A 7th grader succeeded in making a half-court shot and ultimately brought home the prize money of $10,000. And he’ll use it for college.
JJ Franks
JJ, a 13-year-old, is a 7th grader at Bishop Ryan Catholic School. Just last week, the school held a $10,000 Halftime Shootout. JJ, who came from Minot, North Dakota, made a layup, free throw, three-pointer, and half-court shot in just 25 seconds.
“You only get one shot at that, so if you miss, you miss,” he told Valley News Live.
JJ’s mother, Marie Franks, claimed that her son underwent therapy for shoulder dislocation last year. She claimed he attended physical therapy three times per week for several months before being given the all-clear to play basketball this season.
So, Marie didn’t expect this to happen. Even JJ, who plays basketball for the school’s 7th and 8th grade teams as well, called the experience “overwhelming” and claimed he didn’t expect to win.
“He was all teary-eyed and just … overwhelmed with what he had just witnessed and what he had just done,” Marie said.
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Half-court Shot
7th-grader in North Dakota makes half-court shot to win $10Khttps://t.co/XzUH3faDRd pic.twitter.com/H4mAzKCXAZ
— KTIV News Four (@ktivnews) February 2, 2023
The Bishop Ryan Varsity Boys Basketball schedule in the Lions’ Den featured a new exciting event: the $10,000 Gatorade Halftime Shootout, sponsored by Northern Bottling of Minot.
According to their website, a “lucky ticket holder will have 25 seconds to score a layup, free throw, three-point shot, or half-court shot for $10,000 cash.”
And that lucky ticket holder is JJ Franks, who believed that he was helped by God.
“That was one in a million, and through the power of God, it went in,” JJ said.
His mother seconded the motion and said, “The first three, I thought he had some basketball talent, but the last shot, really, I think was maybe more a gift from God than it was some natural talent.”
JJ was filled with emotion and overwhelmed by what he had just witnessed and done. But clearly, he already had a goal in mind. Because when asked what he’d use the money for, he immediately answered, “College.”
Header image: JJ Franks [KFYR-TV]. YouTube, 1 February 2023, https://youtu.be/zac0SsDEkKI
Reference: FOX News, GMA, Valley News Live
