BOWLING GREEN — Franklin-Simpson took 47 more steps toward defending their state championship on Friday night.
The Wildcats (8-1) clinched the Class 4A, District 2 championship, running past Warren East 47-0 for their fifth win on the road.
Franklin-Simpson has dominated District 2 in recent history, and history continued against the Raiders. When the win was clinched after 48 minutes, the Wildcats found themselves with their third straight district title, setting them up for another great postseason run.
“It’s a really big accomplishment to win a district championship three years in a row,” Franklin-Simpson coach Doug Preston said. “I thought our defense did a pretty good job of stopping (Thomas) Maxey tonight and I thought our backs ran really hard and our line blocked well.”
Preston knows the scoreboard was no indication of how his team performed at times. He thought Warren East made his players earn it, despite scoring zero points and giving up 47 points.
“I think (Warren) East has got a really good football team. I don’t want to take anything away from them. It wasn’t an easy win, but it was a good win,” he said.
Thomas Maxey had no running room thanks to a solid performance from Franklin-Simpson’s front seven. Maxey gained just 59 yards on 26 carries, failing to eclipse a run of more than 10 yards.
“It was one of those things where going in we felt like we were going to fight a bear with a butter knife because they have got size on the offensive line and speed,” Warren East coach Jeff Griffith said. “Losing is one thing, but I was disappointed with how we played offensively. We should have been better offensively, and give them credit, they are a good football team.”
Rain moved into the area thorough out the game, but thunder and lightning didn’t come from the sky as predicted. It came on the field with Tre Bass and Carlos McKinney.
Bass and McKinney account for over 300 yards of rushing, leading Franklin-Simpson to 414 on the night.
Bass knows most of the work starts with the front five lineman. The work of that unit allowed Bass to eclipse touchdown runs from 46, 15 and seven yards out. That unit also allowed players like McKinney, Tedric Partinger, and Chase Gooch to find pay-dirt.
Bass is used to piling up yards on a small amount of carries, and it was no different against Warren East. While visiting the end-zone three times, he gained 184 yards on just 15 carries. McKinney was right behind his partner in crime with 134 on 19 carries.
“Before every game I make sure I tell the guys up front [the offensive line], ‘You guys win our football games and that without you guys we are nothing,’ ” Bass said. “I guess that gives them motivation to keep pounding it up front. We just follow them and get into the end zone.”
