Mark Evans
Coach Jayson West and the Franklin Central Flashes have had a breakout year in Coach West’s fourth year at the helm of the Southside 6A school. The Flashes have won four straight games in the always-tough Hoosier Crossroads Conference leading into their Week 9 matchup with Westfield.
Indiana Preps caught up with Coach Jayson West this week to gain insight into what has been key to the Flashes’ success this year.
Coach West was asked what has helped the Flashes really kick into gear this last month heading into the postseason. “We play in the best conference in the country, and each week you have to be very clean in all three phases to have a chance to beat any team in our conference. Fortunately, we have played well in all three phases and at the right time, pulling off some tough wins against some really good football teams. It’s exciting to see the boys enjoy success on the field. They are great kids off the field, and it’s wonderful to see them trust the process and grind away to earn these wins together,” West said.
When asked about the team’s goals, Coach West responded, “Our goal is to keep improving each week and give ourselves a chance to compete with the best teams in Indiana. If we stay healthy mentally and physically and keep improving on the little things, we will have a chance to win games in the tournament.”
Coach West also assessed his program as he approaches the end of his fourth year at Franklin Central. “We’re excited to be improving competitively at all levels, K-12, and our numbers are improving at the same time. We have a fantastic youth league, our middle school numbers are great, and our high school teams are getting more competitive each year. Franklin Central is a great place—it’s a fantastic school, we have strong support from our administration, and we’re getting state-of-the-art facilities in the next few years. Overall, we’re very pleased with the process of pushing the boulder,” West said.
Coach West and the Flashes face a tough Columbus North team to start the tournament. If they win that game, it will likely set up another rematch with Center Grove, who has knocked the Flashes out of the tournament six of the past seven years. It’s a tough test, but the Flashes seem to have turned the corner and will be prepared for the battles ahead.
