A new era is underway for Panther women’s hoops.
When longtime head coach Scott Hartbarger stepped down earlier this month, former assistant Justin Moffitt took over the team, leading Franklin to back-to-back conference wins. In two more Mountain Eight games the week of Jan. 12, the Panthers suffered two narrow losses.
Having routed Tuscola in Moffitt’s first game Jan. 6, three nights later the team traveled to North Henderson. There Finley Moffitt dominated the early goings, scoring seven of the game’s first 12 points. Rylee Greene and Layla Maloy added 3-pointers to end the first quarter up 15-5.
Franklin’s defense kept harassing the Knights in the second, racking up three steals, a block and several deflections. Maloy and Moffitt combined for nine points to take a 28-12 lead at the half.
Bristol Brooks turned red-hot after the break, racking up seven points, two steals and one assist in the third. Bailey Wooten added six points and a block in the fourth en route to a 52-31 win.
On Jan. 12, the Panthers traveled to Smoky Mountain to face the Mustangs. There Maloy and Greene came out firing once again, sinking back-to-back 3-pointers to start the first. Smoky came back with a vengeance however, scoring 18 unanswered to end the quarter up by 12.
Franklin climbed out of the hole in the second, stymying the Mustangs with five steals from five different Panthers. Moffitt added six points at the other end to cut Franklin’s deficit to 24-21.
Smoky returned the favor to start the third, holding Franklin scoreless through its first four minutes. Bailey Wooten soon heated up however, scoring five points to end the quarter down 37-33.
Brooks continued Franklin’s comeback attempt in the fourth, posting two 3-pointers and two steals to cut their deficit to one. Smoky kept the Panthers at bay however, going on to win 51-47.
Four nights later the team traveled to West Henderson to face the Falcons. There Franklin shot out of the gate, scoring the first nine points including five from Maloy and four from Moffitt. West soon regrouped however, ending the first quarter up 14-13.
Moffitt stayed hot in the second, scoring 10 of Franklin’s first 13 points and adding a steal. Both teams traded scoring runs throughout the quarter, with Franklin ending the half down 34-33.
The game stayed neck-and-neck into the third, highlighted by seven points, an assist and a steal from Brooks. West heated up to end the quarter however, leading 61-48 early in the fourth.
From there Franklin attempted a furious comeback, racking up three steals, two blocks from Moffitt and eight points from Maloy. In so doing they cut their deficit to as little as two, but West hung on for a 70-67 win.
Transition
Since taking over as interim head coach Jan. 6, Moffitt has led the team to a 2-2 record, coming just nine points shy of a clean sweep. After Hartbarger’s sudden resignation, he’s tried his best to keep a steady hand.
“Coach Hartbarger and I had a conversation on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 6, and he informed me of his intentions to step down immediately,” he said. “From that point, myself, [JV head coach Bekah Brooks], and athletic directors Matt Bradley and Ryan Raby met to determine how we would move forward. During that meeting, we decided that the best plan moving forward was for myself to lead the program. … Our players were shocked to hear the news and they were sad to know that he had decided to step down. Our players have an immense amount of respect for Coach Hartbarger not only as a basketball coach, but as a coach that cares for his players.”
In 13 years as a Panther assistant, this is Moffitt’s second stint as an interim head coach, having taken over the varsity boys team after former head coach Jesse Pinkston resigned in 2016. In replacing Hartbarger, who is likely Franklin’s all-time winningest girls head coach by far, Moffitt feels he doesn’t need to rock the boat.
“We’ve made a few adjustments that will continue to help us compete,” he said. “We feel extremely confident within our system and know that we’ll compete every game. Our focus is on the things we can control, which is our preparation, effort, and supporting our players.”
With an 8-8 overall record and a 4-3 mark in the Mountain Eight, Franklin enters their last eight games in fourth place. In addition to keeping Franklin in contention for the state playoffs, Moffitt has also gotten the chance to coach his daughter, Finley.
“It’s been really special, but I try to approach it the same way I would with any player,” he said of the sophomore center, who leads the team in blocks (19) and rebounds (90) and ranks second in total points (144). “At home I’m Dad, in the gym I’m Coach, and she understands that the standards are the same for everyone. I’m proud of the way she’s handled that and continues to be a great teammate and person.”