Star athletes accused of vandalizing school before they graduated

ANDERSON COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ)-Two star athletes in Lawrenceburg are among the eighteen-year-olds charged with vandalizing the school they just graduated from.

Blake Franklin, Brandon Ball, and Cobe Penny are accused of breaking into, and damaging, the baseball and football field houses at Anderson County High School.

Franklin’s name and number are still painted on a pawprint, out near the football field. He had signed on to play football for Georgetown College, but now his future there isn’t certain.

According to court documents, May 31st, the night before they were set to graduate, Brandon Ball and Blake Franklin are accused of breaking into the baseball field house and punching holes with bats.

Those documents say Franklin broke a window to get into the football field house then broke a white board and water fountain with Ball and Cobe Penny.

“Some pretty extensive damage,” Sheriff Joe Milam said.

Milam says a two week investigation, including surveillance footage, led to the charges. He says his team ignored all the talk on Facebook so it could investigate fairly, and there was talk because Franklin and Penny were stand out athletes.

Franklin played on the football state all star team in January. Penny graduated as the school’s all time leading scorer in boy’s basketball.

“All of us, I think, in our lives sometimes make very bad choices as a result of very poor judgement. I feel that’s the case here,” Milam said.

He says, though, you’re not judged by your actions, but by how you clean it up. Franklin was signed to play football at Georgetown and Penny to play basketball at Bellarmine.

ABC 36 has not heard from Georgetown, but Bellarmine says it’s aware of the situation and Penny’s status there hasn’t changed as he is innocent until proven guilty.

Documents say Anthony Bryan, an 18-year-old from Nelson county is also accused of vandalism in this case.