FHS Wraps Up Successful Fall Season, 3 Coaches Awarded

Superintendent Lucas Giguere and Athletic Director Karrah Ellis have announced that, with 460 student-athletes participating, Franklin High School wrapped up its fall sports season with every team qualified for the MIAA state tournament and a chance to win a championship title.

Some of the highlights for the fall season at Franklin High School include the following:

• The Franklin High field hockey team finished the regular season as Hockomock Kelly-Rex Champions, advancing to the Elite 8 Round in the MIAA state tournament.
• The volleyball team finished second place in the league and advanced to the Round of 8 in the MIAA state tournament.
• The Panthers cheer team went undefeated in all of its competitions, finishing the season as Hockomock League champions, MSAA South Regional champions and MSAA state champions.
• The varsity football team qualified for the MIAA state tournament as the No. 9 seed, playing in the Round of 16.
• The boys soccer team finished the season as Hockomock League Kelly-Rex division champions, advancing to the Elite 8 Round in the MIAA state tournament.
• The girls soccer team finished in second place in the Kelly-Rex division, advancing to the Round of 16 in the MIAA state tournament.
• The boys cross country team finished in second place in its league for regular season meets, and the team qualified for the MIAA Division 1 Championship Meet.
• The girls cross country team finished the season as Hockomock League Kelly-Rex Champions. The team also qualified for the MIAA Division 1 Championship Meet.
• The Unified basketball team played in the Special Olympics Jamboree held at Sharon High School to cap off the regular season. The team also hosted a special community night on Nov. 25, playing against another team composed of representatives from the Franklin Police Department, Franklin Fire Department, Franklin High School faculty and Unified alumni.
• The Franklin High golf team finished its regular season as Hockomock League Kelly-Rex co-champions, and the team qualified for the MIAA Division 1 state championship final.

Looking toward the winter, Franklin High is supporting a new sport: varsity level alpine skiing. Franklin participates in an “alpine ski co-op” with Nipmuc Regional High School. Practices and races will be held at Ward Hill in Shrewsbury. Participation in the co-op comes at no cost for Franklin High School.

“We are thrilled to be able to add a new sport and provide opportunities for our student-athletes,” said Athletic Director Karrah Ellis.

Franklin High School is also continuing to support girls ice hockey, as critically low participation rates currently challenge the program. There are currently only 15 student-athletes on the girls ice hockey team at Franklin High. However, the team is seeking additional players, including a group of eighth graders that will soon be added to alleviate the problem, as permitted through a waiver filed with the MIAA District Athletic Committee by the school.

“Unfortunately, as is the trend across the state, numbers for girls ice hockey are down significantly,” Athletic Director Ellis said. “Those numbers are critically low safety wise in Franklin, but the addition of eighth graders will alleviate that issue.”

In addition to the regular season success of all its teams, three Franklin High School coaches were named Coach of the Year for 2023 through 2024 for their respective sports by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. The Coach of the Year award recipients, who were recognized during an MIAA banquet on Dec. 11, include CJ Neely, head coach of the boys varsity basketball team, Lisa Burger, head coach of the Unified track team, and Jess Pridham, former coach of the boys and girls swim team.

Superintendent Giguere congratulated these coaches and all the student-athletes for their victories in fall 2024, while wishing Franklin High School’s winter sports athletes a safe, successful season ahead.

“Thank you to Athletic Director Karrah Ellis and all of our coaches who do so much work behind the scenes to provide opportunities for our student-athletes to succeed,” Superintendent Giguere said. “Thank you to all of the families, faculty, community members and student athletes that helped make this fall a successful season for all of our teams at Franklin High School.”