The Franklin Cougars will challenge the Eastlake Falcons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, everything came up roses for Franklin against Socorro as the team secured a 52-7 victory. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Ernie Powers and Adrian Hunt. Powers had a great game and rushed for 279 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 16.4 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Hunt did his best for the losing side, rushing for 109 yards and one score.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Eastlake, who bounced back after a loss on the road on October 3rd. They breezed past Socorro to the tune of 49-7 two weeks ago. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Falcons' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 370th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 838th).
Franklin better keep an eye on Julian Williams. He was instrumental in Eastlake's win, throwing for 172 yards and three TDs while completing 87.5% of his passes, and also rushing for 65 yards and one touchdown on only five carries. They are undefeated when Williams posts three or more passing touchdowns, but 1-3 otherwise. Jayden Sharpe also helped with three scores in total.
Eastlake was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 226 rushing yards. They are a perfect 4-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Eastlake didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Ethan Rivera and Junior Trotman. Trotman got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Eastlake now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Franklin, their victory bumped their record up to 6-2.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Franklin has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 423.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Eastlake struggles in that department as they've been averaging 219.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Franklin couldn't quite get it done against Eastlake in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 as they fell 21-14. Will the Cougars have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
