Football Preview: Franklin Panthers vs. Tuscola Mountaineers
Franklin and Tuscola are an even 3-3 against one another since November of 2014, but not for long. The Franklin Panthers are taking a road trip to challenge the Tuscola Mountaineers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Franklin is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed by East Henderson on the road to the tune of 48-8 on Friday. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 64th, while the Eagles are ranked 306th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Franklin's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged four passes before it was all said and done. It was truly a group effort as Payton King, Addix Sutton, Aiden Pitts, and Pitts picked up one apiece. Braydon Hervey also set a new season high mark in rushing touchdowns with four.
Meanwhile, Tuscola entered their tilt with Swain County two weeks ago with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They took their contest on the road with ease, bagging a 42-8 win over the Maroon Devils. That looming 42-8 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Mountaineers yet this season.
Jett Bartley looked great while leading his team to the win, throwing for 173 yards and three touchdowns.
The victory for Franklin keeps them at an undefeated 4-0. As for Tuscola, their win bumped their record up to 3-1.
Franklin strolled past Tuscola in their previous meeting back in September of 2023 by a score of 31-14. The rematch might be a little tougher for Franklin since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
