Making an Impact

Making an Impact
Written by: Ben Rosenbaum

With Franklin’s football season coming to a close after a disappointing loss to Milford Mill in the first round of the playoffs, the Indians must say goodbye to their leading tackler.

Senior linebacker Louis Wyley led the Indians in tackles this season, recording 47 tackles, 20 assists, and three sacks. His accolades, however, stretch further than just the field. He proved himself to be one of the most dedicated players on the team, on and off the field.

“Louis shows what hard work and commitment can do,” said Coach Anthony Burgos. Coach Burgos plans on using Wyley as an example for years to come in his locker room talks.

Wyley started playing football at the age of ten for the Randallstown Panthers. He began playing linebacker when he joined the junior varsity team at Franklin. He quickly began working on his skills to earn himself the starting job by his junior year.

In a position where keeping your head on a swivel and paying attention to your surrounding is key, Wyley has displayed a calm and collected demeanor that allows him to always find his target. His quick reactions and excellent field vision allowed him to deliver one of the most punishing hits during Franklin’s game against Parkville, when he burst through the offensive line and laid into the quarterback.

“Louis has great size and speed for a linebacker,” said coach Burgos. “He also worked hard in the weight room and improved his strength greatly during the off-season.”

Wyley’s outstanding play this year has earned him much notoriety around the league. He was named first team all-division and will play in the County All-Star game.

Individual successes are not Wyley’s priority; being a leader and a role model for his team is what he feels is his main role.

“I make sure we all remain level headed,” said Wyley. “I try to keep us together as a team when games start getting tough.”

Wyley’s teammates have taken notice of his leadership qualities.

“Louis is a very supportive teammate,” said fellow senior linebacker Bryan Kimball. “He sets the bar high for all the linebackers.”

Wyley is also known for having his own unique sense of humor that keeps morale high in the locker room.

“Louis brings life to the team and is a pleasure to be around,” added Kimball.

But when Wyley steps on the field, he’s focused. Kimball noted Wyley becomes very serious come game time and, once on the field, he makes sure he gets the job done.

Off the field Wyley has committed himself to his studies. He will be honored at Martin’s West as a Scholar Athlete, someone whom coach Burgos calls a “model student athlete”.

Wyley credits Franklin football for some of the best experiences of his life and will miss playing for Franklin.

“I’m going to miss this team,” said Wyley. “We have played together for four years and have all become a family.”

Wyley is looking to continue his football career and is currently in talks with coaches from Towson University and Morgan State. He is also hoping to gain some more offers after his truly phenomenal senior year.