The Franklin Admirals boys basketball team (26-2, 15-1) withstood a strong challenge from the Ravenwood Raptors (16-8, 12-5) on their home court with a win Wednesday night to capture the 11-AAA title. “We did not execute the last four minutes of the game,” said Ravenwood head coach Patrick Whitlock. “They went to a two-three zone, and we were not able to get the shots we wanted. We had odd lineups for defensive purposes, and that was our undoing the last few minutes.” “It was great to be at home and be able to play well in front of a good crowd tonight,” said Franklin head coach Jason Tigert. “We were excited we could represent Franklin High School and bring home a district championship.” In the first quarter, Franklin started on an 11-3 run and took the early lead in the frame 15-10 with three pointers and jumpers from senior Taylor Spierto, senior Reed Kemp, senior Matt Thurman, and senior Aidan Smylie. Ravenwood and Franklin matched each other bucket for bucket in the second quarter to go into halftime deadlocked at 26. In the third quarter, Franklin relied on the quartet of Smylie, senior Connor Beavon, Thurman, and Kemp to hold a slight edge 43-42. Franklin was able to get enough separation in the fourth quarter with three pointers and timely free throws by Beavon, Smylie, Thurman, and Kemp to seal the victory and the district crown 59-53. The Admirals were able to make some key stops to hold Ravenwood at 53 points. “We wanted to mix defenses and know where their shooters were and finish the play by rebounding the basketball,” said Coach Tigert. “We thought if we made a commitment to rebounding, we would have a chance to win.” Franklin’s leading scorers were Kemp with 24 points, Smylie with ten, and Beavon with eight. “Connor (Beavon) has been shooting the ball well for us lately,” said Coach Tigert. “He stepped up and made some big shots. We talked about needing to get Connor more inside-out threes to open things up. Aidan (Smylie) has been a double-digit scorer for us all year long. He is one that makes big shots when the game is on the line.” Ravenwood’s point leaders were senior Nick Dang and junior Lee Molette with 14 and junior Noah Clifford with 13. “Nick Dang was aggressive offensively and able to knock down some shots,” said Coach Whitlock. “Lee Molette just went out there and was aggressive. He (Molette) is not considered to be a great three-point threat, but he knocked some shots down tonight. Noah has been our guy in the paint, and when he gets the ball down on the block, he can score.” The Raptors will host Hunters Lane on Saturday night. “It is an elimination game, so we are going to have to come out with a sense of urgency and be tuned in and ready to go in front of our home crowd,” said Coach Whitlock. “It is that time of year where we are getting close to March. Only the teams that are able to execute in crunch time and get defensive stops are going to advance. We are going to focus on that, and let the chips fall where they may.” Franklin will host Antioch on Saturday night. The Admirals have the opportunity to host every game they play in the region tournament due to their one seed status. “This is an elimination game, so we want to come out of there with a W,” said Coach Tigert. “We want to compete on every possession, play as hard as we can with composure, and play as a family. If we do those things, I can live the outcome. At this point, we are thinking one step at a time.”
Source: Williamson Home Page
