Back to Back Road Wins has Franklin Girls Basketball 2-0

A year removed from finishing 10-11 and the Franklin girls basketball team is off to a fast start. The Indians are 2-0 with a pair of road wins against Owings Mills and Century. Franklin has two more road contests against Pikesville and Parkville before having its home opener with Fallston on Dec. 20.

The team's improvement isn't surprising. Franklin was an incredibly young team last year and graduated just one senior from the group. This year's team is far more balanced, with four seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and a freshman making up the roster.

"The team has performed well. Yes, the results have been good but as a coach there is always room for improvement," head coach Denikwa James said. "Too early to tell their strength, but their defense has been playing a major factor. They're getting stronger daily."

Indeed the Indians' defense has been stingy in its opening games, allowing an average of 31.5 a game, which is less than double digit points per quarter. It's been a complete team effort for Franklin on both ends of the floor, with James saying she's unsure which of her players will emerge as the team's go to players since they've all excelled up to this point.

Looking ahead, Franklin's depth will be tested as the team has a difficult schedule to navigate. The Indians square off with traditionally tough teams like Hereford and Perry Hall, as well as teams that have started the season brightly like Chesapeake-BC and Woodlawn. The game James is excited for though is Catonsville on Feb. 10 because the Comets' are consistently a fundamentally sound team.

It's those types of big tests that has James feeling enthusiastic about this season.

"My goal is to improve basketball skills and for the athletes to be the best basketball players they can be, which requires a lot of practice, training, and working on weaknesses," James said. "My expectations are for them to come to practice ready to practice, ready to learn something new and to enhance the skills they already know."