Team Spotlight: Franklin Community Middle School

The small town of Franklin, Indiana has a team capable of having a rewarding basketball season. The talent on this team is represented at every position on the court. These young men played flawlessly in their victory over Greenwood Christian Academy.    Zane continues to be a problem on the basketball court. He was the best overall player on the court when I saw him play during the summer. After watching him in the season opener against Greenwood Christian Academy, nothing has changed. Zane attacks the basket, handles the basketball and excels at running the point forward position. He continues to use his ability to be a scoring threat from everywhere on the floor. Whether it's knocking down perimeter shots, scoring in transition or doing work in the post, Zane had his way against the opposition. He showed great leadership by communicating with his teammates on both ends of the court. Defensively he showed his athleticism by forcing turnovers and blocking shots. As I said before, Zane is a complete player who has a great shot of becoming elite in the near future. He finished the game with (6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks).     Avery is a player who showed a variety of skills on the basketball court. When I saw him play over the summer, he literally did everything for his team. In last night's game, he continued to use those same traits to lead Franklin Community to an easy victory. Avery is a skilled ball handler for his size. On numerous occasions he easily beat opponents off the dribble, attacked the basket and scored. Whenever Franklin Community had a chance to score in transition, he finished strong at the rim. Rebounding and shot-blocking continue to be a major strength of his game. Most of his rebounds led to second chance scoring opportunities for his teammates. Avery is a great team player who could be vital to Franklin Community's success this season. He finished the game with ( 4 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks).     Cohen continues to be a tough combo guard who shows the ability to be a big time scorer. He's very effective on the offensive side of the floor. During the summer, Cohen showed the ability to score from all levels of the court. Whether it was attacking the paint, knocking down mid-range jumpers or extending his range beyond the arc, he was un-guardable on that day. In last night's game he scored most of his points in transition after forcing turnovers defensively. He continues to be a great on ball defender who presses the opposition into turnovers. I have a feeling Cohen will have a thirty point game before season's end. He's the kind of player who could catch fire and become a major obstacle for opposing players and coaches. Cohen finished the game as Franklin Community's leading scorer with ( 12 points, 3 assists, 3 steals).     Cooper is a dog! He's the type of player every coach would love to have. I appreciate the tenacity he showed as the team's” glue guy” when I watched him over the summer. The attitude he came out with last night was exactly the same. Cooper continues to attack the glass, score inside the paint and defend. He excelled at forcing the opposition into turnovers with excellent timing and quick hands. A number of his steals were made by shooting the pass lanes or poking the ball away. Whenever Franklin Community needed a rebound, Cooper was in the paint fighting for it. Every team needs a player who does all the “dirty work.” Franklin Community is fortunate to have one. Cooper finished with ( 6 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals).        Keigan is difference maker! He's an effective scorer with the kind of ball handling skills to be an effective passer. Keigan easily got around his defender and found teammates in scoring positions. The majority of his assists led to positive outcomes for Franklin Community. He used those same skills to score the basketball. In last night's game Keigan drove by the opposition and scored floaters in the paint. He showed the ability to shoot the ball as well. Whenever there was an opportunity to knock down a perimeter shot, Keigan did so with confidence. Defensively, he made numerous plays that made a difference. Keigan applied great on-ball pressure by using quick hands and great footwork. Keigan is a promising young player who could make a difference as the team's 6th man.     Cole is a talented scorer! He excelled at getting to the basket. In the match-up against Greenwood Christian Academy, Cole scored in a variety of ways. Whether it was beating opponents off the dribble, knocking down shots from mid-range or extending his range to the three-point line, the opposing players had no answers defensively. Every time Cole had one-on-one match-ups, he immediately went to work on his opponent. These outcomes led to him either scoring or assisting his Franklin Community teammates. Defensively, he was great at pressuring opposing guards on the perimeter. His on-ball pressure forced numerous turnovers and led to easy transition scores. Cole is a great all-around player who could play a major role in the success of Franklin Community this season.

The small town of Franklin, Indiana has a team capable of having a rewarding basketball season. The talent on this team is represented at every position on the court. These young men played flawlessly in their victory over Greenwood Christian Academy.