RICHMOND, Va. — RICHMOND, Va. (WTKR) — Franklin boys basketball broke a 32-year state championship game drought on Friday, but it's wait for that elusive crown will have to wait.
The Broncos couldn't keep pace with a red-hot George Wythe team, falling in the Class 1 state finals 78-37 at VCU.
"We knew George Wythe was a buzzsaw. We knew we were going to have to play flawless basketball," said head coach Rob Cutchins.
Right out of the gates, the Maroons jumped out to an 11-2 lead with three three-point shots in a two minute stretch. The Broncos would cut that down to a seven-point lead midway through the frame, but the offense of the 25-4 champs from Region 1C was just too potent.
For the game, George Wythe nailed 12 triples and were led by 30 points from Reed Kirtner. They led 29-10 after a quarter and Franklin was never able to mount much of a comeback afterwards.
"They're tough to defend. We have not played a lot of man-to-man defense this year and we had to get out of what we do best," Cutchins said. "We had to go to man-to-man and we knew we were up against it then."
Senior guard Christian Grant led Franklin with 12 points, sophomore LJ Majette chipped in 11 off the bench, and senior forward Kamarre Hicks posted eight points and 16 rebounds.
It brings a gutting end to what has been quite the turnaround season for the Broncos, who started the year 2-8 after schedule much bigger schools in their first 10 games.
The team won 11 of its last 13 contests to punch a ticket to its first state title game since 1993. That stretch included winning their first region title since 2007.
"It was special. Last high school game ever," Grant said. "It was very special to be here, win or loss, because most people don't get that."
"I'm going to remember the hardships and how we overcame them," Hicks said. "Playing for (Coach) Cutchins, he taught me a lot about being a man, how to battle adversity and playing hard."
After accepting their runner-up trophy, the Broncos were greeted by a standing ovation from the hundreds of fans who made the trip from Franklin.
"There's a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes and not a lot of people see that," said an emotional Cutchins. "We've been through a lot lately and these kids fought tremendously. We put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in it and that's where my emotions are."
"It's got nothing to do with the loss, it's got to do with how hard these kids work. That's what I'll remember the most, it's the journey."
"Seeing how far our fans come to support each game, they're always there for us," Grant said. "They always got our back no matter what."
During the week of preparation, the team talked about wanting to get one for their community of 8,000 people.
Though that goal will have to come another year, Franklin walks away from a season filled with trials, tribulations, and successes with plenty of faith that its next trip to a state title game won't be three decades from now.
"The way these people rally behind these young men and support them," Cutchins said. "To see this kind of shine and know that so many people are living through us, it has to inspire these men."
