Friday night the Franklin Panthers faced off with one of their biggest rivals yet, the Mansfield Hornets. Tensions were high as the crowd started tumbling in and Fox 25 news came to document the whole event. Both teams were determined to gain the title of Kelley Rex Champions and continue on with their undefeated winning streak. Rattle City came in with powerful cheers, raising excitement, and challenging Mansfield’s cheering section.

      The first quarter started out strong for the Franklin Panthers with one of their star players, Shane Kindred, catching a 54-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback, Jared Arone putting Franklin up 7-0 for the first quarter.

      The second quarter of the game continued to prove the Panthers’ determination. Grayson Hunter, junior, makes a big 8-yard touchdown putting Franklin up 14-0 with 6 minutes left on the clock. The game got tight towards the end of the 2nd quarter when Mansfield’s Drew Sacco got the Hornet’s first touchdown of the night. The score of the game rolling into Halftime was 14-7 with Panthers in the lead. 

     During Halftime, the band amazes with their performance, starting the second half off with a bang. During the 3rd quarter, Mansfield Hornets tighten up the score as James Gilleran obtains a 30-yard field goal, bringing the score to 14-10 with the Panthers still in the lead. Franklin proceeds to make strong and technical plays, leaving Mansfield trailing behind. To finish off the 3rd quarter with only 1 minute left, senior Will Tracy makes a 41 yard touchdown, after Jared Arone makes a smart play down the sideline. The quarter ends with 21-10. Mansfield still has not backed down, but it gets harder and harder for the Hornets to make a comeback.

       The Panthers make their 4th and final touchdown during the last quarter of the game. The last touchdown of the night was made by senior Jonathan Martins, leaving Franklin with a huge victory. The Panthers brought in strong force and dedication for the game, finalizing the score 28-10. A team that considers themselves “outsiders,” continues on with a 4-0 winning streak, making them that much closer to becoming Kelley Rex Champions. 

      To prepare for the next game and show your support against Taunton, make sure to check out rattlecity.com as well as their instagram @rattlecity, to get the latest updates and buy some apparel. Next week’s theme is neon!