Wildcats hold off Lions for first win
September 6, 2022 at 8:34 p.m.
RUSHVILLE – A little dicey at times, but Franklin County football can put its first notch in the win column for 2022 after outlasting host Rushville Friday, 36-27.
The Lions trimmed a 22-7 halftime deficit to just two points after Keegan Bowles returned the second-half kickoff 85 yards to the house and, just a few plays later, capitalized on a Chase Woolf interception to make it 22-20 only minutes into the third quarter. The Wildcats, however, had a strong response and scored twice in the period – to one more for Rushville - ahead of a scoreless fourth.
“I was happy how our kids responded after the horrible start to the second half,” said FC coach Wes Gillman. “As young as we are, the outcome is always in question. You just never know how they're going to handle something like that … they handled it really well.”
The Cats needed just four plays to answer.
Sophomore quarterback Quinn Gillman galloped 40 yards into Lion territory and added a dozen more to Rushville's 30-yard line a play later. Senior back Brady Morehead then got loose up the middle for a 30-yard touchdown; a conversion pass to freshman Blake Stephenson put FC back up by 10.
The Lions, sporting a 2-0 mark at game's beginning and averaging 41 points per game, had an echo of their own. They went 68 yards on six plays to get within three points. A sack by senior Bryce Hodapp helped neutralize a 20-yard pass to Woolf, but on 3rd-and-18, Austin Vance found Braydon Wilson for a 53-yard scoring play, and it was quickly 30-27.
“What made them difficult to prepare for was a senior QB with a really good arm,” Gillman said of the Week 3 foe. “Our defense did a decent job. We gave up some long pass plays with really young defensive backs in coverage, but that's going to happen this year. Up front, we did a phenomenal job of stuffing their run game.”
It took FC just 24 seconds to reach the outcome.
Freshman Mason Wewe found open space on the ensuing kick return, hauling 45 yards to the Lion 40. On the next snap, Gillman ran right and glided into the end zone with little resistance.
No points were added in the final 16 minutes and change. Five consecutive punts and a turnover on downs followed. Rushville's last-gasp effort started at the Lion 20 with a little over five minutes left. Vance completed six passes and scrambled for a 28-yard gain. But on 3rd-and-16, he proceeded to throw a pair of incompletions. Big runs by senior Peyton McCreary (40 yds.) and Morehead (15) iced the game.
“We had kids competing and playing hard for a third straight week,” added Gillman. “The effort is there … that's all I can ask.
“This team has been really fun to coach so far. We have very few seniors but they're amazing leaders. The success the young kids have in the future will be partly because of these seniors showing them how to handle adversity and how to approach practice and games. They're a joy to be around.”
An FC punt opened the game after a quick first down. Rushville then went to work in rapid fire, employing a fast, no-huddle offense. The Lions picked up two first downs but had to punt as well.
The Wildcats completed a 12-play, 80-yard drive with two early completions to senior Spencer Bath for 26 yards. Morehead had several touches, with McCreary finishing on runs of 11 and 13 yards. Stephenson caught the 2-point addition.
The Lions had a quick response. Vance hit Dylan Thompson for 26 and Woolf for a huge 41-yard gain. Two Harper Miller runs later, Vance threw a low liner to Drew McKee for six points. Wilson's point after touchdown made it 8-7.
Next drive was also productive for the visitors, another 12 plays over a 75-yard plot. Gillman completed passes to senior Terrell Beesley and Stephenson. McCreary covered 18 of the last 25 yards, including a 1-yard TD.
“We had kids step up and play really well,” said Gillman. “McCreary ran really hard, Quinn had a tremendous game on the ground and in the air and we had six receivers catch passes. Our defensive front and linebackers were stout.”
After a Lion punt, FC (1-2) marched right back down the field for 65 yards in six plays. Stephenson had a 36-yard completion, McCreary ran for 20 and Gillman found Bath on a 10-yard rollout to make it a 2-score game. A conversion pass to Morehead put the score at 22-7. Three punts closed the half.
Bowles electrified the home crowd when play resumed.
“Two of three weeks, our kickoff unit has given up a touchdown,” Gillman rued. “There are several freshmen on kickoff and undersized sophomores. We'll continue to tweak things, but we can't ask our two-way players to play special teams as well.”
Bath answered with a 22-yard return, but a play later, Woolf stepped in front of a Gillman pass. Vance later scored on a 1-yard keeper, followed by a Wilson kick.
McCreary rushed for over 150 yards and Gillman neared the 130 mark to go with 109 passing. Vance threw for 250, with Woolf closing on the century mark in receiving yards.
Wildcats 36, Lions 27
Franklin Co. – 8 14 14 0 - 36
Rushville - 7 0 20 0 - 27
First Quarter
FC – McCreary 13-yard run (Gillman to Stephenson pass)
R – McKee 9-yard pass from Vance (Wilson kick)
Second Quarter
FC – McCreary 1-yard run (conversion failed)
FC – Bath 10-yard pass from Gillman (Gillman to Morehead pass)
Third Quarter
R – Bowles 85-yard kick return (conversion failed)
R – Vance 1-yard run (Wilson kick)
FC – Morehead 30-yard run (Gillman to Stephenson pass)
R – Wilson 53-yard pass from Vance (Wilson kick)
FC – Gillman 40-yard run (conversion failed)
Total yards: FC 472, R 326
Passing: FC 109, R 250
Rushing: FC 363, R 76
First downs: FC 20, R 12
Fumbles/lost: FC 1/0, R 0
Penalties: FC 12-76, R 8-60
Franklin Co.- Rushing: Morehead 13-78, Gillman 17-129, Wewe 1-1, McCreary 19-158. Passing: Gillman 9-12-109 (Int). Receiving: Bath 3-36, Braylon Kruthaupt 1-6, Jack Seals 1-2, Stephenson 2-45, Beesley 1-12, Morehead 1-8.
Rushville – Rushing: Vance 4-33, Jayden Roosa 6-(-4), Miller 25-46, Bowles 1-1. Passing: Vance 20-31-250. Receiving: Wilson 7-85, Thompson 3-36, Woolf 6-93, McKee 3-30, Bowles 1-6.
(Stats unofficial)
Up next: Annual battle with Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference rival East Central Friday, 7 p.m., in St. Leon. The Trojans have defeated FC 27 straight times dating back to 1999.
Gillman: “East Central is really good. They're going to be unlike anything we've seen (so far). Our kids need to understand this is an opportunity. You don't get to play teams like this very often, where all 11 kids are sound. The other thing we need to understand is you don't have to beat all 11 of those guys; win your 1-on-1 battles, beat the guy in front of you. If everyone can do that, we'll at least make EC work for everything they get.”
Latest News
E-Editions
Events
RUSHVILLE – A little dicey at times, but Franklin County football can put its first notch in the win column for 2022 after outlasting host Rushville Friday, 36-27.
The Lions trimmed a 22-7 halftime deficit to just two points after Keegan Bowles returned the second-half kickoff 85 yards to the house and, just a few plays later, capitalized on a Chase Woolf interception to make it 22-20 only minutes into the third quarter. The Wildcats, however, had a strong response and scored twice in the period – to one more for Rushville - ahead of a scoreless fourth.
“I was happy how our kids responded after the horrible start to the second half,” said FC coach Wes Gillman. “As young as we are, the outcome is always in question. You just never know how they're going to handle something like that … they handled it really well.”
The Cats needed just four plays to answer.
Sophomore quarterback Quinn Gillman galloped 40 yards into Lion territory and added a dozen more to Rushville's 30-yard line a play later. Senior back Brady Morehead then got loose up the middle for a 30-yard touchdown; a conversion pass to freshman Blake Stephenson put FC back up by 10.
The Lions, sporting a 2-0 mark at game's beginning and averaging 41 points per game, had an echo of their own. They went 68 yards on six plays to get within three points. A sack by senior Bryce Hodapp helped neutralize a 20-yard pass to Woolf, but on 3rd-and-18, Austin Vance found Braydon Wilson for a 53-yard scoring play, and it was quickly 30-27.
“What made them difficult to prepare for was a senior QB with a really good arm,” Gillman said of the Week 3 foe. “Our defense did a decent job. We gave up some long pass plays with really young defensive backs in coverage, but that's going to happen this year. Up front, we did a phenomenal job of stuffing their run game.”
It took FC just 24 seconds to reach the outcome.
Freshman Mason Wewe found open space on the ensuing kick return, hauling 45 yards to the Lion 40. On the next snap, Gillman ran right and glided into the end zone with little resistance.
No points were added in the final 16 minutes and change. Five consecutive punts and a turnover on downs followed. Rushville's last-gasp effort started at the Lion 20 with a little over five minutes left. Vance completed six passes and scrambled for a 28-yard gain. But on 3rd-and-16, he proceeded to throw a pair of incompletions. Big runs by senior Peyton McCreary (40 yds.) and Morehead (15) iced the game.
“We had kids competing and playing hard for a third straight week,” added Gillman. “The effort is there … that's all I can ask.
“This team has been really fun to coach so far. We have very few seniors but they're amazing leaders. The success the young kids have in the future will be partly because of these seniors showing them how to handle adversity and how to approach practice and games. They're a joy to be around.”
An FC punt opened the game after a quick first down. Rushville then went to work in rapid fire, employing a fast, no-huddle offense. The Lions picked up two first downs but had to punt as well.
The Wildcats completed a 12-play, 80-yard drive with two early completions to senior Spencer Bath for 26 yards. Morehead had several touches, with McCreary finishing on runs of 11 and 13 yards. Stephenson caught the 2-point addition.
The Lions had a quick response. Vance hit Dylan Thompson for 26 and Woolf for a huge 41-yard gain. Two Harper Miller runs later, Vance threw a low liner to Drew McKee for six points. Wilson's point after touchdown made it 8-7.
Next drive was also productive for the visitors, another 12 plays over a 75-yard plot. Gillman completed passes to senior Terrell Beesley and Stephenson. McCreary covered 18 of the last 25 yards, including a 1-yard TD.
“We had kids step up and play really well,” said Gillman. “McCreary ran really hard, Quinn had a tremendous game on the ground and in the air and we had six receivers catch passes. Our defensive front and linebackers were stout.”
After a Lion punt, FC (1-2) marched right back down the field for 65 yards in six plays. Stephenson had a 36-yard completion, McCreary ran for 20 and Gillman found Bath on a 10-yard rollout to make it a 2-score game. A conversion pass to Morehead put the score at 22-7. Three punts closed the half.
Bowles electrified the home crowd when play resumed.
“Two of three weeks, our kickoff unit has given up a touchdown,” Gillman rued. “There are several freshmen on kickoff and undersized sophomores. We'll continue to tweak things, but we can't ask our two-way players to play special teams as well.”
Bath answered with a 22-yard return, but a play later, Woolf stepped in front of a Gillman pass. Vance later scored on a 1-yard keeper, followed by a Wilson kick.
McCreary rushed for over 150 yards and Gillman neared the 130 mark to go with 109 passing. Vance threw for 250, with Woolf closing on the century mark in receiving yards.
Wildcats 36, Lions 27
Franklin Co. – 8 14 14 0 - 36
Rushville - 7 0 20 0 - 27
First Quarter
FC – McCreary 13-yard run (Gillman to Stephenson pass)
R – McKee 9-yard pass from Vance (Wilson kick)
Second Quarter
FC – McCreary 1-yard run (conversion failed)
FC – Bath 10-yard pass from Gillman (Gillman to Morehead pass)
Third Quarter
R – Bowles 85-yard kick return (conversion failed)
R – Vance 1-yard run (Wilson kick)
FC – Morehead 30-yard run (Gillman to Stephenson pass)
R – Wilson 53-yard pass from Vance (Wilson kick)
FC – Gillman 40-yard run (conversion failed)
Total yards: FC 472, R 326
Passing: FC 109, R 250
Rushing: FC 363, R 76
First downs: FC 20, R 12
Fumbles/lost: FC 1/0, R 0
Penalties: FC 12-76, R 8-60
Franklin Co.- Rushing: Morehead 13-78, Gillman 17-129, Wewe 1-1, McCreary 19-158. Passing: Gillman 9-12-109 (Int). Receiving: Bath 3-36, Braylon Kruthaupt 1-6, Jack Seals 1-2, Stephenson 2-45, Beesley 1-12, Morehead 1-8.
Rushville – Rushing: Vance 4-33, Jayden Roosa 6-(-4), Miller 25-46, Bowles 1-1. Passing: Vance 20-31-250. Receiving: Wilson 7-85, Thompson 3-36, Woolf 6-93, McKee 3-30, Bowles 1-6.
(Stats unofficial)
Up next: Annual battle with Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference rival East Central Friday, 7 p.m., in St. Leon. The Trojans have defeated FC 27 straight times dating back to 1999.
Gillman: “East Central is really good. They're going to be unlike anything we've seen (so far). Our kids need to understand this is an opportunity. You don't get to play teams like this very often, where all 11 kids are sound. The other thing we need to understand is you don't have to beat all 11 of those guys; win your 1-on-1 battles, beat the guy in front of you. If everyone can do that, we'll at least make EC work for everything they get.”