Franklin homecoming returned to downtown Wednesday night with a parade along Elk Street culminating in a bon fire and rousing speech by Donovan Fike.
Hundreds of people lined the route.
Franklin High School principal Christina Cohlhepp, with phone camera blazing away as the floats passed by, said they wanted to bring this back downtown and include the elementary schools to make it more of a community event. Police and fire departments also joined in
The band led the way up Elk to West Park Street then across Otter Street ending behind Central Elementary School where a bon fire, more songs were played, acknowledgement of the float winners and all fall sports teams including the football team which is getting ready to take on General McLane Friday night.
Senior lineman Donovan Fike was led to the microphone to address the crowd with chants of his name.
Hundreds of people lined the route.
Franklin High School principal Christina Cohlhepp, with phone camera blazing away as the floats passed by, said they wanted to bring this back downtown and include the elementary schools to make it more of a community event. Police and fire departments also joined in
The band led the way up Elk to West Park Street then across Otter Street ending behind Central Elementary School where a bon fire, more songs were played, acknowledgement of the float winners and all fall sports teams including the football team which is getting ready to take on General McLane Friday night.
Senior lineman Donovan Fike was led to the microphone to address the crowd with chants of his name.
Fike then opened up his speech explaining he wasn't going to play this year, but this team showed him something he wanted to ba a part of after all.
"I joined the team three weeks late because, when I watched our second home game, I watched us get blown out, but we came out and punched them in the mouth as coach Turk would say. I saw fight in these boys that I haven’t seen in past years of this program."
"These boys are ready for war."
"I joined the team three weeks late because, when I watched our second home game, I watched us get blown out, but we came out and punched them in the mouth as coach Turk would say. I saw fight in these boys that I haven’t seen in past years of this program."
"These boys are ready for war."
The football team had moved up to where Fike was speaking and they erupted at what he said next.
“We will not me intimidated. We will not back down. We’ve seen war. We don’t want war. But if you want war with the Franklin Knights there’s one thing I can promise you, so help me God: Someone else will raise your sons and daughters." quoting and paraphrasing a speech from Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sergeant David Bellavia during is induction into the Pentegon's Hall of Heroes ceremony in 2019.
The team seemed familiar with the quoted speech and roared several times as Fike delivered the lines almost like a pre-game speech or a loud team motto. Fike said he picked this speech because he said it fired him up a couple years ago when he heard. "I knew it would have the same affect on the team that it had on me." He said he thinks the game Friday is going to be a war and he wants the team to be ready and excited for kickoff.
"We fight so that anyone out there thinking about challenging the Franklin Knights will reconsider their existence. We are disciplined, professional, and a lethal force built to withstand anything you can dream of throwing at us."
Franklin hosts General McLane Friday night at 7 p.m. with the homecoming queen being crowned at halftime.
Below are more photos from the homecoming parade and festivities.
The team seemed familiar with the quoted speech and roared several times as Fike delivered the lines almost like a pre-game speech or a loud team motto. Fike said he picked this speech because he said it fired him up a couple years ago when he heard. "I knew it would have the same affect on the team that it had on me." He said he thinks the game Friday is going to be a war and he wants the team to be ready and excited for kickoff.
"We fight so that anyone out there thinking about challenging the Franklin Knights will reconsider their existence. We are disciplined, professional, and a lethal force built to withstand anything you can dream of throwing at us."
Franklin hosts General McLane Friday night at 7 p.m. with the homecoming queen being crowned at halftime.
Below are more photos from the homecoming parade and festivities.
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