Franklin Regional boys coach rips team despite win against Greensburg Salem

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, January 17, 2018 | 9:41 AM

Maybe it's the next game looming against No. 2 Moon or the one after that in a rematch at second-place Highlands.

Whatever it is, Franklin Regional coach Steve Scorpion was concerned with his players' focus even after the Section 3-5A-leading Panthers came away with a 62-47 victory at Greensburg Salem on Tuesday night for their fifth win in a row.

“I'm not at all happy,” Scorpion said. “We had no effort tonight, no communication. We got pounded on the glass. We didn't go after loose balls. We missed layups. We missed free throws. I told them afterwards if they think they're going to win these next two games, they better think again.”

To Scorpion, perhaps, it's simply a case of overconfidence. He said he made sure to send the team a message on the subject, one he hopes his players heard loud and clear.

“We win a couple of games, and all of a sudden, we think we can just go into another place and automatically win a game,” he said. “Give Greensburg Salem all the credit. They weren't intimidated. They played hard the entire time, and it showed. They gave us a ballgame.”

The Golden Lions (8-5, 1-3) trailed 29-25 at halftime against Franklin Regional (11-2, 5-0 and ranked No. 3 in Class 5A).

Greensburg Salem coach Craig Mankins smiled at the notion the Golden Lions won the rebounding battle against the taller and more physical Panthers. He said his team “probably got the best of them” in the first half, but it was a different story in the second half.

“They took the ball inside and had their way to start the third quarter, and we knew they would,” Mankins said. “We had a competitive attitude for much of the game. We went into a little bit of a lull there in the third, but other than that, I can't ask for a much better effort than they gave tonight.”

Mike Bartolacci scored 18 points, and Aidan Sadoski added 12 to lead Franklin Regional. The Panthers built a 42-29 lead after opening the third quarter on a 7-0 run.

But Greensburg Salem didn't allow the Panthers to pull away. Marvel McGowan led Greensburg Salem with 16 points, and Dante Parsons added 13.

“The reason why we've gotten to where we are at this stage of the season is because we'd been pretty much giving maximum effort. But I don't know what it is, the last three games, we've taken a step back. We need to get that fire again.”

Franklin Regional hosts Moon on Friday before visiting Highlands on Tuesday. The Panthers defeated the Golden Rams, 70-46, on Dec. 22 for Highlands' only section loss.

Dave Mackall is a freelance writer.

Tags: Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem