FRANKLIN — It turns out that Franklin High School’s 9-2 football season was just the warm-up for yet another reason to celebrate in Wildcats Country.

Here’s an advisory for anyone wishing to catch a Franklin boys basketball game: Come early, be ready to walk a country mile after parking and enjoy the show along with an enthusiastic capacity crowd that will stuff Darrell Hedrick Gymnasium.

The Wildcats are Warren County’s hottest Southwestern Buckeye League ticket this winter season, Friday’s 56-37 withering of perennial league champion Bellbrook being just the latest reason.

“I think that you could see this coming,” said Franklin Athletic Director Rodney Roberts, who doubles as the head football coach.

“We’ve got some talented young men.”

Franklin has fielded some great basketball teams. But that was long ago and none as potentially talented as this season’s. Its lineup is stuffed with three legitimate NCAA Division I players, a rarity for any SWBL team.

Senior twins Jacob and Justin Rossi are both 6 feet 8 and ably control the middle on offense and defense. They’re headed to Northern Kentucky University, a program that bumps up to D-I when the twins will be freshmen.

There’s also feisty junior guard Travis Lakins. All he did was pour 26 points on Bellbrook, displaying a sure outside touch and putting a charge into the Wildcats’ up-tempo game.

His bucket as the first half ended put Franklin up 30-13 and the rout was on. He also tallied the Wildcats’ final 11 points.

Those three are good enough for the Franklin faithful to talk league title. Add freshman sensation Luke Kennard to the mix and Franklin’s potential is unlimited.

“Definitely, this is something that the community has talked about,” said Franklin coach Brian Bales, like Roberts a homegrown Wildcat who never left town.

“This is definitely a special group of young men who have come together and bought into a team-first mind-set. That’s what these guys have really bought into.”

Kennard didn’t have his usual shooting touch against Bellbrook, scoring two baskets. But when Bellbrook paid him extra attention, that opened space for Lakins, and he delivered. Jacob Rossi added 16 points.

Senior Nate Easter led Bellbrook (1-3) with 15 points.

Kennard did lead Franklin in floor dives, fist pumps and nifty passes. His team-leading 19.5 scoring average took a hit, but Franklin earned what it covets most, a victory.

“It was just all about getting my teammates involved,” said Kennard, a 6-4 lefty who’s considered among the state’s top freshmen point guards. “It was just do what you can and get a win for us.”

Like Franklin’s growing support, Kennard’s stock also is taking off. He’s already received a verbal offer from the University of Dayton and has heard from numerous Big Ten, Southeastern Conference and Atlantic 10 programs.

“He’s good,” said John Stovall of Prep Spotlight, who focuses on Southwest District basketball talent. “He’s definitely one of the three top freshmen in Ohio, if not the best.

“Luke’s been on the basketball hierarchy for almost a year now. He has the potential to be a high major college basketball player, no question.”

Franklin ran its record to 5-0 and will be idle during the holiday break. However, the Wildcats will resume with a showdown at unbeaten Springboro on Jan. 3 in what figures to be a battle for Warren County supremacy. The Panthers have their own highly recruited center in 6-10 junior Maverick Morgan.

“Playing against some tough Division I schools and Franklin, you either buck up or you go home,” said Bellbrook coach Perry Caldwell, whose team has won outright or shared SWBL titles the last seven seasons.

“That atmosphere in the gym, it’s a packed house. That was neat. I was proud of our effort.”

Roberts, like he had done so often during football season, also liked what he saw.

“It’s good kids and good coaching,” he said, “and that’s a great combination to have. We’re fortunate enough to have that right now.”

Contact this writer at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@ DaytonDailyNews.com.