In the opening round of the 2019 Marion County Tournament, Franklin Central upset Perry Meridian. (Pictured: Javon Small)

After a three-point play from Reggie McDonald and a three-pointer from Jayden Taylor, it looked like Franklin Central was on its way to an eleventh straight loss to begin the season. But sophomore Javon Small gave Franklin Central’s offense a kickstart with a couple free throws then a layup to end the first quarter.

Perry Meridian received major contributions from its own sophomore, Jayden Taylor. He scored 12 points in the first half as he hit outside shots, slashed to the basket, and scored on putbacks. Although Perry Meridian struggled against Franklin Central’s zone, Taylor was able to carry the offense in the first half.

To begin the second half, the Flashes implemented a three-quarters court trap. That led to a 7-0 run for Franklin Central early in the third quarter. FC took a 27-23 lead thanks to it and never relinquished the lead after that.

In a game that saw Perry Meridian shoot 31% from the field and 2-17 from three-point range, the Falcons couldn’t string scores together. Taylor was the only consistent threat, and he was only 7-20 from the field. Part of that was Franklin Central’s ability to clog up the paint. Alan Cox, Eric Kolp, and Sam Mettert didn’t allow many easy shots around the lane as they patrolled the back line of the 2-3 zone.

Javon Small was able to put the game out of reach in the fourth period. He scored 10 points in the final quarter to ensure Perry Meridian couldn’t make a comeback. Small was excellent as a ball-handler, playmaker, shot maker, and defender.

Perry Meridian had chances all the way till the end as FC missed the frontend of one and ones four times. Taylor had a putback plus the foul to make it 39-35, but the Falcons couldn’t get closer than that.

Franklin Central moved to 1-10 with the 44-37 victory. Javon Small led FC with 18 points on 5-8 shooting from the field. Sam Mettert scored 10, while Alan Cox had five points and nine rebounds.

Jayden Taylor led all scorers with 21 points. He also had nine rebounds. Reggie McDonald had nine points in the loss.

Franklin Central plays Southport Wednesday night at Franklin Central in the Marion County Tournament quarterfinal.