In a period of about 48 hours over the weekend of March 17th and 18th, several Franklin High School student groups, teams, and organizations took part in various competitions and playoff games. Pantherbook is proud to launch a series entitled “48 Hours in Franklin”  that allows the students to share their experiences of those days.

Our first part of the series is written by FHS junior Paul Mahon, who played in the Division One State Championship Basketball Game on Saturday, March 18th.

It took a long season and a lot of hard work to get where we were this weekend.  Having played well all season and stepping up in the playoffs, our basketball team was able to play in the state championship game in Springfield MA.  Having been the first team in Franklin history to win a sectional title and go farther than any team had ever gone, was really crazy and special. 

Having accomplished this, we had a busy weekend. On Friday, we were dismissed as a team at 12:45 to take our bus to Springfield.  Arriving at the Mass Mutual Center, where the final game was played, we got our practice stuff and had a walk through and our last practice of the season.  After having probably the most fun practice of the year, we got back on the bus and took off to the hotel.

Getting our rooms and getting settled, we all relaxed for a few hours before we got ready for a banquet we had been invited to.  Dressed in shirt and tie, we headed down the street to the Basketball Hall of Fame, where the banquet was set up.  We ate dinner, heard some very important people speak and were mentioned for our accomplishment along with the other teams who were in attendance.

At around 9 o’clock or so on Friday night we went back to the hotel.  It was awesome because we were all together as a team and since we are all so close, we just hung out and watched March Madness and talked.  A few of us headed to KFC late at night with one of our coaches and it was just a fun weekend.

On Saturday we watched film and prepared for the game which started at 5:45pm.  Just before the game was about to start, the fire alarm went off in the locker room and we all had to get out while getting dressed which was a funny thing to happen.

Despite losing in the final game of the season, we had made it to where no Franklin Basketball team has ever gone before and it was really rewarding and special to do it with a bunch of guys who truly cared for each other.  We bonded and built a friendship over the season and throughout our playoff run.  It was a great experience and it was something myself, or my teammates will never forget.