12/27/2006

Banktson and Panthers were up to the challenge

Frankfort defends title, Banktson earns Miss Basketball

BY JEFF PEEK

jpeek@record-eagle.com

Record-Eagle/
Douglas Tesner
Brenna Bankston led Frankfort to its second consecutive Class D state basketball champion- ship, earing Miss Basketball honors along the way.

FRANKFORT — Small town, big accomplishment.

Frankfort had twice as many reasons to celebrate the success of its high school girls basketball team this fall.

Not only did the Panthers win their second consecutive Class D state championship earlier this month, senior Brenna Banktson scored the state's top individual award when she was named Miss Basketball in late November.

Plenty of the credit goes to head coach Tim Reznich, who watched his team get knocked out of the regionals in 2003 and 2004, despite stellar regular seasons. Instead of growing frustrated, Reznich challenged his players by strengthening the Panthers' schedule and agreeing to travel longer distances if it helped his team in the long run.

Reznich's strategy worked to perfection, both for the team and for Banktson, who gained exposure around the state.

Frankfort lost five regular-season games in 2006, then swept eight playoff games, including a 26-21 win over Portland St. Patrick in the championship game at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

"It's rare when something like this happens to a small school, especially a small rural school,” Reznich said. "For Brenna to win Miss Basketball, it took a lot of hard work and a commitment to travel so she could be seen by enough coaches to win it.”

Reznich said the Panthers' second title was tougher than the first for two reasons: 1) Frankfort lost Jenny Loney, now at Division I Western Michigan, to graduation; and 2) After winning the first time around, every Panthers' opponent this season wanted to knock them off.

"We had to work that much harder every single game,” Reznich said.

With five seniors in Frankfort's starting lineup this season — Banktson, Coley Marshall, Kelly Tousley, Brooke Townsend and Jenny Elliott — a new era begins next fall.

Banktson, the fifth northern Michigan player to win Miss Basketball in the 26-year history of the award, has accepted a scholarship to join Loney, her cousin, at Western Michigan. Marshall will almost certainly sign on to play college ball, as well.

So the Panthers, who became the first area team to win back-to-back crowns since Leland won three straight in the early 1980s, will be hard-pressed to make it three in a row.

Reznich, who is 104-22 in his five seasons as coach, certainly seems up for the challenge, however.

"It breaks my heart to think about losing these girls because they're like daughters to me,” he said. "But with the work ethic and commitment the younger players have shown, I'm excited about the prospect of starting over again.”