The Franklin Panthers will head out to square off against the West Henderson Falcons at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Franklin will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
On Friday, Franklin strolled past Smoky Mountain with points to spare, taking the game 26-8. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 78th, while the Mustangs are ranked 233rd) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Addix Sutton was the offensive standout of the contest as he rushed for 57 yards on only eight carries, and also caught one touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Franklin was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 271 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 157 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Franklin didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Gabe Harrison. Another thorn in Smoky Mountain's side was Garrett Young, who made 13 total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, West Henderson earned a 42-35 victory over North Henderson on Friday. With that win, the Falcons brought their scoring average up to 27.4 points per game.
West Henderson's win came from a few key players Franklin will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Zane McCraw, who rushed for 175 yards and a pair of scores, and also picked up 53 receiving yards and one TD. He also punched in two rushing touchdowns, which is notable because West Henderson is 5-1 when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 1-2 otherwise. Cooper Lowrance also helped with two touchdowns in total.
Franklin's record now sits at 7-2. As for West Henderson, their record is now 6-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Franklin has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 220.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like West Henderson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 189 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Franklin couldn't quite finish off West Henderson in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 and fell 31-28. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
