Five Takeaways: Franklin Community vs. Greenwood
Early on, this game was back and forth until Franklin took control in the second quarter. They controlled it for a while but Greenwood was able to get some breaks at the end of the game to get a shot. They had the ball, down two with under 30 seconds to play but wasn’t able to get a clean look at Franklin held off, 52-50. Reece Thomson of Franklin led all scorers with 21 points, Eric Moenkhaus led Greenwood with 19 points.
Greenwood Had Issues Running Offense
This game was really competitive and as good as Franklin was, Greenwood was just not great at all. They had a couple plays in the first half were they were able to move the ball and get things going quickly but then they really struggled to get much movement. Moenkhaus and Max Raker were good but both had long stretches of misses. Braydon Kincaid and Jeff Reynolds both had stretches where they missed four or more shots in a row. All of these guys are talented and better than what they showed but that was a definite problem they will need to address.
Thomson, Richards Provide Big Offensive Boost
This was probably the best game we had seen from Reece Thomson and Cory Richards was pretty decent as well. They both have room to grow but it was fun to see this offense run well and have multiple guys that can go out and get a bucket. Thomson’s perimeter jumper looks really solid and he’s creating more at the rim with a quick first step. Richards length and handles make him difficult to stay with whenever he puts the ball on the floor. These two in the backcourt give Franklin a lot of offense and confidence.
Greenwood Has Tough Part Of Schedule Coming Up
To this point in the season, Greenwood has an 8-3 record but the toughest part of their schedule is coming up. Shelbyville, Roncalli, Plainfield, Marion, and New Palestine all are in the second half of the season. Today probably is more of a middle-of-the-road to lower-end game for them so the expectation is they are going to be able to right the ship. However, they have a lot less room for error and need to get locked in.
Franklin Has Chance For Two-Year Run
For Franklin, they have a lot to look forward to. Their roster is made up of mainly juniors and sophomores with only one senior on the roster and he wasn’t a factor in this game. Their guard duo of Cory Richards and Reece Thomson, are joined by Blaine Wentzel, Drew Byerly and Luke Miles. Those three all come back next year and this year is still one where they can find success. They are 7-4 with a legit chance to move to 8-4 later today.
Franklin Can Beat Center Grove In Finals
After watching both game, Franklin can beat Center Grove. Especially Center Grove plays as poorly as they did this morning. That was a rough, rough game for them and they all looked a little disinterested and off. Most likely, Center Grove will pull it together and show they are one of the best teams in the state but if not, Franklin did a lot of the things well that Indian Creek did. They are capable jump shooters and have that toughness. If they can find a way to get rebounds, they might have a shot if Center Grove replicates their poor shooting.