Tuesday, October 25, the Boys Varsity Soccer played a grueling game against Mansfield. Known for their physicality and competitive nature, Mansfield posed a threat to the future of Franklin’s season. The game had an immense amount of weight to it for Franklin; it was Senior night, and winning would mean becoming #1 in the Kelly Rex Large School Division of the Hockomock League and qualifying for the State Tournament. For everyone on the team, the game was the most important of the season, especially for the seniors: Captain Reed Turgeon, Jake Versprille, Austin Blais, Connor Donahue, Travis LePage, Ryan Maietta, Dean Chaput, Matt Snow, Anirudh Singh, and Hasan Rashid.

The first half was a hard-fought battle, and although Mansfield seemed to outwork Franklin and have them on their heels, Franklin stood strong and pushed back. Going into halftime, the score remained 0-0. Coming out into the second half, both teams gave even more effort, challenging each other for every ball. Franklin received one yellow card, while Mansfield received two. Meanwhile, a breakaway for Mansfield’s #1, the top scorer in the Hockomock League, led to a Mansfield goal, putting them up 1-0 over Franklin. With more fire in their hearts, Franklin slowly progressed up the field, battling through tough calls and broken up plays. Nearing the final moments of the game, Franklin Received a free kick 20 yards out, which junior Bryan Sassaman capitalized on to score the equalizing goal, making the game 1-1. As Mansfield played aggressively for the final few minutes of the game, Franklin fended them off, causing a 1-1 tie.

With their 1-1 tie against Mansfield, and Attleboro’s loss to King Philip 2-1, Franklin moved to #1 in the Kelly Rex Division of the Hockomock League. Franklin will play at Duxbury Thursday afternoon in an out of league game, and Canton Saturday night to determine who will win the Hockomock League Champion title.