The Wildcats used it to do some climbing and net cutting after securing a share of the Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division boys championship — their seventh straight title — with a 61-42 victory over Valley View.
“Just an unbelievable feeling,” Franklin coach Brian Bales said. “I know how hard they are to come by, so anytime you get one, man, it’s just a fortunate feeling. I played here, I love this community and I love this school.
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“For these seniors to be able to walk up that ladder after the game and cut the nets down is really special. To do it with my dad sitting next to me is pretty cool.”
It was a perfect ending to the regular season and a stirring Senior Night for the Wildcats’ five seniors: Jared Kinzer, Payton Knott, Cole Bundren, Jayden Fitts and Cody Spencer.
Franklin improved to 17-5 overall and 10-2 in the SWBL in front of a packed house that included former Wildcat and Duke University star Luke Kennard, who’s now with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.
Bellbrook (13-9, 10-2) is the Southwestern co-champion after handling Eaton 60-41 on Friday.
“It’s the world, really,” Spencer said. “This is the last time you’re ever going to play on your high school court. It was just real emotional, high energy. We just knew we had to come out and put all the energy we had into it.”
“That group is so close. I think that’s one reason we were successful this year,” Bales said. “I don’t know if we’re the most talented group, but it’s probably the best chemistry group I’ve had in a while. They kind of leave their egos outside the door. Different nights we have different guys scoring and leading us in scoring. To me, that’s a team.”
Knott (13), Zack Minton (11), Kinzer (10), Bundren (8), Braden Hall (7) and Spencer (7) were the top scorers for the Wildcats.
Spencer, averaging 2.3 points per game, drilled a 3-pointer to ignite a game-opening 21-4 surge by the hosts. Asked if he was feeling offensively inspired in his last home game, Spencer laughed and said, “I think that’s probably what it was.”
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Valley View (9-12, 5-7) looked overwhelmed early in the game, but the Spartans refused to surrender.
Indeed, Valley View roared back within 24-21 with 6:13 left in the second quarter and trailed 30-24 at halftime after Logan Hannah sank a trey at the buzzer.
“The 3 from Hannah was huge for them,” Bales said. “I just told our guys at halftime, ‘It’s 0-0 and we’re going to play four four-minute wars, and we’ve got to win every one of them.’
“The first four-minute war we won 9-0, then we lost the second one 4-3. Then we kind of got some separation. We went to our 1-3-1 zone and forced them to shoot shots that I don’t think they were comfortable with, and then we just kind of expanded the lead.”
Franklin converted four 3-pointers and put up 19 points in the fourth period, and the Wildcats made eight treys overall. Hall grabbed seven rebounds, while Knott and Kinzer each collected six assists and two steals.
Bales started his five seniors, and they came off the floor together for the last time with 1:30 remaining. Franklin will begin Division I sectional play against Beavercreek at 8:30 p.m. next Friday at Trotwood-Madison.
“Our motto this year was, ‘Shoulder to shoulder,’ ” said Bales, a 1995 Franklin graduate. “We’re going to enjoy this and go win the next one. That’s just what we always say. We’re going to focus on getting better Monday. We’ve got some work to do, but this is fun.”
The Spartans got 12 points and eight rebounds from Cade Cradlebaugh, and 10 points and eight boards from Ben Herman.
“Not really much to say,” Valley View coach Ben Buehner said. “They were the better team and better coach.”
Next for the Spartans is their regular-season finale at home Saturday night against Fenwick. Valley View will face Badin in a Division II sectional opener at noon next Saturday at Fairmont.
Valley View 14-10-4-14—42
Franklin 23-7-12-19—61
VALLEY VIEW (9-12, 5-7 SWBL Southwestern): Gio Geiger 3 0 7, Clayton Erbaugh 3 0 6, Ben Herman 4 1 10, Logan Hannah 2 0 5, Cade Cradlebaugh 5 2 12, Zach Hannah 1 0 2. Totals: 18-3-42
FRANKLIN (17-5, 10-2 SWBL Southwestern): Jared Kinzer 5 0 10, Payton Knott 3 6 13, Cole Bundren 3 0 8, Jayden Fitts 1 0 2, Cody Spencer 3 0 7, Zack Minton 3 2 11, Will Emrick 1 0 3, Braden Hall 3 1 7. Totals: 22-9-61
3-pointers: V 3 (Geiger, Herman, L. Hannah), F 8 (Minton 3, Bundren 2, Knott, Emrick, Spencer)
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