Football Game Preview: Hickory Red Tornadoes vs. Franklin Panthers + How To Watch

Hickory has won six straight games at home, while Franklin has won six straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Red Tornadoes will welcome the Panthers at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Hickory's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last ten contests.

Hickory is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 45-6 victory over Montgomery Central. The result was nothing new for the Red Tornadoes, who have now won seven matchups by 28 points or more so far this season.

Meanwhile, Franklin won a contest that couldn't have been any closer, slipping by Forest Hills 14-13. Those 14 points were actually the fewest the Panthers have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.

Franklin's win came from a few key players Hickory will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Addix Sutton, who rushed for 97 yards on only 13 carries, and also picked up 34 receiving yards. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in October of 2024.

Franklin was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 221 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's win bumped their record up to 9-2. As for Hickory, their victory bumped their record up to 10-1.