Playing in the Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) basketball tournament this past weekend, the Mustangs dropped a trio of games to end their season with a 9-15 record. The tournament featured numerous postgraduate schools.

They opened the tournament with a 67-36 setback to host Mercersburg Friday. Barrie followed with a 42-40 loss to Chicago's Lake Forest Academy Saturday and a 69-56 defeat to Mercersburg's "B" team Sunday.

"I'm really glad we played in the tournament because we didn't have an opportunity to play in our conference championship," said Barrie coach Jack Mitchell, whose squad was suspended for one year from the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference for unknowingly using an ineligible player last year. "The experience and exposure we gained was tremendous. Brandon played well and the younger kids played well under the conditions."

Johnson earned all-tournament honors by scoring a combined 64 points in the three losses. He poured in 17, 22 and 25 points, respectively, to pace the Mustangs' offense. Earlier this season, Johnson was named to the all-tournament team at the Bullis Holiday Tournament.

"It's excellent to be recognized at that type of tournament," Mitchell said. "The tournament is recognized up and down the East Coast. It was a good way for him to cap off his career at Barrie.

"I wish I had that kid for two more years. He's a terrific young man. He's a better person than basketball player. He put the team on his shoulders [and] sacrificed his game [on occasions] for the betterment of the team."

Despite the three losses, Mitchell was pleased with his first season at Barrie, which included eight wins in the New Year.

"It was a season of growth," he said. "January and February were terrific months. We played with more confidence and that's all you can look for from a young team. I think we laid a good foundation this year. We have a lot of young kids coming back."