If the Franklin Panthers were feeling good off their 66-29 takedown of the Smoky Mountain Mustangs last Friday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. Franklin was dealt a 67-38 defeat at the hands of West Henderson on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss Franklin has suffered since December 22, 2023.
Several Panthers players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Avery Moffitt, who scored nine points along with ten rebounds and two steals. Cali Queen was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Even though they lost, Franklin smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as West Henderson only pulled down eight offensive rebounds.
West Henderson can attribute much of their success to Kayden Lyda, who went 6 for 10 from beyond the arc en route to 20 points and 1 assist. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Lyda has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Jaza Wilson, who scored 14 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Franklin's loss dropped their record down to 8-8. As for West Henderson, they pushed their record up to 11-5 with that victory, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season.
Franklin will take on Swain County at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Swain County will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps North Carolina Rankings (they are ranked 434th, while Franklin is ranked 212th). As for West Henderson, they will head out on the road to face off against Tuscola at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. That game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Nora Jenkins and Wilson.
