FRANKLIN — Brad Childers spent much of last season asking Franklin High School’s seniors what kind of legacy they wanted to leave.
The answer eventually came in the form of a championship.
Franklin recovered from an 0-5 start to win four straight games, finishing 4-6 overall while going unbeaten in Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division play. The Wildcats captured their first league title since 2019 and gave Childers another championship in the first season of his second stint as head coach.
The challenge entering 2026 is considerably different.
Franklin must figure out how to defend that title after losing a 19-player senior class and returning only a handful of experienced starters.
“The standard is always there,” Childers said. “We do have to improve on the front end of the schedule. This group of guys has worked very, very hard, and we talk about that carryover, but at the same time, there’s that target on your back.”
Childers knows something about sustaining success at Franklin.
He previously coached the Wildcats from 2014 through 2020, leading the program to two SWBL championships, four playoff appearances and the only 11-win season in school history before returning to the position last year. Childers was named the SWBL Southwestern Division Coach of the Year last season after Franklin’s turnaround.
But much of the production from that championship team is gone.
Franklin lost leading rusher Connor Monk, who finished with 723 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, the Wildcats must replace SWBL Defensive Player of the Year Braydon Isaacs, who piled up 147 tackles.
That leaves senior Bryant Ferguson as one of Franklin’s most important returning pieces. Junior quarterback Ryan Michael, who threw for 736 yards and six scores while rushing for another 531 yards, returns as well.
Ferguson rushed for 295 yards and three touchdowns on 54 carries last season and finished second on the team with 79 tackles, including eight tackles for loss. He earned first-team All-SWBL honors at linebacker.
“We feel this pressure coming into this year, and we just want it again and then hopefully make it to the playoffs,” Ferguson said. “Our seniors this year, we’re locked in more than we’ve ever been.”
Senior center Lucas Baldwin is expected to help anchor an inexperienced offensive front. Junior Carmine Powers, a second-team All-SWBL selection last season, provides another building block after gaining varsity experience.
Baldwin said the responsibility of Franklin’s veterans goes beyond their own assignments.
“Really just make sure my guys are in line,” Baldwin said. “Make sure they’re never putting their heads down, getting their job done, picking each other up. It’s really all boosting the morale of the line.”
Franklin’s offense will have a different look under coordinator Mark Wolfinbarger with former Edgewood head coach Trace Reynolds joining the staff to work with the passing game.
Childers said Reynolds’ addition allowed Franklin to restructure its quarterback plans, with Michael moving to slot receiver and safety.
The Wildcats also expect seniors Bryce Jordan and Elijah Koss to contribute at receiver, while sophomore Michael Spencer gives Franklin another young offensive option.
“We’re going to have to have them,” Childers said of the younger players. “We’re going to line them up, we’re going to coach them hard, and we’re going to go play football.”
There will be significant rebuilding on defense as well.
Ferguson is the leading returning tackler, while Sammy Hughes is expected to take on an expanded two-way role. Childers also likes the size available along the defensive front and said Franklin has developed different personnel packages depending on opposing offensive schemes.
The Wildcats will also rely on Jordan in the secondary along with a junior corner Childers described as one of the fastest players in the league.
Franklin’s schedule offers an immediate opportunity to determine whether its young lineup can grow up quickly.
The Wildcats open at home against Butler on Aug. 21 before facing Valley View, Fenwick, Talawanda and Carlisle. Their four-game SWBL Southwestern Division schedule begins Sept. 25 against Monroe and continues against Bellbrook, Ross and Edgewood.
That difficult early stretch is familiar territory. Franklin lost its first five games last season before defeating Monroe 23-16, Bellbrook 21-7, Ross 21-14 and Edgewood 21-16 during its championship run.
Childers wants this team to avoid waiting until the second half of the season to establish its identity.
With 56 players in the program and considerably less varsity experience than a year ago, Franklin will lean heavily on the characteristic Childers considers inseparable from Wildcat football.
Toughness.
“They’re going to see some gritty kids,” Childers said of what fans can expect. “We spend so much time talking about that and how that’s a choice. Toughness is a choice.”
Baldwin offered an even simpler description.
“We just want the city to see how tough we are,” he said.
