The good times keep rolling for Panther football.
After starting their season with 20-point wins over Robbinsville and Murphy, on Sept. 6 Franklin returned to the Panther Pit for a clash with Swain. In routing the Maroon Devils 35-7, the team improved to 3-0 overall and 2-0 at home in the Pit’s 75th and final year.
Senior Braylon Dezarn gave the home team an early spark, returning the opening kickoff 25 yards to the Panther 45. From there the Panthers mounted a steady drive into Swain territory, combining short completions from quarterback Anderson Terrell with tough runs from backs Braydon Hervey and Addix Sutton. Hervey scored on a second-and-goal carry from the 1 to put his team up 7-0.
Penalties backed Swain up behind the chains on their opening drive, facing a third-and-16 from their own 9. There Hervey came up big for the Panthers once again, intercepting a short Devil pass near the 15 and returning it for his second score in 60 seconds. Daniel Riddle’s extra point doubled Franklin’s lead to 14-0 midway through the first.
After forcing a Devil three-and-out on the next drive, Franklin took over at their own 38, and attempted a surprise deep pass on their first play from scrimmage. Swain’s Zeke Glaspie had other ideas however, making an impressive catch away from his body to intercept the pass.
Franklin’s defense kept harassing Swain on the ensuing drive, getting back-to-back sacks from Hervey and Caryll Cook to force a Devil punt. From there Hervey spearheaded another steady drive, picking up crucial first downs on third-and-4 and fourth-and-2. On first-and-goal from the 2 the senior found the end zone once again, and Franklin defended their 21-0 lead through the final four minutes of the half.
The Panthers kept rolling after the break, forcing another Swain three-and-out to start the third quarter. After a short Devil punt Franklin took over at the Swain 31, and took advantage of their prime field position behind more tough runs from Hervey. On fourth-and-one from the 3 the Panthers elected to go for broke, and their gamble paid off with the senior’s fourth touchdown of the night.
After another Swain three-and-out on the ensuring drive, Franklin took over at their own 35 with four minutes left in the third. On third-and-15 from the 30 Terrell made the throw of the night for Franklin, finding fellow sophomore Lance Parker in stride between two defenders more than 30 yards downfield. Parker cruised the last 45 yards for the score to put his team up 35-0.
Having blocked a Robbinsville punt the previous week, senior Josh McGaha continued a seven-day tear for the Panthers, forcing a Swain fumble with 11 minutes to play. After multiple third-down stops in the half, senior Aiden Sizemore capped a strong game for Franklin’s defense, recovering the ball at the Devil 38 to give his team an extra possession.
Swain got the ball back in a hurry however, recovering a fumbled Panther snap on third-and-six at the 34. With Franklin’s second-string defense in the game the Devils finally gained some traction, as senior Grady Lewis bulldozed defenders for 34 yards to the Panther 5. Lewis found the end zone on second-and-goal from the 1 to make it 35-7.
Senior Nse Uffort came through for Swain on Franklin’s next drive, shedding blockers for a tackle for loss to force the Panthers into third-and-long. The Devils dropped the ensuing punt however, and junior Brock Bradley recovered the loose ball with 2:30 to play. After a 15-yard run from senior Tyler Koch to set up first-and-goal, Franklin ran out the clock for their third-straight blowout win to start the season.
“Last year they whooped our hiney, and this year we came together as a team and really pulled through,” said senior Maveric Waldroop of Franklin’s 40-13 loss in Bryson City last year. “As you can tell by the scoreboard [we put] a hell of a whooping on them, and I’m proud of everybody on the team. I’m just very proud and thankful for my family, God, coaches, and the team – [without them] I wouldn’t be playing football.”
As one of Franklin’s unsung heroes and perhaps its best interior lineman, Waldroop helped anchor the Panthers on both sides of the ball once again. When asked for his keys to success versus Swain, the senior cited the team’s motivation pregame.
“It was probably the pregame speech coach gave us; that really got me fired up,” he said. “I can’t repeat it, but he was fired up, and [also] the hiney-whooping they laid on us last year got me prepped and ready to go.”
“I just challenged them to fight – fight for four seconds, and to do it for the entire game,” said head coach Josh Brooks of his pregame message to the team. “I told them whether you want to be remembered or not, everybody will remember this team because this will be the last team to play at the Pit. 2024 will be forever remembered because it’s the last year, and that makes it a little bit special. So far so good, and I’m just really proud of our overall effort. Our attitude and effort have just been tremendous. It’s been tremendous at practice, it’s been tremendous in the weight room, and it’s carried right over to the field.”
After improving to 3-0 with the win over Swain, Franklin turned their attention to their first Mountain Seven Conference game, enjoying a bye this week before a trip to East Henderson Sept. 20.