The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Fans of the Franklin High School Lady Warriors basketball team got a chance March 23 to meet the team and get a ppiece of memorabilia signed.
The event was a “meet-and-greet” session set up in part of the gym. It was announced mainly to students throughot the district, but parents showed up, too.
They came with basketballs, pieces of clothing, or pictures for the team to sign. The girls took their newfound fame in stride, chatting and joking with the fans as they signed.
High school principal Cheryl Clark, one of the event’s organizers, said it was done “to give the community and the young ones an opportunity to share this joy with us.”
The evening, she said, was “fabulous. A lot of the kids are really excited, and (the team members) are really excited. We wanted to just share them with the community.”
Among those coming for autographs was Jhamie Allen, who said she wanted to be there because she wanted “to have a signature of the basketball players if they made it big in the word in the future.”
And of their effort in winning the state championship? “They did a pretty good job,” she said.
For Kennady Schenck, the freshman who hit the buzzer-beating winning shot to make FHS history, the event was just another part of the whirlwind that has enveloped her and her teammates.
“I feel great,” she said. “It’s very exciting.”
Video of Schenck’s shot has been seen on national television, which, she said, is something she never thought would happen.
“I never imagined being on TV, it’s just so exciting,” she said.
Lady Warriors head coach Audrey Taylor said she appreciated the opportunity to meet the community.
“It means so much just because we get to bring the community in,” she said. “Me not working in the school, I don’t get to see everyone, I don’t get to see the community, so it’s nice to be able to connect for me. For the girls, I think for them it’s just the excitement and realizing that people recognize their accomplishment and what they have done, and I think that’s a beautiful thing.”
Aside from her playing time, Taylor does share one other thing with her players: This is her first state championship.
After the signing session, the girls were treated to a dinner – complete with a huge sheet cake prominently featuring a picture of the team – and then recognition by the Board of Education at its meeting.
At the board meeting, Taylor said that she has to “give credit to these young ladies, because every day, they still came in and still worked hard. They came in with great personalities, great characters. They made it fun for us. We spent a lot of time laughing. They found a way to make the coaching staff laugh a little bit. They found a way to make us smile at a time when we probably wouldn’t any other time.”
“I appreciate these ladies for their youth, for their enthusiasm, for their passion and also just giving me an opportunity to lead them to this championship,” Taylor said. “I appreciate everything they’ve done, and I appreciate all the love and support that everyone has given us. This is amazing I hope it continues, I hope we continue to grow from here.”
Board president Ed Potosnak, who got a basketball signed by the team, said he wanted to tell the team “how very proud we are of your accomplishments on the court and of your academic accomplishments. We are just so thrilled and proud, the community, Franklin Township, the fire trucks who came down to greet you, all the way down to the children who came to get your autographs, we’re just so very proud.”
2017 Lady Warriors Meet and Greet
