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LOWELL – Franklin gave Jake Olmstead a nearly impossible task: guard Newton North Star Teagan Swint in the state championship game.
The Tigers senior Johns Hopkins commit stands 6-foot-4 and can play all five positions. Leaving him any space will lead to a 3-pointer snapping the net. Push up too close, and the McDonald's All-American nominee will blow by for a layup. He offensive rebounds well and plays comfortably in the post.
“He’s nasty,” Franklin coach CJ Neely said. “Swint is nasty player, and he’s just gonna go out and get his buckets no matter what you do, no matter who’s out there. Jake grinded the whole time.”
Swint got loose early. He hit two 3s and scored eight points in the first quarter, as the Tigers took an 8-2 lead.
Olmstead didn’t blink. He kept grinding, denying Swint the ball as much as he could and keeping a body on him when he couldn’t.
“I knew he was gonna hit some tough shots, it just happened etc be at the beginning of the game and I didn’t let it affect my effort,” Olmstead said. “I knew the stakes. It’s the state championship. Going there last year, I and the team have wanted this so bad. I knew the assignment: 100 percent effort, 100 percent of the time.”
Swint didn’t score in the second quarter, as Franklin took the lead. Neely told Olmstead at halftime that him scoring wouldn’t change the outcome of the game. He just needed to keep Swint off the board on defense and keep Franklin’s offense moving.
Olmstead often brought the ball up the court with how much attention Franklin guard Caden Sullivan drew. He still scored 11 points and found Justice Samuels on two back cuts.
'We want the ball in his hands': Caden Sullivan delivers Franklin basketball 1st championship with 31 points in title game
“I love that kid” Olmstead said. “He’s such a talented player and a great guy off ad on the court he’s great at cutting out of the corner, and when they help off, I‘m gonna find him.”
Swint only had one field goal and three points in the third quarter. His own foul trouble also limited his efficacy on the defensive end.
Swint eventually found a rhythm in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 points, including Newton North’s last 10. The only one that came easy was a breakaway dunk in the final minute off a steal. He earned the rest with Olmstead in his face.
Franklin held on 55-52 to win its first state title.
“He did a great job making every shot Teagan took difficult,” Neely said. “The kid’s unbelievable with he shots he makes with contests. We just wanted to make every thing really, really difficult. If you hit tough shots, we’re gonna have to live with results. I thought Jake was incredible.”
Contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kylegrbwsk.
This article originally appeared on The Milford Daily News: Jake Olmstead's defense key in Franklin basketball state championship
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The Tigers senior Johns Hopkins commit stands 6-foot-4 and can play all five positions. Leaving him any space will lead to a 3-pointer snapping the net. Push up too close, and the McDonald's All-American nominee will blow by for a layup. He offensive rebounds well and plays comfortably in the post.
“He’s nasty,” Franklin coach CJ Neely said. “Swint is nasty player, and he’s just gonna go out and get his buckets no matter what you do, no matter who’s out there. Jake grinded the whole time.”
Swint got loose early. He hit two 3s and scored eight points in the first quarter, as the Tigers took an 8-2 lead.
Olmstead didn’t blink. He kept grinding, denying Swint the ball as much as he could and keeping a body on him when he couldn’t.
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“I knew he was gonna hit some tough shots, it just happened etc be at the beginning of the game and I didn’t let it affect my effort,” Olmstead said. “I knew the stakes. It’s the state championship. Going there last year, I and the team have wanted this so bad. I knew the assignment: 100 percent effort, 100 percent of the time.”
Swint didn’t score in the second quarter, as Franklin took the lead. Neely told Olmstead at halftime that him scoring wouldn’t change the outcome of the game. He just needed to keep Swint off the board on defense and keep Franklin’s offense moving.
Olmstead often brought the ball up the court with how much attention Franklin guard Caden Sullivan drew. He still scored 11 points and found Justice Samuels on two back cuts.
'We want the ball in his hands': Caden Sullivan delivers Franklin basketball 1st championship with 31 points in title game
“I love that kid” Olmstead said. “He’s such a talented player and a great guy off ad on the court he’s great at cutting out of the corner, and when they help off, I‘m gonna find him.”
Swint only had one field goal and three points in the third quarter. His own foul trouble also limited his efficacy on the defensive end.
Swint eventually found a rhythm in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 points, including Newton North’s last 10. The only one that came easy was a breakaway dunk in the final minute off a steal. He earned the rest with Olmstead in his face.
Franklin held on 55-52 to win its first state title.
“He did a great job making every shot Teagan took difficult,” Neely said. “The kid’s unbelievable with he shots he makes with contests. We just wanted to make every thing really, really difficult. If you hit tough shots, we’re gonna have to live with results. I thought Jake was incredible.”
Contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kylegrbwsk.
This article originally appeared on The Milford Daily News: Jake Olmstead's defense key in Franklin basketball state championship
Continue reading...
