Another game, another blowout win for Panther football.
After a red-hot start to the season featuring 20-point wins over Swain, Robbinsville and Murphy, on Sept. 20 Franklin kicked off their conference schedule with a trip to East Henderson. In a 48-8 rout of the Eagles, Josh Brooks’ team earned their first Mountain Seven victory.
Having racked up 631 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns in Franklin’s first three games, senior Braydon Hervey wasted little time in East Flat Rock, returning the opening kickoff up the right sideline behind a wall of blockers for a 94-yard score. Senior Daniel Riddle tacked on the extra point just 15 seconds into the game.
After forcing a three-and-out on East’s first drive, Franklin dealt another body blow less than two minutes in, when junior Addix Sutton broke free up the middle and blocked the Eagle punt. Senior Caryll Cook recovered the loose ball at the Eagle 18 to give his offense immaculate field position. Franklin couldn’t take advantage however, failing to convert on fourth-and-2 from the 10.
The Panthers got the ball back in a hurry minutes later, when Cook shed his blocker and met East’s running back in the backfield. The senior forced a fumble and recovered the loose ball to once again give his team prime field position at the Eagle 20.
Once again the Panthers faced a fourth-and-short in the Eagle red zone, and once again went for broke rather that attempt a field goal. This time the gamble paid off on a quarterback sneak from sophomore Anderson Terrell, and Hervey found the end zone on a second-and-goal carry to double his team’s lead.
Hervey came through once again minutes later, intercepting a third-and-7 pass near midfield and returning it 52 yards up the right sideline for a score. The play gave the senior the rare trifecta of an offensive, defensive and special teams touchdown in a single quarter.
Franklin forced another three-and-out on East’s next drive, forcing a punt on fourth-and-10 from the Eagle 21. There East’s punter was forced to handle a low snap, giving freshman Garrett Young time to shed his blocker and block the punt. Junior Aiden Pitts recovered the loose ball and returned it to the Eagle 2, where Hervey scored his fourth touchdown of the night moments later. East blocked Franklin’s extra point attempt to keep the score at 27-0.
Franklin’s defense stood tall once again on the Eagles’ next drive, getting a third-and-12 sack from junior Caiden Berry on East’s 22. On fourth-and-16 East sent their punting unit onto the field, and attempted a fake punt/pass near the right hash marks. There Pitts came through for Franklin’s coverage unit once again, reading the play perfectly and intercepting the pass for a 32-yard return touchdown.
Hervey kept harassing the Eagles on Franklin’s next drive, gaining 23 yards on a third-and-2 carry to East’s 18. He scored moments later on first-and-goal from the 8 to put his team up 41-0, finishing the game with 251 all-purpose yards, an interception and five total touchdowns.
East’s offense finally gained some traction on their next possession, riding multiple tough runs from junior Kaydin Williams past midfield. On third-and-3 from the Panther 44 however, Addix Sutton brought the drive to a screeching halt, intercepting a short pass near the line to gain and returning it 28 yards up the left side to the Eagle 31. The junior then finished what he started on offense, scoring on a second-and-goal carry from the four. Pitts expertly handled a low snap on the extra point attempt, holding the ball for senior Will Sinclair to make it 48-0 in the half’s final minute.
Franklin’s second defense took the field for the second half, and East took advantage with an 11-play, 65-yard touchdown drive. The Eagles added a two-point conversion to make it 48-8. Due to Franklin having been up by more than 41 points at halftime, the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s running clock rule took effect for the second half, causing East’s drive to take up nearly the entire third quarter.
East maintained their momentum on Franklin’s first drive of the half, recovering a fumbled snap on the Panther 40 early in the fourth. Junior Payton King soon stopped the Eagles in their tracks however, intercepting a third-and-7 pass on the ensuing series near the 15.
On third-and-7 from their own 19 Franklin dialed up a deep pass attempt, where junior Brock Bradley found senior Peyton Shelton streaking up the right side. While Bradley’s pass was initially tipped by an Eagle defensive back, Shelton nearly made the play of the night for the Panther offense, tipping the ball back to himself three times in roughly a second and seeming to secure it while falling to the ground for a 20-yard gain. Referees ruled that the ball had touched the ground however, negating the play. Franklin defended their 48-8 lead to the final whistle.
“I’m proud of our guys. They took care of business right away,” said head coach Josh Brooks. “Four interceptions – two of those got returned for touchdowns, two blocked punts – one of those got returned to the 2 yard line, a kickoff return for a touchdown – just a big night for the defense and a big night for our special teams. … The leadership has been tremendous. Our first defense gave up a touchdown on the second play of the season at Murphy, and since then our first defense, where all 11 starters are in, has not given up any more points.”
With a rollicking 4-0 start led by 708 all-purpose yards, three interceptions and 12 total touchdowns from Hervey, the Panthers have taken observers across the mountains by surprise this year. After a disappointing 2-8 season last fall, Brooks says the team wants to continue proving prognosticators wrong.
“I don’t think we’re gonna have one ounce of trouble moving forward for motivation,” said Brooks. “We lost to everybody else on our schedule except for Tuscola the rest of the way, and I felt like we played with a chip on our shoulder against those first three teams. I don’t like to use the word ‘revenge;’ I like the word ‘redemption,’ because you’re trying to show people – show opponents that things are different, and I don’t think we’re gonna have any different attitude moving forward. While the teams are gonna get much better, I’m hoping that we’re gonna get better and rise to the level of play. There could be some really good football ahead.”