Two Panther men’s hoops all-time records are no more.
Over Christmas break the team traveled to Hiawassee, Georgia, for the 31st annual Battle of the States tournament at Towns County High School. With 52 points and 12 3-pointers in a single game, Jack Teesateskie turned in a historic day.
On Dec. 27, the team faced Chesnee, South Carolina, in a first-round game. There Teesateskie came out firing in the first, scoring Franklin’s first seven points to take an early 7-3 lead. The Eagles soon answered, ending the quarter up 27-15.
Chesnee stayed hot in the second, scoring 10 of the next 14 to extend their lead to 18. Teesateskie answered with back-to-back 3-pointers, but Franklin trailed 42-29 at the half.
The Panthers regrouped to start the third, led by seven points, three assists, a block and a steal from Teesateskie. Peyton Hervey and Lance Parker combined for 12 points to end the quarter down 54-53.
Both teams stayed neck-and-neck to start the fourth, despite six points and two assists from Teesateskie. Chesnee eventually pulled away however, going on to win 79-70.
The loss dropped Franklin to the consolation bracket, where they met Hayesville Dec. 29. Teesateskie flummoxed the Yellow Jackets in the first, racking up 12 points, two assists and seven steals. Jackson Wilson added six points and a steal to end the quarter up 25-9.
Parker heated up in the second, scoring eight of Franklin’s 13 points. Teesateskie added three points, two assists and two steals to end the half up 38-19.
Teesateskie stayed hot after the break, scoring eight points in the third including a slam dunk. Jake Pendergrass added five points, two blocks and a steal down the stretch en route to a 77-36 rout.
From there Franklin advanced to the tournament’s third-place game, taking on Union County, Georgia, Dec. 30. Franklin’s defense harassed Union in the first, posting three steals and a block including one of each from Gunner McConnell. Teesateskie scored 10 on the other end to finish the quarter up 24-17.
Both players stayed hot in the second, combining for 21 points, two steals and six assists. They ended the half with a 54-32 lead. Teesateskie caught fire in the third, racking up 23 points including a whopping seven 3-pointers. Rauers added seven assists and three steals down the stretch to win 104-70.
With 52 points and 12 3-pointers in the win, Teesateskie broke single-game program records, including the 47 points scored by his former teammate Max McClure at Smoky Mountain in 2024. The victory improved Franklin’s record to 9-2.