For WPIAL finals-bound Franklin Regional, it’s always basketball season

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, February 29, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Franklin Regional specializes in basketball. Maybe that best explains why the Panthers will play for their first WPIAL boys basketball championship Friday night at Petersen Events Center.

It will be No. 2 seed Franklin Regional (23-2) and No. 1 Moon (22-3) vying for the Class 5A title at 9 p.m. on Pitt’s home floor.

All five starters are basketball-only players, which is somewhat unusual for a large school during a time when so many athletes are encouraged to play multiple sports.

The first five of seniors Cam Rowell, Cooper Rankin, Colin Masten and Fin Hutchison, and junior Connor Crossey, are true-blue hoopers who know each other’s games inside and out.

The savviness and constant attention to detail allows Franklin Regional to gather almost year-round to improve as a group. It’s always basketball season in Murrysville.

“I think it has been extremely helpful in developing our team chemistry and style of play,” Panthers third-year coach Jesse Reed said. “These guys are in the gym together nine to 10 months out of the year. Those are valuable hours/reps to build together. All that time in the gym is also essential in developing their individual skills.

“Guys have made big leaps over the past summer that has translated to on-court success during this season.”

The offseason consists of weight and skill training, shootarounds and games in the summer.

Reed can assess a player’s growth better by evaluating a larger body of work, one that is far greater than simple open gyms and lightly attended workouts.

Some schools are fortunate to get a handful of players together in the offseason because of other sports. Franklin Regional can have intrasquad scrimmages in the spring, summer and fall.

The Panthers went to a team camp over the summer at West Liberty. They stayed in the dorms, and Reed said they had an intense, intrasquad game of Wiffle ball.

“I think like 12 or 13 guys (out of 20) on our roster are strictly hoops,” Reed said. “We have some fall-sport guys who are football, soccer and golf, as well as some spring-sport guys who play baseball.”

Moon presents the Panthers’ greatest challenge yet, led by Youngstown State commit Elijah Guillory, who had 39 points in the semifinals.

“Franklin is an extremely well-coached team that has a ton of athletes,” Moon coach Gino Palmosina said. “They are going to be a tough matchup because you can’t just take away one guy. They have many options they can go to, and coach Reed does a great job getting everyone involved.”

Reed said assistant coach Mike Simmons, a terrific scorer when he played at Kiski Area and Saint Vincent, likely was going to try to simulate Guillory in practice.

“Coach Mike is probably going to be our Guillory impersonator,” Reed said.

Rowell said team chemistry has a better chance to prosper when the players are around one another more.

And he thinks that extra time together has rounded off any rough edges and turned the Panthers into title contenders.

“It gives us a better opportunity to grow over the years,” he said. “We all want to make each other better and to see each other grow over time makes you want to work harder, too. It also gives us a chance to work or grow in more areas of need. We are able to take more time learning a skill than someone who is only showing up for regular practice. When everyone is coming year-round and putting extra work in, it’s easy to grow as a unit and become a cohesive group.”

Reed said the togetherness will have to mesh with preparation and execution in order for the team to achieve its championship dreams.

“It is going to take our best effort yet,” he said. “Moon is extremely talented and extremely well-coached.

“We will need to continue to do all the little things that have helped put us in this position, continue to make winning plays. I am so excited to watch our guys compete on Friday. I know they are ready to go.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional, Moon