For the first time in FHS history, the Mock Trial team is advancing to the state championships. Out of a field of over 132 teams across Massachusetts, FHS is now in the top two. The other team is Windsor, an all-girls private school.

The achievement comes after winning the Elite Eight and Final Four trials on March 13. For more on the road to the semi-finals, click here. The team boarded the bus at 6:15 AM for a long day at the Moakley Courthouse.

They found out when they arrived that the prosecution side of the team would be going up against Holy Name High School. Franklin beat them by several points, with the judge especially praising FHS captain Abigail George.

During the lunch break, it was announced that FHS would be playing Boston Latin School in the Final Four round. This time, it was the defense side who fought through this extremely close match. When it was announced that Franklin had won by two points, the Boston Latin coach insisted there must have been a mistake in the scores.

The Franklin team, who had been excitedly celebrating went silent as the judge announced that there had in fact been a miscount of the scores. It was actually a tie. The judge was forced to call the Mass Bar Association to ask for guidance in the odd situation. After about 20 minutes, it was decided that Franklin was still the winner, much to the team’s relief.

Come support the team at the historic Great Hall in Faneuil Hall on Friday, March 22 at 10:00 AM. The event is during school hours, but it will be professionally recorded in its entirety by the Mass Bar Association for those who cannot make it.