|
Defensive struggle results in Franklin’s victory over SM
In a defensive struggle, Franklin stayed undefeated Friday with a 16-6 win over Smoky Mountain at The Panther Pit.
The Mustangs (3-2) shut down Franklin’s offense, which was averaging 43.5 points per game, and allowed just one offensive touchdown. The Panthers were held to 184 yards of total offense.
However, SM’s offense was also held in check with a net 104 rushing yards and no yards through the air.
Smoky Mountain’s Dillon Dunford heads to the end zone on a 52-yard touchdown run during the first quarter of Friday’s 16-6 loss at Franklin. – Photo by Mark Haskett
“It was a great defensive effort, the best we’ve played all year,” Coach Dale Galloway said. “It was a game that could have swung either way. We didn’t do as good a job of blocking as we had been doing.”
By the opening play of the second period, the Mustangs had received three gifts from Franklin special teams’ miscues but only took advantage of one to put points on the board.
“We did not take advantage of field position we had both by not moving the ball after we had gotten field position and by not moving the ball to create field position when we were far back,” Galloway said.
Both Franklin touchdowns were the result of special teams mistakes – a blocked field goal and a short punt – by the Mustangs.
SM’s Dillon Dunford netted 101 yards in 14 carries. Of the total, 95 yards came on two rushes.
Franklin’s Josh Young carried 14 times for 78 yards. Chris Lequire added 58 yards in 15 tries.
The Mustangs received the games’s first break when Trance Stoudemire fumbled a punt and Jared Deitz recovered at the SM 43. Three plays later, Dunford raced through a hole on the left side for a 52-yard scoring run. Grant Schallock missed his first extra point of the season leaving the score 6-0 with 3:53 to play in the first period.
Smoky Mountain’s Sam Allison (22) is among the defenders forcing a fumble on a kickoff return in the first quarter of Friday’s 16-6 loss at Franklin. – Photo by Mark Haskett
The Panthers provided another gift on the kickoff when T.J. Brown fumbled with Andy Potter recovering at the Franklin 30. The Mustangs came up empty when Schallock missed a 44-yard field goal.
Following an exchange of punts, including a short Franklin kick that the Mustangs failed to turn into points, the Panthers drove to the SM 30 before being stopped on downs. Key plays were a 39-yard pass from Christian Vose to Michael Carson and Robert Browning’s 7-yard gain on a fake punt after he fumbled the snap.
A 43-yard run by Dunford put the Mustangs in business at the Franklin 21. Three plays produced no yards bringing on Schallock for a 38-yard field goal try. Carson blocked the kick, and Browning returned it 70 yards to paydirt. Chase Henry missed the PAT for a 6-6 tie with 3:26 to play in the half.
The Panthers began to win the field position battle in the third period and put the Mustangs in the shadow of their goal when Henry’s punt was downed at the 4.
Schallock’s punt went for just 18 yards giving Franklin the ball at the SM 26. Four plays later, Lequire scored from the 10. Henry’s PAT gave his team a 13-6 lead with 6.3 seconds left in the third stanza.
The teams exchanged punts before a turnover that allowed the Panthers to seal the win. Colton Hunt fumbled while attempting to pass, and Brown returned the ball to the SM 13. Henry’s 31-yard field goal upped the margin to 16-6 at the 5:28 mark.
“I feel if we can get all three phases of our game going at the same time, we can compete with anybody we play,” Galloway said.
The Mustangs have an open date Friday and will return to action Sept. 29 for the homecoming game against Tuscola.
The team took Monday off and was scheduled to be off Friday while practicing Tuesday through Thursday, Galloway said.
SM Franklin
3 First Downs 11
39-104 Rushes-Yds. 35-134
0-0-0 Passing 4-11-0
0 Passing Yds. 50
8-35.3 Punts-Avg. 6-26.7
2-1 Fumbles-Lost 4-2
5-55 Penalties-Yds. 8-55
SM 6 0 0 0 6
Franklin 0 6 7 3 16
|
