ARCANUM – Arcanum’s “secret weapon” is no longer a secret.
Trojans junior Aiden Carlisle etched his name into the program record book Friday night, setting a new all-time varsity boys basketball record by knocking down nine 3-pointers in a 68-32 non-conference win over visiting Riverside.
“We just told him he went from being on no one’s scouting report to now everyone’s scouting report,” said veteran Arcanum coach Kevin Brackman.
Carlisle felt it early.
“Since this morning, I wasn’t feeling good, but since the tip, it just felt better,” Carlisle said. “When I started shooting it, it even felt better. It just kept getting better and better.”
The 6-foot junior guard, a member of the 2024-25 Arcanum JV squad, began the 2025-26 season sidelined with a broken leg and made his varsity debut only recently at the Buccaneer Holiday Classic in Covington—setting the stage for his historic night on the Trojans’ home floor.
“Aiden has shot the ball like that for three years,” Brackman noted. “He had an unfortunate accident this preseason where he broke his leg, and it really set him back and put some of his goals on hold. We were able to get him back in the lineup and get him playing at varsity speed. It’s taken him a few games, but when he sees the ball go through the net, it’s a really good thing—he’s a great shooter, a really pure shooter.”
Carlisle knew he was locked in, canning two 3-pointers in each of the first, third, and fourth quarters, and three more in the second.
“That’s exactly what it was,” Carlisle said of being in the zone. “The shots just kept falling one after another, and I just kept making them. Knowing Coach Brackman had confidence in me gave me confidence.”
Arcanum struggled offensively early, managing just two points in the opening five minutes as Riverside jumped out to a 6-2 lead. A Matthew McCans 3-pointer and Carlisle’s first triple sparked an 8-6 Trojans lead with 2:18 remaining. Riverside briefly tied it, 8-8, before Carlisle buried another trey to make it 11-8, a lead Arcanum would never relinquish.
“They have two really good guards,” Brackman said. “They broke one of our presses early, so we had to mix some things up. It came down to guarding in the half-court and staying disciplined. Our defensive margin is lower than it has been in a long time, so getting back to focusing on keeping our guy in front was important—and we did that.”
Arcanum closed the opening quarter up 15-10, with five Trojans scoring: Carlisle (6), McCans (3), and two points each from Jace Mote, Gideon Garno, and Cameron Ball.
The Trojans erupted for 27 second-quarter points, paced by Carlisle’s trio of 3s. Charlie Weis added five points, including 3-for-3 at the line, Garno and Ball chipped in four apiece, McCans knocked down another triple, and Mote scored inside.
Arcanum’s smothering full-court pressure limited Riverside to just seven points in the quarter, sending the teams to halftime with the Trojans holding a commanding 42-17 advantage.
Brackman continued to lean on his nine-man rotation in the third, backing off offensively while still outscoring the Pirates 14-4. Carlisle buried 3s No. 6 and No. 7, Mote added a pair of buckets, and Weis scored as Arcanum pushed its lead to 56-21 after three.
With a running clock in the fourth, Carlisle drained his eighth triple at the 7:11 mark, tying the school record. He then buried the record-breaking ninth 3-pointer with 5:03 remaining, stopping play momentarily as the home crowd recognized the feat.
“We weren’t talking about it,” Brackman said. “When things like that happen quickly, kids can overthink it—but he’s a pure shooter. His teammates were very selfless and put him first, and he doesn’t get that opportunity without really good players around him.”
“It’s a great group of guys,” Brackman added. “We’ve known that since November. Every night it can be somebody different.”
With the record secured and Arcanum leading 62-26, Carlisle spent the final five minutes on the bench as the Trojans closed out the win.
A gesture from first-year Riverside coach Zach Showalter didn’t go unnoticed. With the game decided, Showalter offered to allow Arcanum senior Dane Byers—a fan favorite—to get a shot.
“That just speaks volumes about the hire Riverside made,” Brackman said. “I’ve never had anyone do that.”
“I told coach our team had our moment tonight through Aiden,” Brackman added. “It wasn’t about an individual—it was about our team. Coach Showalter is a great guy.”
Carlisle finished with a game-high 27 points, all coming from beyond the arc, as Arcanum cruised to the convincing non-conference victory.
BOX SCORE:
ARCANUM 68, RIVERSIDE 32
ARCANUM – A. Carlisle 27, M. McCans 11, J. Mote 8, C. Weiss 7, G. Garno 6, C. Ball 6, B. Cartwright 3 TOTALS 13 3-5 12 68
RIVERSIDE- B. Osborne 10, H. Sanford 7, G. Steineman 5, D. Gross 4, C. Shoe 2, C. Hurley 2, G. Jenkins 2 – TOTALS 10 3-9 3 32
3-POINTERS
Arcanum 13 (A. Carlisle 9, M. McCans 3, B. Cartwright 1)
Riverside 3 (B. Osborne 1, G. Steineman 1, H. Sanford 1)
SCORE by QUARTERS
15-27-14-12 68 Arcanum
10-07-04-11 32 Riverside
