Preview: Franklin Panthers vs. West Henderson Falcons
The Franklin Panthers will head out on the road to square off against the West Henderson Falcons at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Franklin has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 502 points over their last seven games.
Even though Smoky Mountain scored an imposing 59 points on Friday, Franklin still came out on top. Franklin strolled past Smoky Mountain with points to spare, taking the game 78-59. Given Franklin's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 174th, while Smoky Mountain is ranked 473rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
William Rauers and Max Mcclure were among the main playmakers for Franklin as the former scored 21 points along with nine rebounds and three steals and the latter scored 25 points along with four steals. Mcclure has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last seven times he's played. Braylen Dezarn was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with three steals.
Even though West Henderson has not done well against A.C. Reynolds recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. West Henderson took down A.C. Reynolds 74-56. Winning may never get old, but West Henderson sure is getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
West Henderson's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jackson Lyda led the charge by dropping a double-double on 24 points and 11 rebounds. Lyda has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last five times he's played. Another player making a difference was Tyler Nash, who scored 18 points.
Franklin has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 11-4 record this season. As for West Henderson, their victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-5.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Franklin have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 31.5 rebounds per game. It's a different story for West Henderson, though, as they've been averaging only 32.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Franklin came up short against West Henderson in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, falling 68-62. Can Franklin avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
