Team Spotlight: Frankton Middle School

Frankton is a team that looks like they have played together for years. The guard play is solid while the wings play with the tenacity of a unit that does whatever it takes to win. This is a team capable of winning most of their games this season.    Cam continues to be an excellent shooter from behind the three-point line. He had a quiet first half but turned it on in the second. When he was not aggressive on offense, Cam made a point to do all the intangibles needed to help his team be successful. Whether it was taking charges, fighting for loose balls, rebounding, defending or assisting, Cam proved to be the ultimate team player. When halftime was over, he came out shooting! Cam knocked down multiple threes despite having a hand in his face. He stayed aggressive throughout the rest of the game. With staying active and finding ways to free himself, his shots made him a serious threat on the perimeter. In my opinion, Cam is the type of player who can catch fire and nail the majority of his shots. I believe he could have a game with five plus threes before seasons end. ( 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists.)     Mason continues to be the prototypical “ floor general ” who makes everyone around him better. I enjoyed seeing him play during the summer. Well, nothing has changed! I was thoroughly impressed with Mason Monday night. He came into the game more aggressive on offense than he was in the summer. He attacked the RJ Baskett defense throughout the duration of the game. Mason scored on numerous drives to the basket despite being physically contacted. Some he made, some he missed. What mattered was his mentality to lead Frankton to a win at all costs. Mason continues to show his skills as a play-maker. The majority of his assists led to high percentage shots for his teammates. He has the capability of being an excellent shooter. Monday's game was more about him attacking the basket. Defensively, Mason gets after it! He presses opposing ball handlers into mistakes and turnovers. Mason is a great leader who will guide Frankton to a successful season. He finished with (10 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals.)     Ivan reprised his role as the team's “ glue guy". He had a quiet first half of play but instantly turned it into a productive second half. He continues to initiate all the intangibles needed to help Frankton be successful. Ivan excels at scoring, rebounding, assisting and defending. On numerous occasions in the second half, he was able to fight for rebounds and score in the paint. This led to multiple three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. Some he converted, some he did not. I was thoroughly impressed with the way he turned it around after half time. In the first two quarters Ivan performed with little to no energy. Third quarter and on, he played with a strong will to win. On defense, he forced a couple of turnovers with great on-ball pressure and jumping the pass lanes. His steals led to transition scores for his teammates. Ivan is a winner! In my opinion, he is a vital piece to the success Frankton has this season. He finished with ( 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals.)     Bennett is a skilled all around player who makes things happen on the court. He continues to play hard on both ends of the court. Bennett continuously beats defenders to the basket. He easily scores the ball in a variety of ways. Either in the paint with lay-ups or low post moves over smaller defenders. Bennett is an excellent rebounding forward who can push the pace and lead fast-breaks. There was a situation where he grabbed the board, pushed the ball up-court and scored a tough basket down the lane. He showed his versatility as a play-maker for the Frankton team. Bennett threw pin-point assists and knocked down perimeter jump-shots. Defensively, he blocked a few shots and applied great on-ball pressure to players on the perimeter. Bennett is an awesome player who has a great chance of being great in the future. He finished with ( 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals.)     Blake is a new age power forward/center. He runs the floor, shows athleticism, attacks the basket and handles the basketball like a guard. I watched Blake grab defensive rebounds, drive the ball coast-to-coast and score on fast-breaks. Whenever he dominated the offensive glass, Blake gave his Frankton teammates second chance opportunities to score. On some occasions, he cleaned up his teammates' misses by scoring on put-backs around the basket. Blake had a knack for scoring tough baskets in the paint. He excelled at blocking shots and maintaining a defensive presence in the paint. Blake was great at extending his defense outside the interior. In some instances, he was forced to guard smaller players on the wing. He used his athleticism to hold his own, by keeping his opponent in front of him. Blake is a great player on both sides of the ball. I expect him to have an immediate impact on this season as a good all-around player. He finished with ( 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks.)

Frankton is a team that looks like they have played together for years. The guard play is solid while the wings play with the tenacity of a unit that does whatever it takes to win. This is a team capable of winning most of their games this season.