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Varsity 541 NEWS NOW Successful post-seasons put SOU athletic budget in the red ... Tuesday meeting: State-appointed panel to examine Rogue Valley's transportation future ... Morrison's Rogue River Lodge revitalized through acquisition ... Successful post-seasons put SOU athletic budget in the red ... Tuesday meeting: State-appointed panel to examine Rogue Valley's transportation future ... Morrison's Rogue River Lodge revitalized through acquisition ... BOYS BASKETBALL Many happy returns for South Panthers clinch 13th state tourney berth in 15 years with rout Comment By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Follow @@Kris_Henry MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Follow @@Kris_Henry Posted Mar. 6, 2016 at 2:00 AM By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Follow @@Kris_Henry Posted Mar. 6, 2016 at 2:00 AM --> South Medford 85, Grant 67 RECAP: Hunter Bradford leads five South Medford in double figures with 16 points to go with 10 rebounds and the Panthers secure a Class 6A state tournament berth af... » Read more X South Medford 85, Grant 67 RECAP: Hunter Bradford leads five South Medford in double figures with 16 points to go with 10 rebounds and the Panthers secure a Class 6A state tournament berth after a one-year hiatus. UP NEXT: 6A state quarterfinals, South Medford vs. Sheldon, 8:15 p.m. Thursday at Chiles Center. » Social News South Medford’s boys basketball team played an elaborate game of tag Saturday night during the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs. For the better part of the contest against visiting Grant, one Panther player seemed to get things started for the second-seeded squad and then tag out to give way to a teammate, who would carry the load for a while before doing likewise with another teammate. It went on like that time and again for South Medford, which ultimately placed five players in double figures and had another on the cusp to pull away from the Generals for an 85-67 rout in the home finale for outgoing head coach Dennis Murphy. “South Medford’s a really good team,” said Grant head coach Robert Key. “I just thought they played well together, especially in those second, third and fourth quarters, and really moved the ball.” “I knew coming in here it was going to be tough,” added Key, whose team finished third in the PIL. “Dennis does a great job and my hat’s off to him as well, they’re a really good team.” South Medford senior Hunter Bradford had 16 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two assists to pace a balanced effort that included big showings by Kaleb Franklin (15 point, five assists, four rebounds), Josh Washington (15 points, eight rebounds), Eskari Carter (13 points, eight assists, four blocks, three rebounds) and Raymond Benford (12 points, three rebounds). Not far off the pace was senior Conor Carroll, who had eight points and five rebounds for a South Medford squad that turned things decisively in its favor with an 11-1 surge to end the second quarter for a 37-28 lead. “It could be Raymond’s night, it could be E’s night, could be Hunter’s, Josh’s or Kaleb’s night … that’s what we built this basketball team on,” said Murphy, “not an individual star but a great team effort. That was really demonstrated tonight because they all had moments.” The total of those moments allowed South Medford (25-2) to advance to the state tournament for the 13th time in the past 15 seasons. The Southwest Conference champion will next face league rival and runner-up Sheldon at 8:15 p.m. Thursday in the state quarterfinals at the Chiles Center on the University of Portland campus. The 10th-seeded Irish (20-6) upended No. 7 seed Beaverton, 81-72, on Saturday. “We really wanted to go to Portland, that’s been our goal all season,” said Bradford, who was part of last year’s team that fell one win shy of that goal. “We’re like a family and we were just hyped for this game. We just knew we had to give it everything we had and everybody did and we came out with the win. I’m just so proud of everybody, it was awesome.” South Medford built an 8-0 advantage before Grant (16-10) caught fire and used a 12-3 run to get settled and send notice the young Generals were not going away without a fight. Senior Nate Bradford led Grant with 21 points and five rebounds overall, while 6-foot-8 sophomore Kelton Samore added 14 points and five boards and senior Russell Tillery added 13 points, three rebounds and three assists. “They came right back at us but we kept playing and won the first quarter, which I thought was important,” said Murphy. The two teams then continued to battle back and forth, with the Panthers using 3-pointers by Benford and Carroll (twice) to keep pace. Over the final stretch of the first half, however, South Medford took control again with a pair of Bradford baskets in the paint surrounded by buckets from Riley Martin and Benford. A three-point play by Franklin sent the Panthers into the break with all sorts of momentum. “(Bradford) hurt us,” said Grant head coach Robert Key. “I didn’t realize he was as physical as he was. He set the tone and then when (Carroll) got going, that kind of ignited them going into halftime.” The third quarter proved to be more of the same as South Medford shared the ball effectively and built a 15-point lead midway through the frame on a driving basket by Carter, who had three straight efforts like that at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarters to make it 60-44 as Grant looked to extend its defensive pressure. South Medford made 15 of 20 free throws in the fourth quarter and, overall from the field, finished 31-for-53 (58 percent). “We really played hard and I thought we did a good job of guarding them and handled their pressure well down in the end,” said Murphy. Already humbled by the outpouring of support he has received after announcing he'll retire after this, his 28th season as South Medford’s head coach, Murphy said Saturday’s moment and the ones to come belong to his players above all else. “I’m excited about going back to the tournament, mostly for our kids,” he said. “It’s certainly been our goal all year, but when you have great kids like this who work so hard to make themselves good players and a good team, you really want them to try and get the ultimate reward, and that is the experience of playing in the state tournament. I’m so, so happy for them to have achieved that because it is very special.” While in Portland, Benford said he has no doubts his teammates will work to put their best foot forward against Sheldon and whoever else the Panthers may face. “Every big game we’ve had this year,” said the senior, “I think we’ve embraced the moment when we had it and then the next day we’ve come to practice ready for what’s up next. I think we’re ready for what’s up next.” GRANT (67): Bradford 21, Samore 14, Tillery 13, Downey 5, Rankin 4, Hickok 4, Bangsberg 2, Deloney 2, Leonard 2, Sims 0, Ewell 0. Totals: 26-66 11-17 67. SOUTH MEDFORD (85): Bradford 16, Franklin 15, Washington 15, Carter 13, Benford 12, Carroll 8, Martin 4, Cota 2, Metcalf 0, Bock 0, Schuster 0. Totals: 31-53 19-27 85. Grant;15;13;14;25;—;67 South Medford;16;21;19;29;—;85 3-point goals — Grant 4-18 (Tillery 3, Rankin 1), South Medford 4-14 (Benford 2, Carroll 2). Fouled out — Carroll. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected], www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Follow @@Kris_Henry MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Follow @@Kris_Henry Posted Mar. 6, 2016 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction Schedules & Events --> Recent Scores --> Prep Notebook Kris Henry Small mat programs make big leap at state It seems fitting that in a leap year, a pair of this area’s fledgling wrestling programs made big leaps at the state tournament in... Varsity 541 Photos South vs West Salem South vs Centennial South Medford Girls vs. St. Mary's Academy South vs Grants Pass South vs South Eugene South vs Roseburg » More Photo Galleries Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications | Contact Us | Advertise | © Copyright Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.