For the Daily Journal
MOORESVILLE
Franklin’s football team struggled Friday with the same issues that Coach Chris Coll said have plagued the Grizzly Cubs whenever they face top-tier competition.
Franklin hung with Mooresville early, but the Pioneers’ high-powered offense eventually took command and eased to a 55-21 conference victory.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
The Grizzly Cubs’ Tyce Miller returned a kickoff 78 yards to the Mooresville 20-yard line after the Pioneers had tied the game 7-7, with 2:56 remaining in the first quarter. Franklin only advanced the ball 2 yards, however, and the Pioneers blocked Franklin’s 35-yard field-goal attempt that could have given the Cubs the lead.
Mooresville (5-1, 3-1 Mid-State) scored the go-ahead touchdown just two plays later, a 77-yard pass from Karson Goodman to Jon Eineman, and the Pioneers built the lead from there.
“Maybe that hurt our confidence a little bit, but we’ve got to be able to play through that,” Coll said. “We’ve got to be able to play through challenges.”
Coll said the Cubs (2-4, 1-3) faced similar situations in losses earlier this season against state-ranked competition.
“We were only down 14-7 to (Class 5A No. 2) Martinsville at the half,” Coll said. “Against Whiteland (fourth in 5A), we moved the ball, but we couldn’t finish. We’ve got to be able to sustain, and we’re struggling with that.”
Mooresville totaled 436 yards of total offense, and that didn’t include an 81-yard Eineman punt return touchdown. Goodman completed 19 of 30 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns, both to Eineman (seven catches, 168 yards). Mooresville’s James Mabry totaled 117 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries.
Franklin quarterback Drew Byerly completed 13 of 28 for 206 yards and two touchdowns, one to Cory Richards and another to Peyton Ruble. The latter was a 21-yard strike that capped Franklin’s first touchdown drive, a four-play, 80-yard effort on the Grizzly Cubs’ second possession that also included a Richards 44-yard reception.
Mooresville shut down Franklin’s running game, allowing just five first-half yards on the ground. Byerly, who entered play averaging 88.2 rushing yards per game and six yards per carry, finished with 60 yards on 10 carries but had minus-11 yards through the first three quarters, thanks in large part to three sacks.
Almost none of his 15 incomplete passes happened because of Mooresville’s defense. They came on a combination of overthrows, underthrows and drops.
“We just weren’t sharp,” Coll said. “We’ve got to be able to make plays. We’re still doing good things, but we expect to play a lot better than this.”
Franklin hosts Plainfield next Friday.
