FRANKLIN — Franklin football’s Daiveon Hall has wanted to break his father’s sack record since he was a freshman.
His father, Charles Hall, holds the program’s single-season mark with 12 sacks.
“He knows it’s a big goal of mine,” Hall said. “I told him since I was a freshman in high school I wanted to break it.”
Three years later, Hall has a chance to do it. He has seven sacks this season, putting him on pace to surpass his father’s mark after finally entering a season healthy.
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Hall dealt with a nagging knee injury during the first two seasons. Following his sophomore season, doctors discovered a torn
ligament, leading to surgery at Duke and several months of rehabilitation. He missed Franklin’s 2025 season opener against Murphy.
The experience humbled Hall. It also made him appreciate playing football when he finally returned.
“It made me want to come back and play harder because I haven’t got to play in so long, didn’t get to do nothing all summer,” Hall said. “Then want to come back and play as hard as you can and just make it known that you’re back and ready to go.”
Charles was a defensive tackle. Hall is a defensive end. But there are parts of his father’s game he still tries to emulate.
“I try to play as fast as he did, but he plays a little quicker,” Hall said.
Franklin coach Josh Brooks has a unique perspective on the comparison. He coached Charles at Franklin and now coaches his son.
Brooks remembers Charles as a hard-nosed interior defensive lineman who had impressive footwork.
Hall isn't the only Franklin player carrying on a family connection. His teammate Garrett Young’s father also played alongside Charles, and the two have watched clips of their fathers playing.
Brooks believes both sons have surpassed their fathers as players.
“Not knocking them, I think the boys are better players,” Brooks said. “They’re just like their dads in the fact that they’re tough and hard-nosed and just love playing the game.”
Hall's health has allowed him to build on that foundation.
He entered 2026 with a chance to prepare for a season without spending the offseason recovering from an injury. He didn't expect everything to click immediately.
“I didn’t think it was going to come as quick as it did because I’d figured I’d have to get back into it a little more,” Hall said. “But it’s coming how I like it, so I’m going to try and keep it that way.”
Brooks noticed a difference when Franklin began scrimmaging against Reynolds and Rabun County (Georgia).
“The thing is if he puts his hands on you, you’re going to the ground,” Brooks said.
Hall's physicality has made him a problem beyond the defensive line. Brooks said his brother, Jay, watched Hall deliver a hit on a kickoff against Pisgah and thought there had been a car wreck. And Hall's presence also creates opportunities for his teammates.
“He definitely brings a lot of attention to the other side, too, because they got to run away from him,” defensive end Cayson McAlister said.
Opposing coaches noticed Hall's impact last season. Brooks said one told him that they were most concerned with figuring out how to deal with Hall.
This season, Hall has turned that attention into production. He has 48 tackles, 10 for a loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles, a pass deflection and a fumble recovery.
Part of the improvement has come from becoming a more versatile pass rusher as he focused on using his hands and hips more after realizing he had relied too heavily on his strength.
“Watching my film from last year, my hips and my hands, I never used them,” Hall said. “I was just trying to run people over.”
Now, those technical improvements have put Hall within five sacks of tying his father’s record.
“I know he wants me to break it, probably more than I want to break it,” Hall said. “But he’s rooting for me as hard as he can to break it.”
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.
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This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Inside Daiveon Hall's quest to chase down father's Franklin football sack record
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