Hamilton Southeastern faced Franklin Central in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Royals came out on top in a nail-biter against the Flashes, sneaking past 38-35. The Royals' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Kendrick Pennybaker was the offensive standout of the contest as he picked up 55 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Matthew Ruiz
| 09/12/25 @ Fishers | 4 |
| 08/29/25 @ North Central | 5 |
| 10/03/25 vs Noblesville | 7 |
| 08/22/25 vs Carroll | 8 |
| 09/05/25 vs Avon | 8 |
Another reason for the win was Hamilton Southeastern's imposing defensive line, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. Leading the way was Matthew Ruiz with two. He also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with 14. Henry Wans got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Most of the squad's points came courtesy of special teams, who contributed 20 in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Wans, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Despite the loss, Franklin Central still got an impressive performance from Nathan Sparks, who rushed for 129 yards and two TDs. Sparks has become a key player for the Flashes: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least 80 rushing yards, but 2-3 otherwise.
The victory made it two in a row for Hamilton Southeastern and bumps their season record up to 5-3. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 34.5 points over those games. As for Franklin Central, they dropped their record down to 4-4 with the defeat, which was their fourth straight on the road.
Looking ahead, Hamilton Southeastern will square off against Brownsburg at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Royals' defense better be ready for this one: the Bulldogs have averaged an impressive 31.6 points per game this season. As for Franklin Central, they will take on Westfield at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Shamrocks' defense has only allowed 12.9 points per game this season, so the Flashes' offense will have their work cut out for them.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
