Franklin Community is 1-8 against Decatur Central since October of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Grizzly Cubs will face off against the Hawks at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Franklin Community took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They strolled past Greenwood with points to spare, taking the game 31-14. The Grizzly Cubs haven't had any issues with the Woodmen recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Cori Tonte
| 10/10/25 vs Greenwood | 287 |
| 09/19/25 @ Martinsville | 228 |
| 08/29/25 @ Mt. Vernon | 152 |
| 09/26/25 vs Mooresville | 151 |
| 08/22/25 vs Southport | 110 |
It was another big night for Cori Tonte, who rushed for 287 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 9.3 yards per carry. Those 287 rushing yards gave him a new career-high.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Franklin Community was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 340 rushing yards. They are 2-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Franklin Community didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Brian Leap and Blake Smythe. Leap has been hot recently, having also posted at least one defended passe the last three times he's played. Smythe got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Decatur Central got themselves on the board against Perry Meridian on Friday, but Perry Meridian never followed suit. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 42-0 victory over the Falcons. The Hawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by 42 points or more this season.
Decatur Central's win came from a few key players Franklin Community will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Braylon Morris, who picked up 38 receiving yards and one TD, and also rushed for 31 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Decatur Central's defense and their six sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Jordyn Shanks and Mykul Campbell, who racked up five sacks between them.
Decatur Central's record now sits at 6-2. As for Franklin Community, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Franklin Community has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 184.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Decatur Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 295.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Franklin Community was taken down by Decatur Central 35-3 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Hawks' Bo Polston, who threw for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Now that the Grizzly Cubs know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
