Even though growing up he showed great prowess as a football and baseball player, Grace Academy’s Brandon Herman seemed destined to end up playing basketball.
Through middle school, the son of former Tyner High School basketball standout Geoff Herman was a skillful shortstop in baseball — a sport his father thinks was his son’s best. His basketball coach Jon Mattheiss noted that Brandon was the city’s high school football leader as a freshman with six interceptions.
“Seven,” Brandon quickly corrected him.
But the younger Herman gave up playing those sports to concentrate on what’s turned out to be a stellar four-year basketball career with Golden Eagles, who face an elimination game Tuesday against District 6-A regular-season champion South Pittsburg when TSSAA Division I region tournaments move to central locations. Grace (20-6) takes on the Pirates at Arts & Sciences in a Region 3 semifinal at 7:30 p.m.
Region semifinals begin tonight with girls’ action. Games the next two nights start at 6 and 7:30 local time of the host school. Region finalists will move on to state sectionals with girls playing Saturday and boys playing Monday. Those winners advance to the state tournament.