Instead, the Wildcats forged a second-half surge that has recaptured the identity of a once-proud program and pushed them into the postseason picture.
Franklin clinched the Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division title outright after reeling off four straight wins.
For Franklin coach Brad Childers, who returned to lead the program with nearly three decades of Wildcat football tied into his own coaching DNA, the revival started with a senior class that refused to surrender to circumstance.
“When I got back into the head coaching position, I wanted to give those seniors the Wildcat football experience,” Childers said. “Some of their dads played here. They know what this program is supposed to look like. And as bad as things started, there was never a day I thought they quit. That’s what I’m proud of more than anything.”
The early season stretch was brutal.
The Wildcats faced five straight opponents who have either clinched a playoff berth or have postseason hopes, and the lone loss with any real scoreboard separation came against Talawanda — a game Franklin trailed just 14-3 at the half before the Brave‘s running game took over.
That reality kept the roster grounded. The effort, Childers said, was never the problem. The execution needed reorganizing.
He shifted responsibilities within his staff, and Franklin entered the rivalry showdown with Monroe in the annual Booster Bowl — their first true turning point.
It was a 23-16 victory that has now turned into four consecutive wins.
“That was the moment I said, ‘Stop looking at the scoreboard. Start winning one play at a time,’” Childers said. “We weren’t chasing a record anymore. We were chasing identity.”
The offensive evolution has been led by sophomore quarterback Ryan Michael — an unlikely signal-caller by any measure.
Michael never took a varsity snap at the position in junior high. He was built to be a defender, playing with a linebacker’s edge and a defensive end’s motor.
But Childers asked him to step in under center, and Michael embraced the burden like a true Wildcat.
“He’s a winner. Plain and simple,” Childers said. “He takes things personally. He puts the team on his back. He’s not perfect, but the kids rally behind him because he competes for every inch. That’s what Franklin football has always been about.”
On the other side of the ball, senior linebacker Brayden Isaacs has become the emotional engine for a revitalized Franklin defense.
Isaacs entered the week with 111 tackles — wrapping up at least 10 a game — and he continues to close in on the program’s all-time tackling record.
“He just refuses to lose,” Childers said. “He gets guys lined up. He plays with urgency. He has the defense on his back every single snap. He’s a captain for a reason — because the locker room trusts him.”
With a league title already in their hands, the Wildcats (4-5) turn to a crucial season finale at home against Brookville (8-1).
Franklin’s playoff hopes hang in the balance.
“It’s a new season every week,” Childers said. “And now we’ve got an 8-1 Brookville team coming to town — extremely well coached, tough, physical. They are everything this league stands for. And now, for us, it’s about matching that and playing to get in.”
What was once a season defined by frustration has become a living reminder of what conviction looks like when shared by an entire roster.
The seniors stayed focused. They fought. They gave that 1 percent Childers preached every day — and it has added up to a Wildcat team nobody wants to see in late October.
“Who would’ve thought in Week 4 or 5 that we’d be playing for the playoffs?” Childers said. “But here we are. Still working. Still believing. That’s what this place is supposed to be.”
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