1. COVID Clampdown
The dominant story of 2020, the COVID-19 epidemic, threw an enormous wrench into sports in Macon County this year. Between stopping a promising group of Franklin High School teams in their tracks this spring to casting a pall over sports in the fall, the virus touched every player, league, coach and team in some way. Teams that compete in summer, such as the Franklin Amateur Swim Team, didn’t have a chance to compete at all, and NCHSAA fall teams dealt with months of uncertainty as to whether they would even play. Teams currently in season have a slate of social distancing rules to follow, including wearing masks during indoor team activities that impede players’ breathing. For Franklin sports fans, a vaccine can’t get here soon enough.
2. Girls on the run
Despite the pandemic, 2020 was a record-breaking year for FHS. Two Panther athletes, Dylan Garcia and Hannah Angel, set school record – Angel with a 14.7-second 100-meter hurdle, and Garcia with both a 19 minute, four second 5,000-meter run and an 11-minute, 58-second 3,200-meter run. Although the runners occupy opposite ends of the distance running spectrum, the two friends’ talents are a mirror image. Angel posted three top-10 finishes at the NCHSAA state track meet this spring, finishing fourth in the high jump, sixth in the 55-meter hurdles and ninth in the triple jump, while Garcia finished fifth in the 1,600-meter run. Angel will compete for the UNC Charlotte 49ers next year, while Garcia has committed to Montreat College.
3. College bound
The year saw more high-profile college signings than Franklin has had in quite a while, as nearly a dozen Panthers were recruited by colleges this year. The biggest signing was that of nationally ranked softball outfielder Mckenzie Redoutey, who inked an offer with powerhouse LSU. Redoutey’s teammate, Taylor Ensley, will play for NC State next year, while multisport standout Canaan Drake will play for Bryant College. Three Panthers are currently on college rosters after signing this spring, including Jacob Kolodzik with Brevard soccer, Alison Knop with Bryan College volleyball and Gavin Riddle with Brevard football. Cross-country standouts Ethan and Nathan Stamey remain undecided.
4. Ruling in the pool
It was a successful year for FHS swimming and diving, with the boys winning their third straight Mountain Six Conference title in the spring. The girls weren’t far behind, placing third in the final standings. Even more impressively, both teams managed this feat without any seniors. This season swim and dive is in uncharted waters due to COVID-19 cutting into its offseason training. Due to fears over the virus, F.A.S.T., the Franklin Amateur Swim Team, was unable to compete this summer, depriving swimmers of the opportunity to keep their times low in the offseason. Despite this, the team has no shortage of talent at its disposal, and will look to take home Mountain Six Conference titles at the conference meet on Jan. 22, 2021.
5. Basketball stands tall
Franklin’s basketball teams had a banner 2020, with both JV and varsity squads getting into the action. Both JV teams took home Mountain Six Conference titles this spring, with the boys recording a sparkling 23-1 record and the girls besting Smoky Mountain for the second straight year in the conference final on an electrifying last-second shot by Hannah Smith. The two squads will send several players to varsity this winter, where the girls rode a stingy defense to a Mountain Six title and the third round of the state playoffs. FHS’s boys should improve on a solid 17-10 season in which the young team reached the second round of the state playoffs. In short, the future is bright for FHS basketball.
6. Hartbarger notches 200th win
It was a record-breaking year for a Franklin coach as well. On Feb. 25, longtime girls varsity basketball coach Scott Hartbarger recorded his 200th win with FHS, bringing his record at Franklin to 200-97 and likely cementing his status as FHS’s all-time wins leader for the program. The milestone was an exclamation point on a successful season for girls varsity, in which the Panthers won their third conference title in 13 years under Hartbarger and advanced to the third round of the state playoffs. Fittingly, the coach recorded No. 200 against Smoky Mountain, where he coached the boys team for eight years before coming to Franklin. Hartbarger was voted Mountain Six Conference Coach of the Year by his MSC counterparts.
7. New year, new conference
After four years of FHS playing in the Mountain Six Conference, 2020 set in motion plans for a new set of conference opponents next school year. Earlier in December the North Carolina High School Athletic Association released a draft plan of its 2021-25 realignment, which would create new classifications and conferences for the majority of its more than 400 schools. Under the initial draft Franklin would be moved from the state’s 2-A classification to 3-A, meaning FHS could face schools with much larger student bodies in state playoff tournaments. The draft sorts Franklin into a conference with current Mountain Six rivals East Henderson, Pisgah and Smoky Mountain as well as current 3-A schools North Henderson, West Henderson and Tuscola. The NCHSAA will hear concerns from member schools before voting on a final plan this coming March.
8. Track and field shines
It was a very big year for Franklin track and field, which saw six athletes post top-12 finishes in the 1-A/2-A state championship this February. The Panthers were led by future UNC Charlotte 49er Hannah Angel, who placed fourth in the high jump, sixth in the 55-meter hurdles, and ninth in the triple jump. In addition to Angel, cross-country standout Dylan Garcia placed fifth in the 1,600-meter run, and the pair also placed seventh in the 4X400-meter relay along with Anna Tastinger and Maria Sgro. Franklin’s girls placed 13th out of 48 teams at the meet. On the boys side, Ethan and Nathan Stamey placed seventh and ninth, respectively, in the 3,200-meter run, while Colby Hurst placed seventh in the pole vault. Jarrett Evans just missed out on a top-10 finish, placing 11th in the triple jump.
9. Berger wrestles way to state
The year saw a coming-out party of sorts for senior wrestler Branden Berger, who carried a dominant season all the way to the state championship tournament. After posting a 23-6 record in the regular season, Berger joined teammates Ben Waldroop, Braden Cody and Phillip Terrell at the NCHSAA 2-A West Regional in February, where he lost narrowly in the final match and advanced to the state tournament as the West Region’s No. 2 seed. At state Berger wrestled admirably, going 2-2 with his two losses coming by just two points apiece and narrowly missing out on a top-six finish. Berger’s experience in the state tournament should serve him well in his senior season, in which he hopes to remain in the 195-pound weight class.
10. Victorious volleyball
The year saw FHS volleyball put its stamp on the Mountain Six Conference, posting a 10-2 record and earning a co-MSC title with rival Hendersonville. The Panthers have dominated opponents at the net all season with blockers Canaan Drake, Taylor Ensley and Anya Valentine making life difficult for opposing players, while back line players Amy Tippett and Rylee Corbin provide solid defense and setting. The co-conference title is the first in a decade for Panther volleyball, who suffered both losses to Hendersonville, including one where a Bearcats player was caught serving illegally for her teammates. The Panthers are currently preparing for the MSC semifinals Jan. 4, 2021 and hope to earn a spot in the state tournament Jan. 12.