The Eastlake Falcons will venture away from home to challenge the Franklin Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Eastlake took a loss when they played away from home on October 3rd, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed two weeks ago. They blew past Socorro 49-7. That 42 point margin sets a new team best for the Falcons this season.
Julian Williams
| 10/09/25 vs Socorro | 166.7 |
| 09/26/25 vs Montwood | 165.7 |
| 08/28/25 vs Bel Air | 141.4 |
| 09/12/25 vs Liberty Hill | 91.7 |
| 09/18/25 vs Rio Rancho | 81.4 |
| + 2 more games |
It was another big night for Julian Williams, who threw for 172 yards and three touchdowns while completing 87.5% of his passes, and also rushed for 65 yards and one score on only five carries. His passing game has become a key predictor of Eastlake's success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-3 otherwise. Jayden Sharpe got in on the action too, returning a kick for a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Eastlake was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 226 rushing yards. They are a perfect 4-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 13 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Sharpe, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Franklin was fully in charge on Friday, breezing past Socorro 52-7. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 31-0.
Eastlake better keep an eye on Ernie Powers. He was instrumental in Franklin's win, rushing for 279 yards and three TDs while picking up 16.4 yards per carry. Powers' longest rush was for an incredible 78 yards. Another player making a difference was Elijah Barrientos, who threw for 50 yards and a pair of touchdowns on perfect 6-for-6 passing.
Eastlake pushed their record up to 4-3 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 49.0 points this season. As for Franklin, their record now sits at 6-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Eastlake has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 219.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Franklin struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 423.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Eastlake beat Franklin 21-14 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Powers, who rushed for 246 yards and one score while picking up 7.2 yards per carry. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Falcons still be able to contain Powers? There's only one way to find out.
