Football Game Preview: Franklin Lions vs. McGregor Bulldogs

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Previous 5 Games

10/25/24 - Home	66-10 W
09/22/23 - Away	55-7 W
09/23/22 - Home	69-32 W
10/13/17 - Home	17-10 W
10/07/16 - Away	38-35 W

Franklin is a perfect 5-0 against McGregor since October of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Lions will head out to square off against the Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

McGregor will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Franklin extended their winning streak to three on Friday. The Lions claimed a resounding 64-14 victory over Little River Academy. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Lions' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 96th, while the Bumblebees are ranked 374th).

Meanwhile, McGregor was just a hair shy of victory on Friday and fell 36-35 to Rockdale. The Bulldogs were up 21-7 in the first quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead.

Franklin will have to keep a close watch on Isaiah Jones and Bubba Zacharias, a pair of players who had a big impact on McGregor's prior game. Jones rushed for 102 yards and one TD, while Zacharias rushed for 80 yards and one touchdown on only nine carries.

While McGregor came up short, they sure didn't make it easy for Rockdale: they limited their QB to completion percentage of just 50%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from seven players: Dontrae Coleman, Erik Sanchez, Quincy Glasson, Edward DeHoyos, Andrew Fossum, Nate DeGrate, and Zy'Air Fitzpatrick, who each logged one passes deflected. McGregor wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 59.1%.

McGregor's defeat dropped their record down to 1-6. As for Franklin, their win bumped their record up to 4-2.

Everything came up roses for Franklin against McGregor in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 66-10 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lions since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.