FRANKLIN REGIONAL PANTHER PREVIEW
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In 2022, the Franklin Regional Panthers had a playoff appearance and finished the season with a 6-4 record. They went 4-1 in conference play and had a signature win against Gateway. The Panthers also won a share of the WPIAL…
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Continue ReadingIn 2022, the Franklin Regional Panthers had a playoff appearance and finished the season with a 6-4 record. They went 4-1 in conference play and had a signature win against Gateway. The Panthers also won a share of the WPIAL 5A Big East Conference title last season, but unfortunately, their season came to an end after losing 21-0 verses Woodland Hills. FRHS lost a group of valuable prospects in Roman Sarnic Roman Sarnic 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB Franklin Regional | 2023 State PA , Max Leven, Nicolas Petrucci, and Nate Chiarzi. 2024 linebacker Owen Sinclair Owen Sinclair 6'0" | 230 lbs | LB Franklin Regional | 2024 State PA , athlete Ayden Hudock Ayden Hudock 6'1" | 185 lbs | ATH Franklin Regional | 2024 State PA , LB Austin Kerns Austin Kerns 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB Franklin Regional | 2025 State PA , and DL/OL Andrew Devola Andrew Devola 6'1" | 245 lbs | OL Franklin Regional | 2025 State PA are returning leaders of the team who are also college prospects. The team will look to develop new talents like Gunner Perez and Heath Sliva, who will have an increased role in 2023.
Sinclair is an intriguing prospect at the LB position for Franklin Regional. He possesses a sharp football IQ and is able to read plays while on the move. Sinclair is a punishing tackler with a great motor. He’s a disruptive player that’s a gifted blitzer. His sideline-to-sideline effort enables him to explosively hit ball carriers trying to gain extra yards. His agility aids him outpacing blockers with his speed. Sinclair’s strength is evident in his ability to engage and disengage with Offensive Linemen during pursuit. While he’s relatively athletic, he could improve on his short-area quickness and overall speed.
In 2022, Andrew emerged as a weapon on both sides of the ball. He’s got upper body strength and power in general. When he gets his feet moving, he can push defenders straight back. There’s still room for him to grow and develop more strength before the season begins. When he really drives his feet into the contact, he pancakes people. He really shines on defense at DT pass rushing. His pad level is low and he’s got good power when he fires out of his stance. His run blocking is legit because he skilled at using his leverage. The junior DT led the charge with sacks last season for Franklin Regional.
Austin is a determined player who doesn’t give up on plays. He has good size for the Weakside LB position at 6’0 190 pounds. As a prospect, he demonstrates proper tackling technique and has decent ball skills, as evidenced by his deflected interception. He plays with grit and resilience, but he could benefit from further developing his strength in the weight room. Austin maintains 4.6 speed and exhibits decent lateral movement. As we look ahead to the 2025 season, he is poised to be one of the Panthers’ key returning players.
Hudock put together an impressive season in 2022. As a junior wide receiver, he averaged 28.5 yards per reception. Ayden has a real knack for finding the gaps in zone coverage. On fade routes, he’s fast enough to leave cornerbacks behind, but he’s also quick enough to rack up some serious yards after the catch. One of his greatest strengths is his ability to track and catch deep balls over his shoulder. He’s also a tough cornerback who isn’t afraid to get physical with ball carriers. His ball skills are evident in both his receptions and interceptions. And of course, his speed is a major asset for Franklin Regional punt & kick returning.
Heath Sliva
Heath Sliva
He displays good athletic ability on both offense and defense. Silva showed good ball skills when he intercepted a pass from the free safety position against Gateway. He is an adequate tackler with good speed, as displayed when he tracked down a ball carrier on the sideline from the backside. He is decent at releasing and route running. He does a good job of making catches with his hands instead of relying on his body.
Gunner Perez
Gunner Perez
Gunnar played sparingly at outside linebacker and was a regular on special teams. He showed good effort running down on kickoffs and consistently made tackles. He is still young, so he needs to continually work on his strength and explosiveness coming off the ball. He is a reasonable blitzer that is good at using hand violence on the edge when pass rushing. Weight training and speed development will be key for Perez. He already has a good motor in run pursuit.