The Franklin College football team has lorded over the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference for quite some time now, and opponents are showing no signs of catching up anytime soon.
On Saturday, Manchester became the latest victim against the 19th-ranked team in Division III, watching helplessly as the Grizzlies put up 449 yards passing in a 41-27 road victory.
Franklin quarterback Chase Burton threw for six touchdowns despite sitting the entire fourth quarter. The junior completed 28 of 38 passes for 395 yards on the day.
The Grizzlies (4-1, 3-0) got on the board first when Burton found classmate Deontez Alexander for a 13-yard touchdown. After Manchester tied it up, Franklin reclaimed the lead for good, 14-7, when junior Darrell Crenshaw caught a 1-yard scoring pass with 1:27 left in the opening period.
Another Crenshaw touchdown catch, this one from 9 yards out, made it 20-7 early in the second quarter, and a 42-yard hookup between Burton and senior running back Ty’Ronte Files stretched the lead a bit more before halftime.
The Grizzlies led 41-13 after the third quarter. Burton connected with junior Tanner Wroblewski for a 19-yard TD, and Alexander’s second touchdown catch of the day, a 27-yarder, capped the Franklin scoring.
Alexander led Franklin with 112 yards on six catches. Crenshaw added seven receptions for 81 yards.
Junior Ryan Conner intercepted a pair of passes for Franklin, while junior Jared Wesley also picked one off. Senior linebacker Austin Day notched a team-high seven tackles, including three for loss.
Franklin returns to action at 1:30 p.m. Saturday when it hosts its homecoming game against Earlham College.
