The New Franklin boys showed on Friday they have not missed a step from last season’s ranked team. The Bulldogs routed Brunswick in the season opener at home 72-55 on Friday with three double-digit scoring performances.

Head Coach Jim Schlotzhauer said his team set the tone in the first half with its high pace, building a 27-point lead. “It was a great way to start.”

New Franklin is coming off its ninth winning season over the last 10 years. The streak includes six seasons with 20 or more wins, including last year’s 24-4 mark.

The team had a chance to make a splash in the state tournament a year ago but was stopped in the district semifinals by eventual Class 2 state champion Salisbury.

Schlotzhauer said he thinks this year’s team has the potential to make a run in the postseason. “I really think we can get there, but guys are going to have to sacrifice because we have so much talent,” he said. “We will have to gel together well and put the team first. But if and when that happens, I would not want to face us.”

The Bulldogs lost just two members of its 24-win team from a year ago, All-District player Clayton Wilmsmeyer and sixth-man Owen Armentrout. “We will miss both of those guys this year,” Schlotzhauer said.

But even without those seniors, New Franklin will field an extremely formidable team this year, with eight returning seniors. The team brings back five starters and a deep bench. Leading the way is Drake Clark, who scored 15 points in his senior debut Friday against Brunswick. He earned All-District honors as a junior last year, scoring 13.9 points per game. Schlotzhauer called his senior center a great athlete who has polished his finishing around the rim.

Speedy senior Owen Curry will handle the ball as the starting point guard. “Owen is fast from end to end handling the ball for us and is a solid on-ball defender,” Schlotzhauer said. 

Sharpshooter Tanner Bishop got his senior season off to a great start with a game-high 25 points against Brunswick on Friday. The team’s top shooter, Schlotzhauer said his senior guard boasts a very high basketball IQ.

Power forward Connor Wilmsmeyer opened his season with a 14-point performance Friday night. A formidable presence inside the paint last year, he is one of the team’s key leaders. “Conner is a well-rounded player on both ends of the floor,” Schlotzhauer said. 

Senior Jake Marshall is the team’s fifth starter. The forward banked seven points in Friday’s opener and stretches the floor with his shooting and speed.

New Franklin boasts strength well beyond its starting five. Seniors Drew Rhorer and Sawyer Felton, along with junior Rylan Hundley, are expected to be major contributors from the bench. “Rylan is a great scorer and, when focused, can defend well, too,” Schlotzhauer said. “Sawyer knows the game really well and is always in the right spot. Drew can really rebound and finish around the rim.”

Sophomore guard Caden Schlotzhauer has improved on both ends heading into this year.

New Franklin’s depth will be crucial to the team’s unrelenting, high-octane offense that presses and scores in transition. “We are planning to get up and down the floor, just like we did last year,” Schlotzhauer said. “We have good athletes who can run with most teams that we play. We want to use our depth as an advantage.”

The Bulldogs faced a crucial early test Tuesday night at Salisbury after the Advertiser went to press. New Franklin fell to the Panthers in a gutsy district semifinal last season. Salisbury then went on to win the Class 2 state title.

Salisbury returns senior  Cooper Francis, one of the premier players in the state. The two teams could conceivably face one another twice more this year in the Sturgeon Tournament at the end of January and in districts.

New Franklin will enter next week’s Glasgow Tournament as the top seed this year. A win over eighth-seeded Marceline on Monday could set up a semifinal rematch against Westran. The Hornets scored a controversial overtime win over New Franklin in the tournament semifinal a year ago.

“That tournament is always a good measuring stick of where you are early in the year,” Schlotzhauer said. “It should be an exciting tournament to start the year.”

Glasgow is the first of three regular-season tournaments in which New Franklin will play. The Bulldogs ring in the new year with their own tournament and compete in the Sturgeon Tournament later in January.

The Bulldogs then close out January with a battle against Class 4 neighbor Boonville at home. Other “play-up” games this year include bouts against Harrisburg and Schuyler County. “I think those games are all big for us,” Schlotzhauer said. “We have Brunswick, Salisbury, and our usual conference battles that will be tough games. The New Franklin and Sturgeon tournaments are always competitive as well.”

No matter who they face, the Bulldogs will be a handful for every team on their schedule.

“I feel like we are a well-balanced group,” Schlotzhauer said. “From top to bottom, our first 10 guys are solid. I wouldn’t hesitate to have any of those guys in one of our games this year.”