As the York Dragonettes look to extend their number of consecutive state appearances to five, senior Cali Franklin is already sharpening the team’s focus for the season ahead.
Franklin said the biggest takeaway after months of scrimmages and camps is simple: York has to elevate its effort and composure.
“I think man [defense], we’re really good off the dribble and so we’re fast, some of us,” Franklin said. “That’s the biggest thing is that we’re good off the dribble, but like the zone we panic, don’t know what to do when we get stopped.”
York has reached four straight state tournaments, including last season’s run to the Class AA state championship game, where the Dragonettes fell just short of the title. Franklin said the key to returning to Murfreesboro comes down to consistency and toughness.
“I think you can play three quarters good but it comes down to the last quarter and how hard you play, what team wants it most,” Franklin said.
Now entering her final season, Franklin said she is embracing everything while pushing her teammates to keep the standard high.
“I just want to enjoy every moment,” Franklin said. “It goes by really fast, we’ve seen that in the past three years, but just enjoying every moment with them, making the most of our time on the floor, off the floor.”
Franklin enters as one of four seniors on the Dragonettes this season.