Trio of Wildcats sign to further athletic careers in college

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Friday morning in the Franklin-Simpson High School auditorium, three athletes signed to continue their careers at the college level.

Wildcat catcher Griff Banton will play baseball starting next fall at Campbellsville University.

This season, Banton has so far racked up 29 hits and 13 RBIs on a .358 batting average, helping lead FS to an 18-11 start.

In addition to his offensive production, Banton has developed into a strong backstop behind the plate under head coach Matthew Wilhite, and he will look to bring that same presence on the diamond while wearing a Tigers uniform in just a few short months.

Banton had this to say on why he knew Campbellsville would be his next home.

“ I really liked Coach Sanders. I thought he had a good mentality in the game, and I liked his approach ‘best man plays,’ and I loved that about the team. They’re really nitty gritty and the campus is a really nice place. I thought it was very good,” said Banton. “I’m very excited. I think it takes a little a tension out of the game when I get to play now and I get to just go out there and be me and have fun.”

Banton’s teammate on the baseball field also is a spectacular football player, and Layne Alford will stay on the gridiron after high school, signing to play at Lindsey Wilson College.

Alford joins the Blue Raiders after a strong senior year where he served as the lead rusher with 829 yards on the ground and 14 rushing touchdowns.

As for the football team’s leading receiver and second-highest running back, Collin Anderson will take his talents to Union Commonwealth University to play not only football but also join the track team.

Anderson combined for 10 total touchdowns and over 1000 yards from scrimmage in 2024, and after putting pen to paper, he and Alford both shared what they learned playing under head coach Max Chaney.

“ Coach Chaney and Coach Wilhite, they’ve really put an emphasis on learning how to compete. You gotta be ready to go every day. You can’t show up lazy one day and get after it the next day. You gotta get after it every single day,” said Alford.

“The biggest thing that he’s always told me, and I’ll keep this with me for life, he told me, ‘Never take advice from somebody you wouldn’t take criticism from,’ and you know that just kept with me for years,” said Anderson. “All my life I’ve been told I’m too small, I wouldn’t be able to make it just because of my height and my weight, but I trusted God, I trusted him, and [Coach Chaney] put faith in me, like he said, freshman year at Russellville. It was a tough game, but you know, he put his faith in me at a young age to help me develop, help me grow, and you know, that’s what led me to be here where I’m at today.”