Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
Ryan Lanigan || HockomockSports.com Editor, will have a more complete update and photo gallery later today (Monday):
"For the first time in program history, the Franklin boys basketball team are state champions.
The top-seeded Panthers held off a late push from #3 Newton North, including a potential game-tying three at the buzzer, to secure the title with a 55-52 win.
Senior Caden Sullivan scored 11 of his game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter, including some clutch free throws in the final minute to help Franklin get the win."
"There was a lot of weight on Caden Sullivan’s shoulders down the stretch of Sunday’s thrilling Division 1 boys’ basketball state final at Tsongas Center.
The weight of a grieving community, of a team full of new starters, and a program desperately trying to get over the hump for its first state title.
Franklin’s senior captain took it all in stride, stepping up with 14 of the Panthers’ final 16 points to out-duel Newton North star senior Teagan Swint in a 55-52 victory that went down to the final buzzer."
Via Twitter, Franklin TV, and our subscription to HockomockSports.com, we share the results of the Winter sports competition for Franklin High School on Friday, January 31, 2025
Boys Basketball = King Philip, 42 @ Franklin, 56 – Final
– King Philip came out and put Franklin on upset alert with a strong first quarter but the Panthers responded with a big second quarter and led the rest of the way. Jack Assini (13 points) scored nine points in the first and Tommy Kilroy (11 points) had five to help the Warriors stake a 17-8 lead after eight minutes but Franklin’s offense roared to life with a 23-point second quarter to earn a 31-26 halftime lead. Zach Allen, who ended with a career-high 15 points, gave the Panthers a big boost with eight points, including a pair of triples, while Wyatt Herndon (nine points) added two trifectas to get Franklin in front. Caden Sullivan (13 points), Jake Olmstead, and Justice Samuels (11 points) each had five points in the third to keep the hosts ahead, 46-40, going into the fourth and Franklin’s defense took over from there, limiting the Warriors to two points in the fourth. KP senior Brandon Nicastro was the third Warrior in double figures with 10 points.
Girls Basketball = Franklin, 42 @ King Philip, 54 – Final
Josh Perry || HockomockSports.com Managing Editor provides the game recap ->
"Throughout the first half of Friday night’s Kelley-Rex title showdown in the Wooden Gym, King Philip felt like it was on the verge of being able to pull away and put some distance between itself and Franklin, but the Panther kept finding ways to answer back.
In the third quarter, that changed. The Warriors went on a 16-0 run and outscored Franklin 18-3 overall to turn a three-point game into a comfortable 20-point cushion.
Although the Panthers responded with 16 points in the fourth, KP never looked that troubled over the final eight minutes and celebrated a 54-42 victory. It was KP’s first win over the Panthers since December 2013, a stretch of 22 games, and it moved the teams into a first-place tie with four league games remaining."
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"Some losses can stick with you for years, even forever.
Tri-County’s football squad put things in the rearview, and the Cougars are now champions.
Junior quarterback Declan Walker finished 3-for-9 passing with 98 yards to go with 159 yards rushing and three total touchdowns, while sophomore Nick O’Brien (120 yards rushing) sprinted for the game-winning score with 31 seconds remaining as Tri-County captured its first-ever Small School Vocational title with a thrilling 36-30 victory over rival Blue Hills on the road.
“The kids came to play,” said Tri-County coach Andy Gomes. “It was one of those things throughout the year. Our kids just kept getting better and better. They had a mission in their minds. They wanted to come here and they wanted to take care of business. We did, and that’s a good football team we competed against… but to get the first one in the history of the school? It’s something that I’m glad for. These kids will have that memory, and be able to say that for the rest of their lives.”
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