Football Preview: Penn-Trafford Warriors vs. Franklin Regional Panthers
Penn-Trafford is 7-1 against Franklin Regional since October of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Penn-Trafford Warriors will look to defend their home field against the Franklin Regional Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Penn-Trafford sitting on three straight wins and Franklin Regional on four.
Last Friday, Penn-Trafford strolled past Gateway with points to spare, taking the game 32-13.
Tasso Whipple was his usual excellent self, rushing for 249 yards while picking up 8.9 yards per carry. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in September of 2023. Jack Weishaar was another key player, picking up 68 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Penn-Trafford was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 300 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 177 rushing yards in eight consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Penn-Trafford didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Whipple and Tyler Boss. That high mark didn't come from nowhere: Whipple posted at least 163 rushing yards in the third games prior.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Franklin Regional). They claimed a resounding 51-14 victory over Fox Chapel on the road. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won three matches by 23 points or more so far this season.
Kyle Dupill continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 272 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 11.8 yards per carry. He was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 69 yards. Another player making a difference was Chase Lemke, who threw for 231 yards and three touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes.
Penn-Trafford's win bumped their record up to 5-2. As for Franklin Regional, their victory bumped their record up to 6-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Penn-Trafford has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 258.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Franklin Regional struggles in that department as they've been averaging 213.6. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Penn-Trafford was able to grind out a solid win over Franklin Regional in their previous meeting back in October of 2023, winning 27-14. Does Penn-Trafford have another victory up their sleeve, or will Franklin Regional turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
