Grayson Harkins was ready for the big stage on Tuesday.
As he and the Shead High School Tigers of Eastport started their playoff run in the newly-created Class S for small schools, Harkins was the first player to score in the 2026 basketball tournament.
The clash in Bangor between Harkins’ Tigers and the Washburn Beavers of Aroostook County ended up going Shead’s way, with the senior guard scoring a game-high 21 points and the Tigers winning 50-38.
Harkins got the scoring started, for the game and for the entire tournament, with a smooth three-pointer in the first of four games at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on Tuesday.
“It feels good,” Harkins said about scoring the first points of the tournament. “It feels really great to get my team motivated to push.”
And what was going through his mind as he got the scoring started?
“Just putting the ball in the hoop and being ready for what’s next,” Harkins said.
Shead head coach Corey Sullivan said the senior guard’s hot start shooting the ball helped his team get rolling on Tuesday afternoon.
“It was nice to come out and have Harkins catch on fire in the first quarter,” he said. “That’s always a bonus.”