Fresh off a come-from-behind win over Hopkinsville, Franklin-Simpson will host a veteran Collins team on Friday evening at 7 p.m. in the semifinals of the Class 4A KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl at Shadetree Stadium.
The Wildcats (10-3 overall) earned another trip to the final four after scoring 35 unanswered points last week against Hoptown to record a 35-20 win. Franklin-Simpson went into halftime down by 20, but found the style of play its accustomed to in the second half to win by 15.
In their win, the Wildcats — victors of eight straight games — were led by the running back duo of James Baker and Saul Brady. Baker rushed for 46 yards and two touchdowns on five carries while Brady finished with two TDs with 86 yards.
Collins (11-2) travels to Franklin after winning 34-28 at home over Mercer County last Friday. In the Titans’ victory, quarterback JR Lucas passed for 87 yards and a pair of scores while recording 160 yards and three TDs on the ground.
In the 2016 state semifinals, Franklin-Simpson beat John Hardin 27-7 to advance to the championship. While the Wildcats will be looking to return to the title game, Collins will be looking to play for a Class 4A championship for the first time since 2013 – the year in which the Titans were state champions.
Franklin-Simpson and Collins haven’t met since Nov. 25, 2011 – a 20-15 Wildcats’ win in the semifinals of the Class 4A playoffs.
Class 4A State Semifinals: Franklin-Simpson (10-3) vs. Collins (11-2)
• Fri., Nov. 24 | 6:30 p.m. (CT)
• Shadetree Stadium | Franklin, KY
• Coaches: Doug Preston (FSHS) | Jerry Lucas (CHS)
• Coverage: @SportingTimes | @_TylerMansfield
Senior writer Tyler Mansfield can be reached at mansfield.sportingtimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @_TylerMansfield.
