FRA Monster Mashes BGA on Halloween Eve

BGA Wildcats host FRAPanthers
by Williamson Source

school header

Wildcats Can’t Stop Purrfect Panthers

The Battle Ground Academy Wildcats put some fright into the first-place Franklin Road Academy Panthers on Friday night in the last game of the regular season.

But in the end the monsters that live in the FRA backfield treated the visiting Panthers fans to a 35-21 win in the cold, Halloween-eve game.

Led by Sam Harvin, Larry Wilhoite and quarterback Spence Jones, FRA (10-0, 5-0) slashed BGA for 363 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

On the other side of the ball, BGA (6-3, 2-3) seemed spooked by the Panther pass rush early on, failing to find a first down until the last minute of the first half.

FRA popped out to a 14-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter, from which BGA never really recovered despite finding a rhythm on offense in the second half.

(For scores from all Williamson County action, visit our Scoreboard.)

BGAvsFRA

FRA Runs the Table, Past BGA

“I am just so proud of our boys, they never gave up,” said Bill Whittemore, FRA head coach. “It feels pretty cool to be 10-0.”

“We just did not execute,” said Roc Batten, BGA head coach. “But now a new season starts and everyone is undefeated.”

Both teams qualified for the Division II-A playoffs , and could face off against each other again in the coming weeks.

After Harvin (13 carries, 78 yards, 2 TDs) tore into the endzone ten seconds into the second quarter and gave FRA a two-touchdown lead, it looked like the game might be about to turn into a blowout.

But the BGA defense began to hold, and FRA lost fumbles on its next two possessions. After the second fumble, with less than 2 minutes left in the first half, BGA finally found its offense.

The Wildcats gained the majority it their  50 first half yards on the final drive of the first half. And the majority of the yards on the drive came from Marcus Cawthorne (5 catches, 78 yards, 2 TDs).

Cawthorne, the brightest spot  on the Wildcat offense, caught a 31-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute left in the second quarter.

The Wildcats cut the FRA lead to a touchdown, with a 14-7 halftime score.

BGA, however, fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half and Harvin promptly ran in a 24-yard touchdown on the next play.

Down 21-7, again the game looked about to get out of hand. But Clay Beathard (19-36 for 199 yards, 3 TDs) quickly found Cawthorne again, this time for a 30-yard touchdown, to make it a 21-14 game.

But the FRA ground game eventually broke through, with quarterback Spence Jones (3-3 33 yards passing, 11 carries, 72 yards, TD), who capped a long FRA drive with a 28-yard touchdown run with 7:59 left in the game.

BGA quickly went for it and failed on fourth down, on its own 38 yard line. Down 28-14, BGA needed a stop. Instead it got Larry Wilhoite. Wilhoite (16 carries, 130 yards, 1 TD) broke free for a 38-yard touchdown run to give FRA its second touchdown in less than a minute and a 35-14 lead with just more than half a quarter to play.

That was the one that hurt the most.

BGA scored once more but time was running out.

BGA goes to Harding Place (8-2) for the first round of the Division I-A playoffs. FRA hosts Kings Academy (5-5).

POTW728x40
More Franklin Road Academy News HereMore Battle Ground Academy News Here