The highlight of the game, at least for Franklin, was a tackle, Aaron Moore-Junior, a 6-6, 330-pound junior, not only attempting, but completing a 26-yard pass to Freddie Blackhurst.

It came in the midst of the Knights’ last threat, which resulted in a pass into the endzone by regular quarterback Harrison Doty that fell incomplete to end the game.

The game went according to Hoyle – a 41-0 triumph by unbeaten and Region 5 champion General McLane. But the Lancers, with 11 illegal procedure calls, did all they could not to get in their own way of their ninth victory of the season. Eleven illegal procedure calls will do that.

Still, McLane was way too much for the 1-8 Knights, returning the opening kickoff 60 yards to the Franklin 28 and scoring on an 11-yard pass three plays later.

McLane scored on its next possession when Josh Caro threw his second TD, this one to Donny Burke for 30 yards.

In the meantime, the Knights fumbled on their first two possessions before the two teams traded turnovers. One, a 50-yard Pick 6  by freshman Jack Ponsoll put the Lancers up, 21-0. 

Ponsoll wasn’t the only freshman to star for the Lancers. Elliott Williams, Caro’s understudy,  took the reigns late in the second quarter, and quarterbacked them the rest of the way. Both Caro (28 yards) and Williams (19) scored on keepers to stake McLane to a 34-0 halftime lead.

Williams’ 9-yard run on McLane’s first possession of the second half made it 41-0 and turned on the running clock.

It came after Moore Junior made his first appearance in the Knights’ backfield. He took a handoff, ran for six yards...but fumbled – Franklin’s third fbobble of the game.

The Knights, however, did put together some good looking drives. The best came just before halftime after Austin Brown recovered a McLane fumble 40 yards from the endzone. Doty delivered a 23-yard pass to Blackhurst on the first play, and later Caden MIncer ran 21 yards to the 10.

The Knights thought they had a TD on an 8-yard Doty-to-Mincer pass, but holding negated it. Doty found MIncer again, this time for 10 yards to the 8, but two plays later freshman Jacob Fleming’s 25-yard field goal attempt failed. 

Mincer ran for 50-some yards before being shaken up in the second quarter. He saw no action after intermission.

The Knights were also stopped on downs at the 21 in the second half, and a 23-yard punt return by Blackhurst triggered their last march – the one that featured the fourth-down pass by Moore Junior. Doty also connected with freshman Gilberto Rivera for a 12-yard gain to the 26 on another fourth down pass.

KNIGHT LIFE – A couple of more big plays for Franklin: a 30-yard Doty to Damian Cassano pass and a fumble recovery/INT by Luke Marsteller in the first quarter…McLane now 16-0 vs. Franklin all-time...