Franklin seniors steal the show in blowout of Rockets

It was as if Senior Night came a little early to The Castle as all three upperclassmen contributed to the Knights’ commanding 70-13 win over the Rockets.  

Joe Findlan got things started for Franklin with the first basket of the night on his way to a game high 15. 

Will Findlan was right behind him with 14 points. 

But it was Will Lisseveld’s bucket at the end of the game that brought his fellow Knights, and the crowd, to their feet with excitement. 

It might have been only his second game of the season, but Lisseveld’s is no stranger to the team. After serving as the manager for the past two years, Lisseveld earned the right to suit up this season.

“He took his responsibilities very seriously – making sure all the water bottles were filled, cleaning the floor before each practice, running the camera for filming the games, and offering a tremendous amount of support to his teammates,” said Franklin head coach Torin Smith.

Those teammates tried to return the favor on Friday night with a loud roar after he connected for two in the paint with only 30 seconds left to play. The bucket was Lisseveld’s first career points.

“The entire team was extremely happy for him and celebrated by dousing him with water in the locker room,” Smith said. “We’re all very proud of him and thankful for his efforts the last three years.”

Much like their first go-around with Titusville, Franklin controlled the contest from start to finish. The Knights were ahead 30-0 after one; 44-6 after two; and 62-9 after three. They went on to win 70-13 and improve to 8-7 on the year and 3-5 in Region 5. 

Contributing to the win along with the seniors were Alex Umbenhaur with 13; Nate Fezell, 10; Noah Young, 6; Nolan Parry, 5; Darius Cassano, 3; and Jack McNulty, 2.