It is a collection of stories I gathered and wrote this past winter while fully engulfed in the excitement and attention surrounding the Franklin basketball team, owners of a 26-2 record and a band of good kids who were as much brothers as they were teammates.
“We Are Family, We Are Franklin” will be released tomorrow night in a party at JD Legends in Franklin (from 6 to 8 p.m.). A brief ceremony will occur at approximately 7 p.m. Everyone is invited.
I didn’t just write this book, I experienced it. Like so many people, I arrived at games well before before tip-off and scrambled to find parking spots. I shook my head frequently, not sure I could believe what I was watching. I’ve never been around so much community enthusiasm and media coverage in all my life.
As I now read through the finished product, I’m honored to be part of something so positive for Franklin and all of Southwest Ohio. Plus anyone who ever saw me play knows there’s no other way my name would be on the cover of a basketball book. I am blessed.
The project was donated to the Franklin Wildcat Scholarship Foundation, which will benefit from all sale proceeds ($50 for hardback and $20 for paperback). Though the words are mine, many very skilled photographers have also donated their work – Charles Woods, Vince Rush, Theo South-Oakley and Jay Knip – which makes this extra special.
Anyone who participated, attended or even remotely heard about that season should own this book.
How’s that for a sales pitch? But I mean it.
I will always remember Friday, March 13, the day Franklin played in the District finals. I’d had a particularly challenging day in the courtroom, so I needed a nice diversion. My wife knows how much I love high school football and basketball, so I headed to UD Arena.
The place was packed. Excitement was high. While every other Wildcat fan scrambled to get a good seat, I settled into a spot in the front row. Later, after Franklin won its first-ever District title, I was in the locker room, hearing the laughter and listening to coach Brian Bales’ post-game speech, something I got to hear many times throughout the season.
Tell me I didn’t have the best seat in the house.
Tell me I didn’t have a great story to tell.
See, here’s the thing. I didn’t have a choice in writing this book. I just had the benefit of being in the perfect place at the perfect time. I hope there’s as much enjoyment in reading my words as there was in writing them.
I have theorized that in the year 2040, Franklin High School will honor this team in a special 25-year anniversary celebration. Luke Kennard, Matt Thompson, Austin Daliboa and Jake Riddell will stand center court with Evan Crowe, who will (maybe) be the Wildcat head coach at the time, and they will get one more standing ovation.
These guys will forever hold a special place in Franklin sports history. Years from now, people will still be talking about them.
I will be 80 years old by then, so I don’t know if I will get to be there in person.
But, because of my sheer good fortune, I will always get to be with the memory of this team, at least in spirit.
I wrote the book.