Despite playing nearly perfect football from Week 1 to Week 14 last season, Week 15 didn’t work in Franklin-Simpson’s favor.
The Wildcats, who recorded a perfect 10-0 slate in the regular-season and won three-straight during their run in the Class 4A KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl, watched their magnificent season end with a shocking 48-0 loss to Johnson Central in the state championship game.
Although that brisk, rainy night of Dec. 4 at Houchens-Smith Stadium saddened everyone involved with the Franklin program, that lone defeat in 2016 only motivated head coach Doug Preston’s club to work even harder this offseason.
With a long summer of work and preparation in the books, it’s safe to say that Franklin-Simpson will be ready to roll Friday night in its season – and home – opener against Elizabethtown.
- Elizabethtown breakdown: The Panthers went 10-4 in 2016 and made it to the Class 3A state semifinals, where they fell 21-14 to Central. Elizabethtown returns quarterback Tyler Durbin (1,150 yards, 17 TDs, 8 INTs), as well as running back Jay Becherer (1,171 yards, 15 TDs), both of which will begin their final high school seasons Friday.
Who: Franklin-Simpson (Class 4A) (0-0) vs. Elizabethtown (Class 3A) (0-0)
When: Friday, August 18, 2017 | 7 PM (CT)
Where: Franklin-Simpson High School
Head Coaches: Franklin – Doug Preston (6th season), ETown – Mark Brown (4th season)
Players To Watch: Franklin – Senior QB Rylan Thomas, Senior RB Saul Brady
ETown – Senior QB Tyler Durbin, Senior RB Jay Becherer
How To Follow: Twitter, STBNTV.com
Sports Insider Tyler Mansfield can be reached at (270) 935-0007. Follow him on Twitter at @_TylerMansfield
