Panther football is a perfect 3-0 to start the season.
For its third straight game against Smoky Mountain Conference (1A) opponents before opening its conference schedule Sept. 17 against East Henderson, on Sept. 10 Josh Brooks’ team made the trek to Swain County for a final early-season measuring stick. In a battle of two teams that both entered the contest 2-0, the Panthers rode a big first half into a victory over the Maroon Devils.
After originally planning to meet Labor Day weekend before postponing that game due to COVID-19 concerns, the delay added an extra layer of anticipation between the two Western NC powerhouses. In a game that was well-attended by Franklin fans in Bryson City, the visiting Panthers jumped out of the gate with their trademark rushing offense, getting a big 13-yard run to the Devil 49 by senior quarterback Chris McGuire on just the second play from scrimmage. Behind offensive linemen Cameron McClure, Kevin Cabe, Drew Mason, Bradley Stiles and Ethan Averett, Panther tailbacks Brayden Watts and Ty Handley gained several tough yards up the middle, while a second McGuire run to the outside gained 17 yards to the Devil 17. On second-and-5 from the Devil 12, McGuire found senior receiver Keagan Pollock on a screen pass down to the 1, and Watts punched it in on the next play to put Franklin up 7-0. The drive chewed up 62 yards and more than seven minutes of game time over 10 plays.
Upon holding Swain to a three-and-out on the Devils’ first possession, Franklin received the punt on its own 36 and picked up right where it left off. McGuire continued his excellent night on the ground and through the air, finding senior receiver/defensive back Grant Adams for a 9-yard catch-and-run to midfield and a huge 20-yard scamper three plays later on third-and-6. On second-and-8 from the Devil 12, the senior rolled to his left and found junior Davis Anders in the back of the end zone to put Franklin up 14-0 still with 1:23 left in the first quarter.
After both teams traded punts on the next two possessions, Swain received the first Franklin punt of the game inside its own half roughly halfway through the second quarter. For a few minutes, the Devils’ offense settled into a rhythm, getting a big run to their own 43 and a huge pass completion down to the Franklin 10. On second-and-goal from the 8 however, Franklin’s defense came up with a huge play when senior defensive end Bradley Stiles slipped into the Swain backfield and stripped the ballcarrier for a turnover.
After denying Swain points on the Stiles fumble, Franklin’s offense put together another good-looking drive as McGuire hit Pollock on a big completion to the Panther 27 and ran it himself for a 13-yard gain to the 40 on the next play. When a holding call put Franklin behind the 8-ball with a first-and-20 from its own 33, it looked as though they’d have a tough time reaching the line to gain, but on third-and-12 Handley kept the drive alive with a big catch-and-run to convert the first down. On the very next play, the junior found a running lane up the middle and rumbled all the way for a 50-yard touchdown, giving Franklin a 21-0 lead on its biggest offensive play of the evening with just over two minutes remaining.
Following the kickoff to Swain, for a moment it looked like Franklin had come up with another big turnover when senior free safety Kellen Stiles appeared to intercept a Devil deep pass, but a defensive pass interference call nullified the play and gave Swain an automatic first down with a 15-yard penalty. Bradley Stiles came through again just two plays later however, getting a big second-down sack to move Swain behind the chains. The Devils were unable to convert and ended the half down 21-0.
Upon receiving the second-half kickoff, Swain’s offense looked sharp to begin the third quarter. After taking over at their own 36, the Devils hit two quick deep passes to the Franklin 34 and 21, respectively. A few plays later, Swain punched it in to cut Franklin’s lead to 21-7 with 8:34 remaining in the third.
On the next drive, Franklin attempted to return the favor but was unable to convert on a fourth-and-3, giving Swain the ball with solid field position at its own 45. From there the Devil offense marched steadily into the Franklin half, looking ready to score as they advanced inside the Franklin 20. On a massive fourth-and-2 from the 18 however, Franklin’s defense earned their second red-zone stop of the night, bringing down the Devil ballcarrier just shy of the line to gain to force a turnover on downs.
Upon taking possession deep inside their own half, the Panthers began to regain some momentum with a big 25-yard McGuire completion to Pollock on the second play of the drive. A few plays later, this momentum was reversed when Franklin fumbled on its own 37, allowing Swain to recover just a few seconds into the fourth quarter.
From there Swain again marched down to the Franklin goal line, but the Panther defense held firm to keep the Devils out of the end zone. On a colossal fourth-and-goal from the 3, Franklin stood up the Swain ballcarrier for their third red zone turnover, underlining the Panthers’ advantage throughout the game at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
While Franklin’s defense again forced Swain to come away empty-handed, the play’s location created a tough set of downs for its offense. Backed up to their own goal line after the turnover, the Panthers were unable to find much space to work with and punted after just three plays. The Devils took over with immaculate field position at the Franklin 17 and found the end zone a few plays later to cut the Panthers’ lead to 21-14 with just 2:33 remaining in the game.
Suddenly finding itself in a nail-biter, Franklin received the Swain kickoff needing a first down to run out the clock. Swain’s defense held firm however, forcing Franklin to punt with roughly a minute left in regulation.
After receiving the punt at their own 30, Swain needed a miracle to gain the 70 yards to the Franklin end zone, and began firing deep passes in a desperate attempt to tie the game. On second-and-10, Adams intercepted a Devil Hail Mary to put the game on ice for the Panthers.