Imhotep Charter finally puts away pesky Franklin Regional to win 10th PIAA basketball title
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Friday, March 22, 2024 | 9:58 PM
Franklin Regional’s Colin Masten shoots over Imhotep Charter’s Carnell Henderson during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Connor Crossey scores against Imhotep Charter during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Cooper Rankin scores against Imhotep Charter during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional head coach Jesse Reed hugs Cooper Rankin after he fouled out of the game during the PIAA Class 5A state final against Imhotep Charter on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell exits the game during the PIAA Class 5A state final against Imhotep Charter on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional senior captains Cam Rowell, Cooper Rankin and Cooper Hutchison accept the state runner-up trophy after the PIAA Class 5A state final against Imhotep Charter on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell takes the court during player introductions before the PIAA Class 5A state championship game against Imhotep Charter on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Imhotep Charter’s Jeremiah White celebrates after scoring next to Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Imhotep Charter’s Ahmad Nowell blocks a shot by Franklin Regional’s Cooper Rankin during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Cooper Rankin and Cam Rowell defend against Imhotep Charter’s Ahmad Nowell during the PIAA Class 5A championship game Friday at Giant Center in Hershey.
Imhotep Charter’s Latief Lorenzano-White scores past Franklin Regional’s Colin Masten as time expires in the first half of the PIAA Class 5A championship game Friday at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell scores against Imhotep Charter’s Zaahir Muhammad-Gray during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Cooper Rankin scores on a reverse past Imhotep Charter’s Carnell Henderson during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Fin Hutchison shoots a 3-pointer against Imhotep Charter on Friday.
Franklin Regional’s Drew Devola scores against Imhotep Charter’s Zaahir Muhammad-Gray during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Colin Masten shoots over Imhotep Charter’s Carnell Henderson during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Connor Crossey scores against Imhotep Charter during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Cooper Rankin scores against Imhotep Charter during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional head coach Jesse Reed hugs Cooper Rankin after he fouled out of the game during the PIAA Class 5A state final against Imhotep Charter on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell exits the game during the PIAA Class 5A state final against Imhotep Charter on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional senior captains Cam Rowell, Cooper Rankin and Cooper Hutchison accept the state runner-up trophy after the PIAA Class 5A state final against Imhotep Charter on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell takes the court during player introductions before the PIAA Class 5A state championship game against Imhotep Charter on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
Imhotep Charter’s Jeremiah White celebrates after scoring next to Franklin Regional’s Cam Rowell during the PIAA Class 5A state championship game on Friday, Mar. 22, 2024, at Giant Center in Hershey.
HERSHEY — Franklin Regional and Imhotep Charter are 300 miles apart, on opposite ends of the state.
They are also distant in PIAA championship history and when it comes to producing high-end college talent.
But the teams were a lot closer on the scoreboard than many expected Friday night at Giant Center.
Underdog Franklin Regional rallied in the fourth quarter to put a scare into Imhotep Charter but came up short, 59-48, in the PIAA Class 5A championship.
“Our guys settled in and took a fight to them,” Franklin Regional coach Jesse Reed said. “These guys never cease to amaze me in what they do. (Imhotep) outnumbered us in athleticism, but they didn’t outnumber us in heart.”
Franklin Regional, the WPIAL runner-up, ends the season at 27-4 after missing the playoffs the last two years. The Panthers had been to the state final one other time, in 1997.
Franklin Regional played right with the Philadelphia powerhouse from District 12, but rebounding and foul trouble proved to be problems.
Franklin Regional cut a 15-point deficit to three early in the fourth before Imhotep held on.
Imhotep Charter (29-3) denied Franklin Regional its first state championship by winning its third in a row and 10th overall.
Guard Ahmad Nowell showed why he is a Connecticut commit, scoring 10 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, deflecting Franklin Regional’s late momentum.
“We knew they were not a big team, and we wanted to take advantage of that,” Imhotep coach Andre Noble said. “Our guys did a good job to get in there and being physical and tough. We challenged them to make rebounding an edge.
“We watched a little film on them, and they had played so many teams like ours. So we didn’t go over-pressuring them because we’ve seen teams try to do that to them, and they handle it well. It makes them run more.”
Cam Rowell had 15 for Franklin Regional, which never led but tied it 19-19 early in the second quarter.
“We knew we could play with them,” Rowell said. “But if you don’t give your all (for four quarters), this is what happens. We didn’t play our game.
“It’s intimidating. We’re just a little public school. Well, not little. But we don’t have stray 6-7 guys walking around. They had four or five guys who were 6-6 (or taller). We never see that.”
Rowell delivered an electifying slam late in the third, and the momentum spilled into the fourth.
Cooper Rankin’s up-and-under layup, which came off a backdoor feed from Fin Hutchison, made it 44-40.
Hutchinson had just knocked down a 3-pointer to cut it to 41-38.
But Nowell hit a tough jumper and then a 3 to give Imhotep a 49-40 lead with 3:51 to play.
“We battled them until the end and had them on the ropes,” Reed said. “If you’d have told me we’d be within four with four minutes to play, I’ll take it. I am always going to rock with these dudes.”
Franklin Regional battled foul trouble, as Rankin and Colin Masten each had four fouls heading to the final quarter.
Rankin fouled out with six points.
“Coop and Colin had four fouls, so it was tough for them to be aggressive,” Reed said.
Imhotep held a 34-20 rebounding advantage.
“We fought harder in the third quarter,” Rankin said. “You have to play good defense to win games like this. We didn’t back down. I have played in a lot of AAU teams agaist teams like that.
“We had a hell of a year.”
Taylor scored consecutive baskets to push the advantage to 39-24 in the third, but Drew Devola and Fin Hutchison scored for Franklin Regional before Rowell’s dunk cut it to eight at 41-33 going to the fourth.
“We saw them playing and it was tempo, tempo, tempo,” Noble said. “The strength of our team is our half-court, man-to-man defense. … We don’t want the game to race up and down. We want to be able to rebound the ball, outlet and push.”
Imhotep took a 17-13 lead after the first quarter and used an 11-0 run to build a 30-19 advantage late in the second quarter.
There was some controversy at the end of the half when Latief Lorenzano-White drove the lane and scored off a steal. It appeared his shot went in after the buzzer, but officials counted it and it was 33-21 at the break.
Imhotep, ranked No. 21 in the nation by USA Today, has never lost in the state final, going 10-0.
Hutchison finished with nine points and Masten had eight points and seven rebounds.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Franklin Regional
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