By Jim Irish
Photos by Dustyn Werner
In his freshman season, Cedar Creek basketball star Kenji Franklin dislocated his toe going for a blocked shot and hitting the wall in a crosstown rivalry contest at the Bastrop gym.
Without Franklin, the Eagles lost a close match 67-65 against the Bears and six of their next seven district games. That ended any hope of a playoff run.
Fast forward to Friday — again at the Bastrop gym — a healthy Franklin played all but the final three minutes.
"We lived at the rim. There wasn't a lot of resistance at the rim tonight."
-- Cedar Creek coach Chris Young
An even more dominant player now, the 6-foot-6, 205-pound senior scored 30 points from a variety of spots and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 79-38 mauling of the Bears. The victory places Cedar Creek in third place (4-2) in District 24-5A
In a three-minute span in the fourth quarter, an intimidating Franklin slammed three dunks.
”We lived at the rim,” Cedar Creek coach Chris Young said. “There wasn’t a lot of resistance at the rim tonight. We were able to get to the free throw line. A lot of things went our way.”
An understated Franklin, who finished above his average of 22 points and 9 rebounds a game, “Overall, I thought it was pretty decent. My shooting was good.”
Bastrop coach Eric Woods labeled Franklin the “most talented kid in the Central Texas area.”
On the shoulders of Franklin, Cedar Creek extended its win streak against Bastrop to five games.
”The kid is just dynamic,” Woods said.
Woods played a man-to-man defense with Brent Carter covering Franklin at the outset. Other Bears gave it a shot, but Franklin overpowered everyone.
”We thought it was a good way to try not only to slow (Franklin) down but also eliminate other guys,” Woods said. “Whatever strategy you employ on him he’s going to figure it out. It didn’t work out well.
"The kid is just dynamic. That's what happens with great players. They rise to the moment."
-- Bastrop coach Eric Woods about Kenji Franklin
”That’s what happens with great players. They rise to the moment. They figure how to still play their game and get their players involved.”
Cedar Creek (15-13 overall) scored eight consecutive points at the end of the first quarter, including a three-pointer by Phineas Koplin at the buzzer, for a 24-10 lead.
In addition to his offensive skills, Franklin shares the ball and had four assists and five blocks.
”That orange ball has energy,” Woods said. “If you can create positive energy in the ball, good things are going to happen for your team. (Franklin) was able to create positive energy.
”Once one shot falls, it becomes a domino effect. Guys who aren’t’ good shooters start to make shots.”
Nomar Ruvalcaba, Cedar Creek’s point guard, scored 13 points, including an over-the-shoulder layup.
Senior wing Braydon Adams drained two consecutive three-pointers and finished with 10 points.
Koplin, a 6-3 senior, added 10 points.
No one scored in double figures for Bastrop (9-17, 1-5).
Cedar Creek visits Anderson (8-20, 3-3) Tuesday at 8 p.m.
Jim Irish is a freelance writer in Bastrop, Texas
Great photo, Jim! Always love your content! 😊