The Franklin Cougars pushed their score all the way to 31 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 38-31 hit to the loss column at the hands of Eastwood. While losing is never fun, Franklin can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 368th, while Eastwood is ranked 153rd).
When it comes to explaining why Franklin lost, one person who can't be blamed is Shay Smith. Despite the final result, he rushed for 170 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 8.5 yards per carry. Smith is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last three games he's played.
Evan Minjarez was his usual excellent self, throwing for 263 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 130 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries. Maximus Mancilla and his 125 yards on the ground were also a key factor in Eastwood's victory.
Another reason for the win was Eastwood's imposing defensive line, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. In fact, those sacks all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Konrad Joseph-garcia.
Franklin has been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-4 record this season. As for Eastwood, the victory (which was their eighth in a row) raised their record to 8-1.
Franklin will look to defend their home field on Thursday against El Dorado at 7:00 p.m. As for Eastwood, they will head out on the road to face off against Eastlake at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Eastlake is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak.
