vs
| 10/11/24 - Home | 44-7 W |
| 09/21/23 - Home | 48-24 W |
| 09/22/22 - Away | 44-48 L |
| 09/18/21 - Home | 0-41 L |
| 03/26/21 - Away | 7-55 L |
| 10/16/15 - Home | 42-40 W |
Franklin Pierce and Steilacoom are an even 3-3 against one another since October of 2015, but not for long. The Cardinals will venture away from home to challenge the Sentinels at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Franklin Pierce has been dominant on offense recently, having racked up an incredible 188 points over their last three matchups.
Franklin Pierce is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past Eatonville, posting a 78-14 win. Given the Cardinals' advantage in MaxPreps' Washington football rankings (they are ranked 48th, while the Cruisers are ranked 147th) , the win on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Franklin Pierce to victory, but perhaps none more so than Bryson Allen, who rushed for 145 yards and two scores on only ten carries. Allen also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up a sack, making nine total tackles (5.5 for loss), and defending one pass. Anthony Lomiga also helped out as he racked up 120 rushing yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: 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's defense stepped up as well, laying out Cole Fowler three times. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Allen, Lomiga, and Adam Cook, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Meanwhile, Steilacoom came up short against Orting on Friday and fell 35-26. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Sentinels, who until this game were averaging 11.8 points allowed.
Franklin Pierce will need to focus on slowing down Titus Kaeka, one of several Steilacoom players who made an impact when they last played. He threw for 233 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jaleo Johnson also helped out with an impressive 104 receiving yards.
Having lost for the first time this season, Steilacoom fell to 4-1. As for Franklin Pierce, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Thursday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Franklin Pierce has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 395.2 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Steilacoom, though, as they've been averaging only 96.4 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything came up roses for Franklin Pierce against Steilacoom when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 44-7 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cardinals since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
