Franklin girls able to hold off Marathon for Section IV title

Mar. 6—Franklin girls basketball coach Mike Dutcher knew his team had a chance to do great things in 2021-22. In a year when many schools were bringing back limited varsity experience due to last season's condensed schedule, the Purple Devils' senior-laden roster set the expectations high from day one.

Dutcher and company made good on that promise on Saturday by winning the Section IV Class D Championship with a 51-36 victory over top-seeded Marathon at SUNY Delhi.

"We knew we had a really good chance to be good this year and the girls worked so hard to get this point," Dutcher said.

"I'm just so proud, playing a very good Marathon team, that we were able to execute our defensive gameplan and I think it took away from their strengths a little bit and that was the difference, especially as we hit the second and third quarter."

Throughout this season, Franklin has been driven by its dynamic one-two punch of Kayla and Marissa Campbell. But in the early going the Olympians made it a point to double-team Franklin's go-to scorers.

At a time when Franklin needed others to step up, they did just that. The Purple Devils' first 11 points came from Zoe Warren and Shannon Kingsbury, while 21 of the team's 26 first-half points came from players not named Campbell.

"All year long we stressed team, team, team," Dutcher said about his team's balanced approach to offense. "If you would've told me at halftime the Campbell girls would have five points and we would have the lead, I would've had you check the scorebook. But that's what this team's all about: people step up and people did."

Kingsbury in particular made her mark on the game, as the seventh-grader finished with 12 points in the sectional title game.

"She was a JV call-up and we knew that the potential was there," Dutcher said of Kingsbury. "She's been dialed right in at practice and she's done a great job."

After taking a 26-18 lead into halftime, Franklin opened the second half on a 14-4 run. Marissa Campbell hit a pair of three-pointers while Kingsbury converted an and-one opportunity to make it 38-22.

Many of the Purple Devils' chances during this stretch, and throughout the game, came as a result of some strong defense that produced numerous Marathon turnovers.

"We kept saying in the locker room, 'Anticipate where that next pass is gonna go,' and we were able to take them out of a lot of sets that they like to run," Dutcher said.

After scoring just five points in the first half, Kayla Campbell started to find her groove in the second half, making several strong drives to the basket that resulted in either points or free-throw opportunities. Campbell went on to finish with a team-best 15 points.

With Franklin leading 44-26 entering the fourth quarter, the final period saw some sloppy offense in the early going with neither team able to dent the scoreboard in the first three minutes.

Franklin would score only seven points in the final quarter, but its defense remained stingy enough to ensure the Olympians never got within striking distance.

Brooke Tillotson was the only Marathon player to score more than seven points, finishing with 18 for the game.

Dutcher was able to replace his starters one at a time, each one receiving hearty applause from the loud Franklin contingent in the stands. Eventually the final buzzer sounded, and Franklin had officially won its first Section IV title since 2014.

Warren finished with nine points for Franklin while Marissa Campbell and Haylee Taggart had six points each.

The date, site, and time of Franklin's Subregional round contest had yet to be determined as of Saturday night, with the only thing known for sure being that the opponent would be the Section I Champion.

No matter the opponent, Dutcher and his team are happy not only to be able to keep their season alive, but to have the opportunity to complete a relatively normal season after last year's frustratingly short campaign.

"It's just incredible," he said. "To get our regular season in and to be able to play at this venue [in front of] all these people, all our fans, it's a magical day."

Franklin 51, Marathon 36

F ... 11 15 18 7 — 51

M ... 11 7 8 10 — 36

Franklin: Marissa Campbell 2 0-0 6, Haylee Taggart 3 0-0 6, Nicketa Utter 0 0-0 0, Shannon Kingsbury 5 2-3 12, Desiree Rosenbusch 0 0-0 0, Jaritza Myers 0 0-0 0, Kayla Campbell 6 4-5 16, Zoe Warren 4 0-0 9, Patricia Rodriguez-Matias 0 0-0 0, Meredith Shivers 1 0-0 2. Totals: 21 6-8 51

Marathon: Catherine Newkirk 0 0-0 0, Anna Hoyt 0 0-0 0, Megan Howard 0 0-0 0, Addie Oram 2 0-0 4, Brooke Tillotson 7 3-5 18, Paige Hurlburt 1 0-0 2, Abby Ensign 3 0-0 7, Brook Morsey 0 1-2 1, Kendre Euson 0 0-0 0, Bailee Hurlburt 2 0-0 4. Totals: 15 4-7 36

Three-point baskets: F 3 (M. Campbell 2, Warren); M 2 (Tillotson, Ensign)