bay maintained a comfortable double-digit lead, pushing its advantage as high as 16 points early in the fourth. The Tigers would go on to win by 12.
Luster, who was named to the All-Northwest Regional Team and tabbed as the regional MVP, finished with a double-double after grabbing 10 rebounds in addition to his 23 points. Vinson, Red Bay’s other all-regional selection, scored 15 points. Senior Bryant Harris also hit double figures with 11 points.
As a team, the Tigers were prolific from beyond the arch making 10 of their 19 three-point attempts. The Red Bay head coach believed it to be a complete team effort.
“I thought we played really well,” Torisky said.
“The kids kept their composure the second half and we just did what we do. I mean, we’ve got good players, and I try not to make it too complicated. We let these guys make plays and they made enough today,” he added. “I was really happy with our defense—I thought we got some big stops. Cold Springs is a really good offensive team. Defense and rebounding travel, you just don’t plan on making 10 for 19 from the three-point line, so we’ll take that, too.”
Torisky also praised leaders Luster and Vinson—both joined him in the postgame press conference—and the Tigers’ selfless senior leadership for helping the team reach semifinal round.
“These guys are just winners and my job is to put them in a position to be successful,” Torisky said.
“I’m lucky to have someone like Jaxon who’s got some experience—Khalil got some (experience) last year as a freshman—but Jaxon’s really matured this year and taken a bigger role. And then we’ve got Bryant Harris who’s just a lights out shooter for us, really hit some big threes. Landyn Lewey’s one of our best defenders,” he added. “Those seniors just lead by example. They’re not necessarily the most vocal guys, but they want to win. And because they want to win they do things the right way.
“Just a great team effort today. These guys, they’ve been doing this all year so it’s nothing new.”
Red Bay will face the champions of the Central Regional, LaFayette High School, in the semifinals at Legacy Arena in Birmingham on March 2. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m.