GAME OF THE WEEK PREVIEW: Brentwood Prepared to Endure Slugfest Against Franklin

brentwood v franklin game of the week

Extreme Escape Games Game of the Week

By SAM McGAW

The Brentwood Bruins (1-2) can’t take a mulligan for last week’s 17-13 upset loss against Rossview, but they can take a step towards redemption when they visit the Franklin Rebels (2-1) Friday.

Franklin, which is coming off a dominant 28-6 win against Overton, has defeated its inner-county rival in three straight seasons.

“You can take this series all the way back to when I was an assistant here,” Franklin head coach Donnie Webb said. “From that time to this day, there’s the utmost respect for both staffs. We all know what we’re going to get from each team.”

Rebels’ Offense vs. Bruins’ Defense

Webb is the first to say Franklin’s best defense is its offense.

His team proved just that against Overton.

The Rebels amassed 502 total yards and held the ball for close to 37 minutes in the victory.

“I’m very pleased with the amount of positive plays we had on both sides of the ball,” Webb stated. “We were able to keep the ball for a long time and punch it in late. We kept their defense on the field for almost the entire game. I thought we played with a lot of energy to cause Overton some problems.”

The Rebels’ ability to control the clock starts with their run-heavy approach.

They’ve rushed for 200 yards or more in every game this season.

Franklin RB Mitch Rossi
Franklin running back Mitch Rossi powers through an Overton defender (Photo by Steve Wheeler)

Running back Mitch Rossi (334 rush yds, 56 rec. yds, 4 TDs) and quarterbacks Carter Hendry (240 pass yds, 138 rush yds, 5 TDs) and Wes Patterson (233 pass yds, 176 rush yds, 2 TDs) spearhead the triple-option attack.

Rossi registered 95 rushing yards and two catches for 22 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s victory.

Hendry racked up 110 passing yards, 96 rushing yards and three touchdowns (1 rush), while Patterson passed for 110 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 64 yards.

“You can’t get misaligned against this group, or they’ll make you pay,” Brentwood head coach Ron Crawford said. “We have to make sure we give them the right looks and line up to their sets correctly.”

While stopping the run is crucial to Brentwood’s success, it can’t afford to consistently load the box to stop it.

Franklin WR Alex Gaca catches a 49-yard touchdown pass against Overton (Photo by Steve Wheeler)
Franklin WR Alex Gaca catches a 49-yard touchdown pass against Overton (Photo by Steve Wheeler)

If the Rebels notice a defensive back creeping up, they won’t hesitate to take a shot downfield towards receivers Alex Gaca  (8 rec., 190 yards, 2 TDs) and JP Batarseh (6 rec., 145 yds, 1 TD).

The duo averages 23.92 yards per reception.

“We’ve shown our guys where they have their shot plays, and we have understand what our job is and what our role is,” Crawford said. “If I’m a deep-third player, I have to keep my nose out of the option and keep it where it’s supposed to be. The triple-option just makes you play such fundamental football. That’s why you have all of the service academies running that stuff.”

Bruins’ Offense vs. Rebels’ Defense

It was only two weeks ago when the Bruins hung 41 points on Ravenwood. That’s the explosive offense the Rebels expect to see Friday.

Quarterback Carson Shacklett enters the contest with 548 passing yards, 182 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns (2 rush) and three interceptions.

Webb said Shacklett and running back Collin Rudolph have the ability to create problems for his defense.

“The quarterback does a really good job with their run-pass options, so they’re going to keep us honest trying to get an extra hat to the ball,” he stated. “The dilemma is (Rudolph) is a really good player, so we’re going to have to get an extra player there to be able to stop him. I think that’s one of the biggest challenges. They’re going to force us to be sound with handling their run-pass options and stopping the run game.”

The size and speed of Brentwood’s receiving corps present several mismatches for the Rebels.

Brentwood WR Parker Bullion
Brentwood wide receiver Parker Bullion (Photo by Andy Collignon)

Christian LaBreche stands at 6-foot-6, while Parker Bullion is 6-foot-4. Will Leone provides the deep threat for the group, averaging 18.67 yards per catch.

“They utilize those guys well,” Webb said. “They are a total part of the offense, so we have to know where they are at all times. All we have to do is be sound and play aggressive football and it’ll all work out.”

Franklin hasn’t had any trouble stopping opposing offenses this season.

Last week, it allowed just 108 total yards and forced four sacks and three interceptions.

If the Bruins are going to have any chance of moving the chains, they have to win the battle in the trenches.

“It’d be nice to execute, and we have to block them sometime, too,” Crawford said. “We can’t rely on backs and rely on people to always break it or the quarterback to make a play. We have to make sure we take advantage of our athletes and what we do best. We’re going to try to get back to fundamentals and execution.”

Sam McGaw is sports editor of Home Page Media Group. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SamMcGawSports.

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