| Franklin girls all-time scorers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Points | Years |
| Brandi McDaniel | 1,167 | 2006-present |
| Emily Noble | 1,081 | 2002-05 |
| Leslie Bonny | 1,008 | 1979-82 |
| Jaime Butcher | 1,006 | 1995-98 |
FRANKLIN — Brandi McDaniel was unaware just how close she was to such an accomplishment.
The Franklin High School senior entered the Bellbrook gymnasium Dec. 12 simply worried about trying to keep her Wildcats perfect season intact.
Franklin was 4-0 headed into that Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division battle. Even though the Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season 52-44 McDaniel scored 28 points, and on her last basket of the game, became Franklin’s all-time leading scorer in girls basketball.
“I really didn’t realize it until after the game,” said McDaniel, who currently sits at 1,167 for her career. “I didn’t know I was even that close, but it is a great accomplishment. Not everyone gets to do something like this.”
McDaniel broke the record set by Emily Noble, who scored 1,081 points for Franklin from 2002-05. McDaniel and Noble are joined by Leslie Bonny (1,008) and Jaime Butcher (1,006) as the only girls to score more than 1,000 points.
“I remember watching Emily play when I was little,” McDaniel said. “I used to always want to be the same kind of player she was. She was really good.”
McDaniel has worked extremely hard to reach this level, too, according to FHS coach Frank Russell.
“She has a real passion for the game,” Russell said. “If I called her right now and said we were having practice, she’d be there in 10 minutes. Without a doubt, she just loves basketball, and she continues to work on being a better player all the time.”
McDaniel also is the school’s all-time leading rebounder, breaking Noble’s record near the end of last season. Russell didn’t know the exact number off hand, but said McDaniel was around 700 career boards.
McDaniel is averaging a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds per game, according to Russell. At that scoring pace, it’s possible McDaniel could become the school’s overall scoring leader. That distinction belongs to Todd Kennard with 1,434 points.
Though she has no offers yet, McDaniel plans to continue playing at the collegiate level. Her list of ideal schools includes Rio Grande, Sinclair and Heidelberg.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2852 or sweaver@coxohio.com.
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