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Knights survive scare
by East in opener
Julian Wested scored on a 1-yard run with 27 seconds left to play, lifting the Knights to a 35-28 victory over East in their home and season opener.
Wested's run capped a 6-minute, 60-yard drive after the Warriors rallied from two touchdowns down to tie the score at 28.
The winning drive included a 15-yard run by Brandon Perrine on a third-and-two.
Perrine (18-126) and Sean Cogswell (14-112) each rushed for more than 100 yards -- the first time that's apparently been done by Franklin since 1973 -- and scored a TD for the Knights. Forty-six of Franklin's 63 plays came on the ground.
Perrine also had two sacks and forced two fumbles on defense.
There were eight fumbles in the game -- four by each team -- and two of which went for touchdowns.
Jake Wood, taking a lateral from Jerrod Gibbs, returned a fumble for an East touchdown as time was running out in the first quarter, and Jeremy Reed recovered a fumble in the endzone for the Knights to start the scorting in the second half after the Warriors botched a punt.
The Knights' first TD, a 21-yard run by Cogswell, came after an unusual play call. The Warriors went three-and-out to start the game, but the punt tried a pass, which went incomplete, on fourth down, giving Franklin welcome field position.
Corey Ratliff, a 6-1, 175-pound senior, started at quarterback for the Warriors, who were winless last year. He completed 14 of 34 passes for 224 yards and two TDs, and scored the tying touchdown on a 2-yard run.
The Warriors outgained the Knights, 311-301.
"I knew Erie East was better than most people thought and I was nervous about this game," Knights coach Dave Smith told The News-Herald. "We expected this to be a tough game and it was. I don't think we helped ourselves a whole lot with four fumbles, but our guys hung in there to the end and scored when we had to."
Perrine, who also had three tackles for loss, led the Knights with 34 defensive points. Bob Fazzolare was next with 32, including nine tackles and four blocked passes. Steven Myers led in tackles with 10.
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East
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6
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8
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6
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8
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28
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Franklin
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7
|
14
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7
|
7
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35
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First Quarter
F -- Sean Cogswell, 21, run (Brian Greenlee kick), 9:47
E -- Jake Wood, 56, fumble return off lateral from Jerrod Gibbs (kick failed), 0.00
Second Quarter
F -- Tyler Bittner, 1, pass from Julian Wested (kick failed), 1:21
F -- Jeremy Reed recovered fumble in endzone (Brandon Perrine run), 0:50
E -- James Paul, 21, pass from Corey Ratliff (Ratliff run), 0:00
Third Quarter
F -- Perrine, 15, run (Greenlee kick), 4:17
E -- Alondre Hamilton, 25, pass from Ratliff (pass failed), 2:57
Fourth Quarter
E -- Ratliff, 2, run (Ratliff run), 6:55
F -- Wested, 1, run (Greenlee kick), 0:27
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Time runs out on Knights
in 27-25 loss at Corry
By Ed BRANNON
The News-Herald
Time ran out on the Franklin Knights football team Friday night at Corry.
For the second straight year, the Knightsspotted the homestanding Beavers a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter. Last year, Franklin came back to post a 35-28 victory.
However, the magic wasn't there last night and the Beavers held on for a 27-25 win in the Region 5 opener for both teams.
"I take full responsibility for this loss," Knights coach Dave Smith said afterward. "Our guys played tough and played hard and it all came down to some poor play-calling on offense and I accept the blame."
While Smith may have been a bit too critical of the play-calling, he probably wishes he could do one play over ... and it occurred midway through the second quarter.
Following a 29-yard touchdown run by quarterback Julian Wested, the Knights pulled to within a point at 13-12 and elected to go for the two-point conversion. The play failed and it only became more magnified because of how the game played out.
Franklin (1-1 overall, 0-1 Region 5) pulled within two points with 3:36 left in the game on Brandon Perrine's second TD run of the contest.
However, the Knights were now forced to go for the two-point conversion just to tie the game. Tyler Bittner hauled in a swing pass from Wested and headed toward the goal line. He was hit hard at the 1-yard line and fumbled forward into the endzone. The ball eventually past the end line and the Beavers maintained their lead.
Franklin got the ball back one more time, but an offensive pass interference penalty proved costly with about a minute to play. The Beavers took over on downs and ran out the clock to hike their mark to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the region.
Franklin's late comeback came after Corry quarterback Scottie Frisina left the game with 5:01 left in the third quarter due to an injury. Up to that point, the Beavers' junior signal-caller had rushed 76 yards and a touchdown and thrown for 180 yards and two more scores.
His replacement, senior Michael Brown, didn't exactly light it up, but he did make one huge play. Faced with a third-and-11 from his own 20, Brown connected on a 37-yard bomb to Craig Marti, which got the Beavers out of danger and ate up some valuable time.
Big plays really proved to be the difference for the Beavers.
The first came with 5:08 left in the opening quarter when Frisina flipped a screen pass in the flat to Mitchell Anderson on a third-and-12. Anderson turned the short pass into a 65-yard touchdown and David Hajec booted the first of his three extra points.
A 57-yard return by Franklin's Shakeal Brown on the ensuing kickoff set up Sean Cogswell's 12-yard TD run, but Brian Greenlee's kick was wide left and Corry held onto a 7-6 lead.
Anderson struck again with 10:29 left in the second quarter on a two-yard run, which was set up by some nifty runs by Frisina.
Wested countered with his 29-yard TD run, which was aided by a key seal block on the outside from Bittner.
Marti answered with a 55-yard return on the ensuing kickoff and on the next play, Frisina scored from 22 yards out and Hajec's kick made it 20-12 with 8:06 left in the half.
An interception in the endzone by Jason Kurtz thwarted a late drive by the Knights.
Corry seemed to take command of the contest at the outset of the third quarter.
The Beavers marched 53 yards in 11 plays to assume a 27-12 lead. The final 27 yards came on a pass from Frisina to Nicholas Upperman and a fourth-and-24.
The Knights wouldn't go away, however, and Perrine was a prime reason.
The senior halfback ran for gains of seven and 36 yards on the first two plays and capped off the march with a nine-yard TD run. Greenlee tacked on the extra point, even though the snap was mishandled and the ball was laying flat on the ground when Greenlee kicked it.
Moments later, Frisina was injured when he was hit while throwing a pass away on a third-and-26.
Forced to punt and with their leader out, the Beavers' hopes were fading, especially after Franklin's Cody Waagner broke through to block the punt and give the Knights a first down at the Corry 19.
However, Corry's defense stiffened and Franklin went out on downs, setting up the dramatic finish.
"I thought Julian and Brandon played very well offensively while Sean and Jeremy Reed did a great job on defense," Smith said. "This was a game we should've won. We had opportunities, but we couldn't capitalize. We'll regroup and get ready for Strong Vincent next week."
Perrine rushed for more than 100 yards for the second straight game. He finished with 130 on 21 carries with two TDs. Bittner added six catches for 91 yards while Wested completed 14 of 26 passes for 186 yards.
Bittner now has 1,524 career receiving yards, just 20 shy of Nate Byham's school record 1,544.
Waagner led the Knights with 42 defensive points. Cogswell had 35, and Jeremy Reed, Perrine and Steven Myers added 23 apiece.
Franklin held a 414-320 edge in total yards and a 19-11 advantage in first downs.
But, in the end, the numbers didn't add up to a Knights' victory.
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First Quarter
C -- Mitchell Anderson, 65, pass from Scottie Frisina (David Hajec kick), 5:08
F -- Sean Cogswell, 12, run (kick failed), 3:58
Second Quarter
C -- Anderson, 2, run (pass failed), 10:29
F -- Julian Wested, 29, run (pass failed), 8:25
C -- Frisina, 22, run (Hajec kick), 8:06
Third Quarter
C -- Nicholas Upperman, 27, pass from Frisina (Hajec kick), 8:44
F -- Brandon Perrine, 9, run (Brian Greenlee kick), 6:24
Fourth Quarter
F -- Perrine, 6, run (pass failed), 3:36
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Grove City convincing
in 40-14 rout of Knights
By ED BRANNON
The News-Herald
For one team Friday night at Gene Forker Field, it was only the beginning. For the other, it may be the end.
Led by a relentless running attack and big plays from the special teams, Grove City opened its Region 5 football schedule with a convincing 40-14 victory over the visiting Knights.
The Eagles (3-1 overall, 1-0 R-5) got off to the kind of start they were hoping for in the region while the Knights saw their postseason hopes take a hard hit as they dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the region.
"This was a good way to start our conference and our guys played well, but there's still a lot of things we need to work on," Grove City coach Jeff Bell said.
Franklin coach Dave Smith echoed some of Bell's remarks.
"We've got to play better in all areas, that's the bottom line," Smith said. "We're not tough enough on defense and our special teams did not perform well at all."
Grove City's special teams set the tone for the game.
After the Knights were forced to punt on the first series of the game, Ryan McGeehan returned Brian Greenlee's boot 47 yards to the Franklin 21.
Casey Shay capped off a five-play drive by diving in from two yards out and Bobby Kowalsky's kick gave the Eagles a quick 7-0 lead.
Franklin was forced to punt again on its next possession and Dwayne Martin cranked off runs of 12 and 17 yards as the Eagles pushed deep into Knights' territory again.
However, Franklin's defense rose up and Grove City went out on downs, giving the Knights a boost of confidence.
As play moved into the second quarter, Franklin put together one of its most sustained drives of the season.
Quarterback Julian Wested ripped off a 17-yard run and connected with Tyler Bittner on pass plays covering 11 and 22 yards. The second one set up Sean Cogswell's two-yard touchdown run and Greenlee's kick tied the game at 7-7 with 9:12 left in the half.
That would be as close as the Knights would get and again it was Grove City's special teams that turned the momentum.
Phil Schneider returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to the Franklin 19 and three plays later, Martin zipped in from 13 yards out. A bad snap on the extra point kept the Eagles' lead at 13-7.
Moments later, it wouldn't matter.
Cogswell fumbled on the ensuing kickoff and Grove City's B.J. Johnston pounced on the loose ball at the Franklin 26.
After an incomplete pass, Marty Phipps peeled off runs of six and seven yards and Martin had a 10-yard run. Martin then ran in from three yards out and Kowalsky's kick made it 20-7 at the 5:26 mark.
Schneider ended Franklin's final drive of the half by recovering a fumble by Wested near midfield.
Grove City's power running attack continued in the third quarter.
The Eagles marched 56 yards in 11 plays and Shay capped it off with a four-yard TD run. Another bad snap on the point-after made it 26-7.
Shay made another big play on Franklin's next possession, intercepting a Wested pass at the Grove City 49.
Nine running plays later, Martin scored his third touchdown of the game, this time from five yards out, and Kowalsky's kick pushed Grove City's lead to 33-7.
Bell inserted the reserves early in the fourth quarter and the Eagles never skipped a beat.
Following a Franklin punt, Grove City went 50 yards in 12 plays and ate up more than six minutes off the clock. Nick Reddick blasted through for a 13-yard touchdown run and Kowalsky added the PAT.
With the outcome no longer in doubt, the Knights did put together one more scoring drive.
Cogswell found Bittner for a nine-yard gain on a halfback option pass to get things going and Wested later found tight end Steven Spieker for a 24-yard gain.
Wested and Bittner hooked up on a 14-yard pass and the pair teamed up again for a three-yard TD pass with just 12 seconds left in the game. Greenlee's kick put the final score in lights.
"I thought we responded well after Franklin scored to tie the game," Bell said. "Our defense has gotten better and better each week, but we need to throw the ball better to keep defenses honest. We'll keep working on it."
Martin finished with 115 yards and three TDs on 17 carries while Shay added 62 yards and two scores on 13 totes. In all, the Eagles piled up 280 yards on the ground while gaining just three through the air.
"Grove City did what they do and we couldn't stop them," Smith said.
For the Knights, Bittner finished with seven catches for 93 yards and a touchdown while Wested completed 11 of 22 passes for 135 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
"It's frustrating right now, but our kids didn't quit," Smith said. "We've got some good football players on this team and we'll win some games."
Steven Myers led the Knights with 16 tackles and 43 defensive points. Travis Adams had 12 tackles, and Ryan Malachina added 10.
He hopes that comes Friday when the Knights will host Harbor Creek in a non-region game on Homecoming Night.
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First Quarter
GC -- Casey Shay, 2, run (Bobby Kowalsky kick), 5:53
Second Quarter
F -- Sean Cogswell, 2, run (Brian Greenlee kick), 9:12
GC -- Dwayne Martin, 13, run (kick failed), 7:31
GC -- Martin, 3, run *Kowalsky kick), 5:26
Third Quarter
GC -- Shay, 3, run (run failed), 6:15
GC -- Martin, 5, run (Kowalsky kick), 0:21
Fourth Quarter
GC -- Nick Reddick, 13, run (Kowalsky kick), 5:11
F -- Tyler Bittner, 3, pass from Julian Wested (Greenlee kick), 0:12
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Knights blast Harbor Creek, 34-12, to snap skid
By ED BRANNON
The News-Herald
Judging by the way the Knights played football Friday night, homecoming may have been just what the doctor ordered to snap a three-game losing streak.
Brandon Perrine ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns, Julian Wested passed for two more scores and Franklin's
defense had its best performance of the season in a 34-12 romp over visiting Harbor Creek in a non-region contest.
"This is definitely a nice feeling," Franklin coach Dave Smith said. "There was a big crowd and our guys finally played football the way they're capable of playing. We were more physical on the line, played much better defensively and took care of the ball on offense. Even our special teams stepped up."
While the final score would suggest the Knights were on cruise control, that wasn't exactly the case.
In fact, the Huskies (1-4 overall) came out on fire, scoring on their first two possessions to take a 12-6 lead.
But, during the final three quarters, Franklin outscored Harbor Creek, 28-0, and outgained the Huskies, 357-44.
Tim Schwenk scored both touchdowns for the Huskies, the first on a 21-yard run to cap a 75-yard drive on the game's opening series, and the second on a one-yard plunge to end a 77-yard march late in the first quarter.
In between, the Knights managed to score on their only drive of the period, going 47 yards in five plays. Wested, who had a 38-yard kickoff return to put Franklin in good field position, ended the march by tossing a 16-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Bittner.
As play moved into the second quarter and the Huskies holding a 12-6 lead, Franklin went 74 yards in eight plays to take the lead for good.
Two big plays during the drive included a 23-yard completion from Wested to Bittner and a 16-yard pass from Wested to Sean Cogswell on a third-and-14. On the next play, Perrine darted down the sideline for a 16-yard TD run and Brian Greenlee's kick at the 8:29 mark gave Franklin a 13-12 lead.
The Knights put the game away during a 1:18 span late in the half.
Perrine had two gains of 11 yards and another of 14 to set up his second touchdown, a one-yarder at the 1:58 mark and Wested teamed up with Bittner on a successful two-point conversion pass.
Harbor Creek went out on downs near midfield on the ensuing possession and the Knights dove into their bag of trick plays.
Wested hit Bittner on a quick slant for seven yards and Bittner then lateraled to Perrine, who ran for 37 more yards down to the Harbor Creek 5. On the next play, Wested found Steven Myers for a five-yard TD pass and Greenlee's kick made it 28-12 with 40 seconds left before intermission.
The only score of the second half came on Franklin's first possession. The Knights drove 59 yards in 12 plays and Cogswell ended it with a nine-yard TD run at the 7:19 mark. Greenlee's PAT kick was blocked, leaving the Knights with a 34-12 lead.
From there, it was all about Franklin's defense.
The Huskies managed only 28 total yards in the second half and senior Andrew McFeaters came up with Franklin's first interception of the season early in the fourth quarter following a blocked punt by the Huskies.
Reserves played the entire fourth quarter for the Knights and they more than held their own. Freshmen Romeo Cooley ripped off a 33-yard run and backup quarterback Nick Billingsley completed his first varsity pass, a 17-yard gainer to sophomore Tom Dinh.
"Harbor Creek is a good team and they never quit," Smith said. "This was just our night. It was nice to get a win on homecoming and a lot of kids got playing time. Hopefully, this is a confidence-builder heading into next Friday's game at Warren."
The Knights, now 2-3 on the season, finished with 399 total yards, including 234 on the ground. In addition to Perrine's third 100-yard rushing game of the season, the Knights also received 46 yards from Cogswell and 32 from Cooley.
Wested completed 10 of 14 passes for 148 yards with Bittner grabbing six for 88 yards and Cogswell three for 55.
Webmaster's note: With the lateral, Perrine later was credited with 37 more yards receiving and had 37 yards taken away on his rushing total. Wested was given 37 more yards passing.
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First Quarter
H -- Tim Schwenk, 21, run, 7:19
F -- Tyler Bittner, 16, pass from Julian Wested (kick failed), 5:02
H -- Schwenk, 1, run, 0:47
Second Quarter
F -- Brandon Perrine, 16, run (Brian Greenlee kick), 8:29
F -- Perrine, 1, run (Bittner pass from Wested), 1:58
F -- Steven Myers, 5, pass from Wested (Greenlee kick), 0:40
Third Quarter
F -- Sean Cogswell, 9, run (kick blocked), 7:19
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