This year the Franklin Football team has been a focus for many high school students. They go into the playoffs as the #1 seed in the Division one playoff bracket. They start off at home against Braintree on Friday 11/5 at 7:00. With so much anticipation and hype going into the playoffs, Pantherbook interviewed the Football team’s coach, Coach Bain for his perspective on everything from the playoffs to the entire season as a whole.

Sid Chandra: How great is it to be back to a full season with fans?

Coach Bain: It’s great. We are happy for our players and the student body to get to engage in the high school experience. Extracurriculars, sporting events, music, and theatre are key parts of being a well-rounded student. To see students participating and also supporting their peers is great to have back at FHS.

SC: What do you think has made this year’s team so good?

CB: This is a very talented group of players. We have excellent skill at many positions, and we have experienced players too. What sets our team apart is their work ethic.

SC: How memorable will this year be in your coaching career?

CB: It isn’t something we have thought much about. We will look back on this season a certain way after the season is complete. Living in the moment, working, coaching, and preparing as hard we can are all that is on our minds right now.

SC: With the team being so good, do you think the players are having more fun, or do they have a bigger weight on their shoulders?

CB: Everyone needs to embrace having a target on their back. If you drift through life and no one expects very much of you, I don’t think you’re living right. No one should want to live in mediocrity. Embrace greatness and the pressure that comes with it. Pressure is a privilege. I think the more that our young people understand that, the better they will be in life.

SC: Moving to the playoffs, how frustrated were you with the playoff schedules being released so late?

CB: Nothing is ever easy, so I can’t say that we were that surprised. It was annoying, and although it was easy to complain about and poke fun at that moment. We have moved past that now. Braintree is the task at hand.

SC: What’s the mentality going into the game against Braintree?

CB: Remember what got us here. Lean on our programs CORE values (character, effort, discipline, toughness, competition) and trust our process (the work). In the game of football, there are too many variables to worry about everything. We can always lean on our constants in the program to ground ourselves. And Row the Boat.

SC: How hard is it to come up with a game plan in 4 days?

CB: It’s never easy to find a great game plan. But we rely upon the experience of our coaching staff to put our players in the best position so that they can be successful. The players do the hardest work, but it’s our job to put them in the best positions that we can.

SC: How far can this team make it into the playoffs?

CB: We just need to take care of business Friday night before we worry about anything beyond that. One day, one minute, one play at a time. There is nothing beyond Friday at this particular moment.