Tonight the Russellville Panthers are playing for pride and for continuity. There’s always pride involved in trying to beat your oldest rival. Continuity comes from keeping on winning heading into the playoffs.
For Franklin-Simpson, the game has infinitely more meaning. Coach Doug Preston’s Wildcats need a win over the Panthers to guarantee a home game next week in their Class 4A playoff opener.
Coach John Myers’ Panthers take an 8-1 record 22 miles up Highway 100 to Franklin’s James ‘Shadetree’ Matthews’ Stadium. They are already guaranteed a home game next week in the Class 1A playoffs. In fact, they will continue to play at Rhea Stadium’s Ken Barrett Field as long as they keep winning, all the way to the state championship game 25 miles up U.S. 68-80 to Bowling Green.
The Wildcats know they are going to keep playing next week, but they don’t know where. They are in a three-way tie for the second seed behind state favorite South Warren. Since F-S, Allen County-Scottsville and Warren Central have all lost to one of the other two tied teams, the tiebreaker is based on the number of wins they can total from teams they have beaten other than each other.
If all three lose, Franklin is the number two seed. If they can add the Panthers’ eight wins to their total, they will win it. But if they lose to Russellville and the others get wins, F-S will start the playoffs on the road.
Obviously, Franklin-Simpson has motivation.
The Wildcats have some excellent skilled athletes. Senior fullback Nick Groves almost single-handedly beat the Panthers at Rhea Stadium last year, and he is the Wildcats’ leading rusher this year. Isaiah Hall is an outstanding running back and fellow senior Evan Figert—arguably the school’s best all-around athlete—is the top receiver. Junior quarterback Jackson Caudill is intelligent and experienced.
The Wildcats suffered a severe blow in the middle of the season when senior center Grant Harvey suffered ligament damage in his hand that required season-ending surgery. Harvey is a three-year starter and a natural leader as the student council president. Not only have the Wildcats lost his leadership on the field, but two bad snaps on special teams in his absence cost F-S severely in a 21-20 loss to AC-S.
The Panthers have one of the state’s best rushing attacks. Josh Bigbee, M.J. Jones, Johnny Drumgole, Bryson Thomas, Drew West and quarterback Jaylin McMurry have piled up thousands of yards on the ground, following the blocking of Caleb Hardison, Trey and Chris Matthews, Truston Clayton and Mason Aguirre among others.
Jason Mitchell, Jordan Blick and Paul Jones are among the top receivers. Milam Watkins is a dependable placekicker. Javaren Robey, Clayton, Hardison and Aguirre are among the top defenders.
The game will be carried live on 610 WRUS and https://www.network1sports.com/station/wrus with John Brett Reynolds and Alex Watkins calling the action.