The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
The Franklin High School football Warriors celebrated homecoming October 22 by notching the squad’s first win this season, 34-27 over the Plainfield Cardinals.
Junior Quasim Ashford accounted for 18 of those points, and was the Warriors’ go-to carrier for most of the game.
Plainfield struck first, early in the first quarter, and held the Warriors for the rest of that frame.
In the second quarter, an 8-yard run by Ashford and extra point by Junior Fehr Lujan tied the game up.
Later in the quarter, an 11-yard run by Samuele Mattia put the Warriors up, 14-7.
Plainfield tied the score in the third quarter, but not for long.
A 51-yard run by Ashford and extra point by Lujan gave Franklin a 21-14 lead.
The Warriors increased their lead later in the quarter when a Plainfield pass bounced out of the hands of its intended receiver and into the waiting arms of Senior Moshood Babolola, who then ran 68 yards down the sideline and into the end zone. Lujan’s kick was off, so the Warriors lead by 27-14.
Plainfield responded with a score later in the quarter, which ended with Warriors up, 27-21.
Franklin was not finished.
Ashford struck again with a 14-yard run, and Lujan’s extra point attempt was on target, giving the Warriors a 34-21 lead in the fourth quarter.
Plainfield would score one more time, but a two-point conversion attempt was foiled by the Warriors defense.ending the game at 34-27.
Earlier in the game, Warriors defense held the line at their own 1 yard line, denying the Cardinals a scoring opportunity.
Coach John Paczkowski attributed the win to the emotion of the night.
“They played as a team, played for the seniors. Homecoming, Senior Night, what a great way to send out the seniors,” he said.
“It was an emotional game as it always is,” he said. “They played together, they played for each other. We talked about it all week, when you’re at that point where you’re exhausted, do not quit for the seniors, and you saw they did it. They could have folded a couple times, but they didn’t.”
“It was a team win, offense, defense, special teams,” he said.
With the win, Franklin is 1-7 overall and 0-7 in the Big Central Conference.
Following is a photo gallery from the game:
