Franklin Grove, Illinois (population 1,052) is located 8 miles east of Dixon on Illinois Highway 38. The Union Pacific Railway runs through the center of the town. Probably the most notable thing about Franklin Grove, is that is the Lincoln Highway National Headquarters is located in the vilage of 1,100. The Lincoln Highway was constructed starting in 1909 and runs through downtown Franklin Grove, as well as coast-to-coast through the United States.
Franklin Center High School came about with the consolidation of Franklin Grove and Lee Center High Schools (about 10 miles south on Whitney Road). This consolidation effort took place in 1956. In 2004, Franklin Center consolidated with nearby Ashton (also listed on this site) to form Ashton-Franklin Center High School. The current building houses K-6 grades.
Franklin Center High School “Quick Facts”:
Year opened: 1956
Year closed: 2004
Consolidated to: Ashton-Franklin Center School District
Building used for now: K-4 school
School mascot: the “Eagles”
School colors: Maroon & Gold
School song:Franklin Center Loyalty
Sung to the University of Illinois Fight Song Tune
Thank you to Jay Johnson
Lyrics needed.
Athletics
Franklin Center High School Gym 2013
Now Serves As AFC Junior High Gym (Submitted by Bruce Firchau)
Boys Basketball
FCHS had some of it’s best Boys Basketball teams in the late 1970s to the late 1980s via the IHSA website (www.ihsa.org). A couple of great coaches for Northern Illinois high schools started their coaching days here. Coach Ken Neahring started a great coaching career in Franklin Center and retired in 2003 at Maple Park Kaneland. Coach Denny Kessel coached here starting in 1972 and coached at Oregon and Mundelein before retiring in 1995.
Several postseason basketball scores were located on a website titled “Illinois Postseason Basketball Scores.” When available, they are reprinted below.
Season Results:
1956-57 Rock Falls Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd. – Lost to Rock Falls 70-28
Rock Falls won Regional Tourney
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1957-58 Rock Falls Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd. – Lost to Dixon 78-33
Dixon lost in title game
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1958-59 Postseason scores, record, & coach’s name needed
1959-60 Leaf River District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd. – Lost to Ashton 60-47
Ashton lost in semi-final round
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1960-61 Ashton District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.
1st Rd lost to Ashton 49-44
Leaf River beat Forreston in title game.
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1961-62 Stillman Valley District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd. – Lost to Stillman Valley 78-58
Stillman Valley lost in semi-final round
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1962-63 Forreston District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd. – Beat Leaf River 67-58
Semi-final lost to Stillman Valley 68-66 (O/T)
Stillman Valley lost title game
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1963-64 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
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1964-65 Postseason scores, record, and coach’s name needed.
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1965-66 Byron Regional Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.
(Franklin Center not assigned to District Tourney this season.
1st Rd lost to Ashton 58-54
Forreston beat Byron in title game.
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1966-67 Forreston District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed.
1st Rd lost to Forreston 51-42
Stillman Valley beat Ashton in title game.
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1967-68 Mount Morris District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd. – won, score unavailable
Semi-final – lost to Ashton 63-62
Ashton lost in title game.
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1968-69 Stillman Valley District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
Team placed 2nd!
1st Rd. – Beat Leaf River 57-54
Semi-final – Beat Mt. Morris 66-56
Title game – Lost to Byron 94-56
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1969-70 Byron District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd. – Lost to Polo 84-57
Polo lost in semi-final round.
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1970-71 Polo District Tournament Coach’s name & record needed
1st Rd. – Lost to Stillman Valley 78-58
Stillman Valley lost title game
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1971-72 Walnut Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed.
1st Rd lost to Walnut 55-53
Amboy beat Sterling Newman in title game.
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1972-73 Amboy Class ‘A’ Regional Coach’s name & record needed.
1st Rd lost to Malden 72-71
Amboy beat Sterling Newman in title game.
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1973-74 Sterling Class ‘A; Regional Runner-Up Coach’s name & record needed.
1st Rd Beat Ohio 70-62.
Semi-Final Beat Sterling Newman 74-58
Title Game lost to Amboy 50-48.
Franklin Center (48) Je. Jahn 26, Jo. Jahn 8, Simpson 7, Roop 4, King 3.
1985-86 20-6 Conference Co-Champs Coach Ken Neahring
FCHS Basketball of 1985-86
Submitted by Jay Johnson
1988-89 19-9 Regional Champions! Coach’s name needed
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1989-90 22-8 Regional Champions! Coach’s name needed
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In a February 10, 1989 game against Rockford Lutheran, Franklin Center’s Ray Newcomer scored nine three-point baskets (that’s 27 points at the minimum), the most three-pointers in a game in school history.
Mel Barron Field
Franklin Grove, Illinois
Mel Barron Athletic Field
Baseball & Football Fields 2013
Football
Football was offered at FCHS before the co-op effort with Ashton. See Ashton High School on this site for the A-FC co-op results until 2004.
In a September 6, 1991 Four Rivers Conference game pitting the Ashton-Franklin Center co-op against South Beloit, Franklin Center’s Joshua Harmonrecorded three blocked kicks. That is an Illinois High School record and only six other people in state history have done so.
Some of the better season records of Franklin Center High School are listed below. Special thanks to Tom Sikorski for his research.
1957 1 – 6 First team – First win was 12-7 over Byron
1960 4 – 2 – 2 Coach Ron O’Connor
1972 4 – 4 Coach Ken Neahring
1974 6 – 3 Coach Ken Neahring
1981 4 – 4 Coach Joe Hilliker
1983 2 – 7 Coach Ken Neahring
1984 6 – 3 Coach Ken Neahring
Coach Kevin Budden
FCHS Football Team of 1984-85
Submitted by Jay Johnson
1985 4 – 5 Coach George Schwamberger
Coach John Zick
*Started 4-1 though first 5 games, then lost QB to injury and lost last 4 games. Beat Conference “power house”, Milledgeville, for first time in school history.
Franklin Center last independently fielded a football team in 1987. They began their co-op with Ashton in 1988.
Franklin Grove Football Field
Franklin Grove Scoreboard
“AFC Raider” Scoreboard Today
WRESTLING
Franklin Center may have had a wrestling team before all sports were co-oped with Ashton. FCHS alum David Gleissner wrestled for A-FC and went all the way to the state tournament where he placed second in the 171-pound weight class as a junior in 2003. Gleissner was 33-4 coming into the state tournament and defeated Dusty Rademaker from Petersburg PORTA in his first bout and then beat Sam Tuggle of Clinton to get to the semi-finals. He eventually lost to Randy Murray and Kankakee McNamarain the finals, but represented the A-FC team, and FCHS proudly.
Franklin Center High School Gym 2013
Now Serves As AFC Junior High Gym (Submitted by Bruce Firchau)
VOLLEYBALL
FCHS offered a Volleyball program until the co-op effort with Ashton in the early 1990’s. The team won one Regional Championship in their programs history.
1987-88 N.R.A.Regional Champions Coaches name unavailable
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Seeking More Information
More information is being sought about Franklin Center High School; use the Guest Commentary Form to sumbit. Corrections are welcome as well. If you have more Information about FCHS, including photos of the school, nickname, consolidation date and other great teams and high school memories you would like to share please use the Guest Commentary Form or you may also write us at:
