Franklin Towne Charter High girls soccer team wins Public League title [updated]

Updated Oct. 29: Franklin Towne Charter defeated Central, 5-1.

From Oct. 28: Tonight, Franklin Towne Charter High School girls soccer team heads off to compete for its third consecutive championship in the Philadelphia Public League Final.

Although the FTC soccer program is 10 years old and considered a championship winning team, the league faces challenges against other longstanding programs in the Northeast. As a charter school, the FTC soccer program struggles to compete with Catholic League teams and is working hard to establish a winning record.

Coach and 2012 Southeastern PA Soccer Association Coach Of The Year Brianna O’Donnell has been with the Franklin Towne soccer program for five years and is working hard with her girls to accomplish their goals.

“Being able to compete with premier high school programs is something we are working to achieve,” O’Donnell said.

The team’s current Public League record is 12-0 and the overall season record is 13-3-1.  Over the past four years, the nine current seniors have won 57 games total, a record they hope to increase.

Senior and 2012 Southeastern PA Soccer Coaches Association All Star Team member Rachel Gilborges has set a school record by scoring 83 goals over the past four years.

“It is really important that my teammates and I are able to represent our neighborhoods on the soccer field,” she said. “We all grew up in the same area and the community support has been great during our games.”

Franklin Towne Soccer will play Central High School in the Philadelphia Public League Final tonight. The game will start at 7:00PM at Northeast High School.

Elizabeth Steinmetz is a student reporting for Philadelphia Neighborhoods, the publication of Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab.