Senior Brooklyn York demonstrates her shooting touch from the perimeter in Franklin’s county tournament victory over Whiteland.
Daily Journal file photo
More often than not, public address announcers introduce Brooklyn York as a forward during pregame lineups.
Forward also happens to be the direction the Franklin senior’s game is trending.
Immersed in an era of so-called positionless basketball, the 5-foot-11 York is putting together her finest varsity season for the Grizzly Cubs, who are off to a 9-2 start entering Friday night’s game at Greenwood.
Playing for a team with five senior starters and a smorgasbord of quality options offensively, York is Franklin’s leading scorer (13.5 points per game) and averages 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
“I kind of see myself as more of a forward, but I do whatever I need to help the team,” York said. “There are different times in a game that you need to do certain things.
“We kind of all have gotten to the point where we do multiple positions, and work with what we’ve got.”
As a sophomore, York was one of the first players off the bench for the 2021-22 squad that made it to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the Class 4A state championship against Noblesville. She averaged 3.3 points and 2.4 boards for a 28-2 squad that lost to the Millers in the finale, 76-52.
York stepped up to play a far greater role for last season’s 19-6 finisher, moving into the starting lineup and averaging a team-high 11.4 points per game along with norms of three rebounds and two assists. She poured in a career-best 21 points in a 65-59 loss to Indian Creek, a performance that included York dropping a pair of 3-pointers.
Not surprisingly, York’s confidence and comfort levels are at an all-time high this season.
York put together a solid three-game stretch during the recent Johnson County tournament. She scored 10 points in a first-round victory over Greenwood, tacked on a team-best 17 in the 68-30 semifinal defeat of Whiteland and led all scorers with 20 in a 54-47 overtime loss to Center Grove in the title game.
York is in something of a zone, though it’s advisable not to play one against her.
Second-year Grizzly Cubs coach Mike Armstrong, an assistant during the run to the state finals two seasons ago, can’t help but be impressed with the senior’s steady improvement through the years.
“Brooklyn can score in a variety of different ways,” Armstrong said. “She can make a 3. However, she can attack the basket off the dribble, and gets fouled and is a free throw shooter. Brooklyn knows how to score, and I think that’s one of the things that helps our team.
“She can create a steal, and finish at the rim. She can attack the basket, especially along the baseline, or she can stand out there on the arc and hit a 3 for you. Brooklyn does a lot of things on the court, at both ends, really well.”
York’s athletic career actually began with seven years of competitive gymnastics. She also competed in track at some point.
More recently, she’s excelled in volleyball as an outside hitter. York helped the Cubs finish with a 23-9 record this season by finishing third in kills (141) and second in blocks (47).
She finished her prep volleyball career with 350 kills, 151 digs and 121 blocks.
York hopes to continue playing one of her two favorite sports in college, though nothing is concrete at this point.
“I would say I’m probably a basketball kid who plays volleyball. I’ve played basketball longer, and have more experience with it, but I like volleyball as well,” York said. “It was hard giving up gymnastics, but I’m really happy with the teammates I’ve had in basketball and volleyball.”
Surely, the feeling is mutual.
