It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Franklin Panthers had no problem doing just that on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 41-16 margin over Manual Arts. The result was nothing new for Franklin, who have now won seven matchups by 20 points or more so far this season.
It was another big night for Benjamin Villareal, who rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries. Eduardo Cuevas was another key contributor, throwing for 140 yards and two touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes.
Several Toilers players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Shaun Black, who rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 177 yards and a touchdown. Another player making a difference was Dominque Lamb, who gained 176 total yards.
The victory was the sixth in a row for Franklin, bringing their record for this year to 8-2-1. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 39.0 points per game. As for Manual Arts, their loss dropped their record down to 6-5.
Franklin will face off against King/Drew at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Manual Arts does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
