The Franklin County Rebelettes may not be at full strength physically, but they continue to show how strong they are mentally.
Coming off an emotional loss at Tullahoma earlier in the week, and battling illness throughout the roster, the Rebelettes went on the road Thursday night and defeated Marshall County 50–32 to close the regular season with their 17th win.
Franklin County started slow for the second straight game. But the Rebelettes settled in with a 9–0 run to lead 9-6 after the first quarter.
The team’s resilience was tested not just by the opponent, but internally. Na’Kayjah Holman, Aahna Carter, and Kenzie Arnold have all been dealing with sickness in recent days. At one point during the game, Carter was visibly exhausted, bent over trying to catch her breath like it was the first week of conditioning. Still, the group dug deep and pushed forward.
Franklin County extended its lead in the second quarter, opening with another seven consecutive points and carrying a 21–12 advantage into halftime.
Kennedy Hall who slid into Gracen Baggett’s spot in the lineup led all Rebelettes with seven points at the half. Then came the decisive stretch.
The Rebelettes exploded out of the locker room with a dominant third quarter, outscoring the Tigerettes 19–6 in the period. A 17–3 run to open the second half pushed the margin past 20 and effectively sealed the game. Franklin County led 40–18 entering the fourth quarter.
Marshall County made one final push with a 10–2 run to begin the fourth, but the Rebelettes regained control and closed out the 18-point victory.
Holman led the way with 16 points. Kennedy Hall added 10, Carter finished with seven, Abbey Mason and Arnold scored six apiece, Hadley Jolley contributed three, and Sadie Hill added two.
The win caps an emotional 10-day stretch for Franklin County since leading scorer Gracen Baggett was admitted to the hospital. Friday morning on The Starting Lineup, head coach Darrell Jolley, joined by assistant coach Kent Bean, spoke about the team’s resilience during this time.
“It’s been tough,” Jolley said, praising how the girls have handled both the emotional weight and the physical challenges. Bean emphasized the respect Baggett commands across the region — pointing to Purple Out games held by Tullahoma and Coffee County, along with Huntland players wearing ribbons in her honor — as a testament to the kind of competitor and person she is.
Franklin County finishes the regular season at 17–10 overall and 6–2 in district play. District 12AAA tournament seeding and scheduling were set to be determined Friday morning.
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