vs
| 10/11/24 - Away | 7-44 L |
| 09/21/23 - Away | 24-48 L |
| 09/22/22 - Home | 48-44 W |
| 09/18/21 - Away | 41-0 W |
| 03/26/21 - Home | 55-7 W |
| 10/16/15 - Away | 40-42 L |
Steilacoom and Franklin Pierce are an even 3-3 against one another since October of 2015, but not for long. The Sentinels will be playing in front of their home fans against the Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Steilacoom's defense has only allowed 11.8 points per game this season, so Franklin Pierce's offense will have their work cut out for them.
On Friday, Steilacoom came up short against Orting and fell 35-26. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Sentinels, who until this contest were averaging 11.8 points allowed.
Despite their defeat, Steilacoom saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Titus Kaeka, who threw for 233 yards and a pair of TDs, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaleo Johnson, who picked up 104 receiving yards and one score.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Franklin Pierce). They blew past Eatonville 78-14 on Friday. Given the Cardinals' advantage in MaxPreps' Washington football rankings (they are ranked 48th, while the Cruisers are ranked 147th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Franklin Pierce's win came from a few key players Steilacoom will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Bryson Allen, who rushed for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only ten carries. His rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his eighth straight game with at least 106 rushing yards dating back to last season. Ja'Mire Ford was another key player, gaining 94 total yards and three touchdowns.
Franklin Pierce was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 517 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2024.
Franklin Pierce didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Julian Amadeo, Jeremiah Orcutt, and Ford picked up one apiece.
Franklin Pierce now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Steilacoom, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 4-1.
The upcoming matchup will be a clash of competing strengths. Steilacoom has relied on air attacks this season and has averaged 269.4 passing yards per game. Franklin Pierce, on the other hand, has relied on a stout run game: they average 395.2 rushing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Thursday? There's only one way to find out.
Steilacoom took a serious blow against Franklin Pierce in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 44-7. Will the Sentinels have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
