Football routs Murphy in season opener

Panther football has earned its first official win. After breaking in their new stadium with two early-August scrimmages, the team played their first regular season game on Aug. 21, traveling to Murphy for a nonconference game with the Bulldogs. In a 42-7 rout, Franklin hit the ground running for the fall. The Panthers came out firing in Cherokee County, when Gabe Harrison returned the opening kickoff 49 yards to Murphy's 34-yard line. A few plays later Paxton Sutton rushed for 22 yards to Murphy's 1, where Anderson Terrell scored on a quarterback sneak. Juan Olvera nailed the extra point less than three minutes into the game. Franklin's special teams and defense kept Murphy in check on the next possession, holding them to a short kickoff return and a three-and-out. Franklin took over at Murphy's 46 after the punt, where Terrell heaved a deep pass for Lance Parker on the drive's first play. A Bulldog defensive back made an excellent play however, intercepting the ball on his own 1. Franklin's defense stood tall again on the subsequent drive, forcing another three-and-out on a pass defensed by Daiveon Hall. Franklin took over on Murphy's 37 after the punt, where Terrell found Harrison for a 26-yard gain. Sutton then scored on a six-yard carry to double Franklin's lead. Murphy faltered again on their subsequent drive, fumbling the snap on their first play from scrimmage. Luke Schick recovered the loose ball for Franklin on Murphy's 17. Sutton bulldozed defenders for a 14-yard touchdown two plays later. Once again Franklin's defense held firm on Murphy's next drive, stopping their tailback on 3rd and 3 from the Murphy 38. On 4th and 2 Murphy lined up in an offensive formation, drawing Panther defenders to the line of scrimmage, then punted it over their heads to pin Franklin back at their own 5. Despite their field position, Franklin steadily marched upfield, getting multiple strong runs from Sutton including two third-down conversions. On 1st and 10 Terrell found Harrison in the end zone, putting Franklin up 28-0 in the second quarter. From there both defenses traded stops until halftime. Murphy finally gained some traction to start the third quarter, earning their first 1st downs of the game. Penalties halted their advance however, and they turned the ball over on downs at Franklin's 26. From there Terrell kicked Franklin's offense back into gear, finding Parker for 12 yards on 3rd and 10. On 3rd and 8 from the 40, he found Harrison deep up the right sideline, who caught a deflection from a Murphy defender and jogged 30 yards untouched to the end zone. Up 35-0, Franklin triggered the state's running clock rule and traded defensive stops with Murphy for the next two possessions. With eight minutes to play, Murphy lined up to punt from their own 13 but couldn't handle a low snap and fell on the ball at the 4. From there Oakley Brooks pushed through defenders on the ground to put his team up 42-0. Franklin's second-team defense took the field for the final drive, wherein Murphy scored on a 17-yard completion to avoid a shutout on the last play from scrimmage. From there Franklin prepared for the first official game in their new stadium, a nonconference clash with Robbinsville in their home opener Aug. 28. Will Woolever can be reached at sports@thefranklinpress.com

Football routs Murphy in season opener

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