On June 21, FHS athletes, faculty and parents gathered in the high school auditorium for the annual FHS Athletic Awards ceremony. With dozens of awards for achievements on and off the field provided by Select Bank and Trust of Franklin, Panther athletics looked back on the most unique year in recent memory.
Awards-
Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Male: Evan Klatt
Female: Jasmine Cruz-Rios
Most Outstanding Athlete of a Team Sport-
Male: Gavin Awtrey (46 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries and 14 tackles for loss for football as a two-way lineman; 5 runs and 6 RBI’s off 6 hits with 3 stolen bases for baseball; named to 2A All-State football team)
Female: Canaan Drake (Named to 3rd straight All-Mountain Six Conference basketball team after finishing 11th among NC 2A players with 2.2 points per minute, 9th among NC 2A players with 5 double-doubles and first in the MSC with 9.9 rpg; named MSC Offensive Player of the Year for volleyball after leading the MSC in hitting percentage, finishing 2nd in blocks and placing 4th in kills)
Female: Taylor Ensley (Named All-MSC and All-WNC Honorable Mention in volleyball after leading the MSC with 159 kills and finishing 2nd to Drake in hitting percentage; named to 2A All-State softball team after tying for 1st among 2A players with 9 home runs and 8th with 25 RBI’s in just 48 plate appearances)
Most Outstanding Athlete of an Individual Sport
Male: Ethan Stamey (Named named WNC Male Runner of the Year in cross country after placing 6th at state with a 16:20; named MSC Championship Men’s Track MVP after anchoring Panther men’s distance events; finished 3rd at state in 3,200-meter)
Female: Hannah Angel (Owner of FHS records in 110-meter hurdles and long jump; earned gold at state track championship in women’s 4x400-meter relay; anchored women’s track team in several events, placing in the top 4 at state in four events; named All-WNC Honorable Mention in cross country and MSC Championship Women’s Field MVP)
Female: Dylan Garcia (Owner of FHS records in 800-meter run, 1,600-meter run, 3,200-meter run and 5,000-meter cross country; named WNC Female Runner of the Year in cross country after finishing 5th at state with a 19:39; earned gold at state track championship in women’s 4x400-meter relay and placed 2nd in 800-meter run; named MSC Championship Women’s Track MVP)
Franklin Panther Sports Network Play of the Year
Dylan Garcia
Tori Ensley
Rylee Corbin
Chris McGuire and Keagan Pollock
Most Improved Athlete Over a Career
Male: Chad Wilson
Female: Rylee Corbin
Panther Pride Award: Coach Josh Brooks
Booster Club Above and Beyond Award: Josh and Jay Brooks
FCA Awards: Anna Gilliam and Emily Zoelner (Taylor Ensley and Seth Crupi were also presented with FCA Plaques)
Fall Sports Awards
Football MVP: Gavin Awtrey & Evan Klatt
Football Panther: Camden Cochran
Volleyball Offensive MVP: Canaan Drake
Volleyball Defensive MVP: Anya Valentine
Volleyball Panther Award: Taylor Ensley and Rylee Corbin
Women’s Tennis MVP: Alyssa Smith and Mariah Sloan
Women’s Tennis Panther Award: Jasmine Cruz-Rios
Men’s Soccer MVP: Solomon Espinal & Isaac Jennings
Men’s Soccer Panther Award: Caleb Pevia
Women’s Golf MVP: Olivia Stahl
Women’s Golf Panther Award: Olivia Stahl
Men’s Cross Country MVP: Ethan & Nathan Stamey
Men’s Cross Country Panther Award: Ethan Farrell
Women’s Cross Country MVP: Dylan Garcia
Women’s Cross Country Panther Award: Hannah Angel
Winter Sports Awards
Women’s Basketball MVP: Canaan Drake & Tori Ensley
Women’s Basketball Panther Award: Kandice Parker
Men’s Basketball MVP: Miles McClure and Griffin Green
Men’s Basketball Panther Award: Chad Wilson
Women’s Swimming MVP: Natalie Claire Ballard
Women’s Swimming Panther Award: Olivia Stahl, Callie Roper, Claire Holland
Men’s Swimming MVP: Michael Frazier
Men’s Swimming Panther Award: Luke Borgman, Clayton Guynn, Caden Tyler
Cheer MVP: Alivia Gibbs
Cheer Panther Award: Lauren Shannon
Wrestling MVP: Branden Berger
Wrestling Panther Award: Braden Cody
**Coach Kyle Barrington recognized as Mountain Six Conference Wrestling Coach of the Year
Spring Sports Awards
Baseball MVP:Austin Coker
Baseball Panther Award: Dawson Johnson
Softball MVP: Mckenzie Redoutey, Nevaeh Tran, Taylor Ensley
Softball Panther Award: Deaven Lombard & Kandice Parker
Men’s Golf MVP: Skyler Hill
Men’s Golf Panther Award: Mason Williamson
Women’s Soccer MVP: Brandy Dills
Women’s Soccer Panther Award: Maddie Brannon, Cynthia Rios, & Megan Davis
Men’s Track MVP: Ethan Stamey
Men’s Field MVP: Luis Torres
Men’s Track and Field Panther Award: Logan Russo and Ethan Farrell
Women’s Track MVP: Dylan Garcia
Women’s Field MVP: Hannah Angel
Women’s Track and Field Panther Award: Rylee Cassada and Hope Smith
**Head Coach Melissa Ward Recognized as the Mountain Six Conference Track and Field Coach of the Year
College Commitments and Athletes enlisted in the United States Military
Canaan Drake- Bryan College (Volleyball)
McKenzie Redoutey- LSU (Softball)
Taylor Ensley- NC State (Softball)
Hannah Angel- UNC Charlotte (Track)
Dylan Garcia- Montreat (Cross Country)
Anna Tastinger- Montreat (Track)
Kiara Dewey- Caldwell (Softball)
Nathan Stamey- Montreat (Cross Country)
Ethan Stamey- Montreat (Cross Country)
Amy Tippett- UNC Asheville (Volleyball)
Branden Berger- Military
Blanca Melendez- Military
Aiden Carpenter- Military
Scholarships
Tom Raby Memorial Scholarship: Gavin Awtrey and Taylor Ensley
Walter Scruggs Memorial Scholarship: Chad Wilson and Brandy Dills
Stan Sloan Memorial Scholarship: Rylee Corbin, Seth Crupi, Evan Klatt
Brandon Stiwinter Memorial Scholarship: Bryce Rogers
Parker Mathis Memorial Scholarship: Gavin Awtrey & Seth Crupi
Walter Wright Memorial Scholarship: Chad Wilson & Gavin Awtrey
Eric Witherington Athletic Scholarship: Dylan Garcia, Sydney Chapman, Hannah Angel, Taylor Ensley, Brandy Dills
Booster Club Athletic Scholarship: Taylor Ensley, Kandice Parker, Mckenzie Redouty, Eli Gilbert, Chad Wilson
-Thank you to Clinton Taylor for putting the video above together and for Ms. Andrea Terrell for providing the voice over.
Special Presentation to Mr. Woody (See attached photo)