Franklin 38, Ohio Wesleyan 23

Sept. 2, 2006

Sophomore kicker Chris Kras (Aurora) booted a 31-yard field goal to give Ohio Wesleyan a 9-7 first-quarter lead, but Franklin scored 10 straight points to take the lead for good and put the game out of reach with 21 unanswered second-half points in the season opener for both teams on Saturday in Franklin, Ind.

The Grizzlies scored on their first possession of the game, with Ty Fritz's 16-yard run capping an 8-play, 66-yard drive.

Ohio Wesleyan answered in quick fashion, with junior quarterback Steve Hymes (Barberton/Massillon Washington) connecting with sophomore tight end Terrance Raeford (Brookline, Mass./Chesire Academy) on a 9-yard scoring play with 8:41 left in the first quarter. Key plays of the 9-play, 79-yard drive included a Hymes run for 13 yards on third-and-7 from the Bishop 39, and a pair of carries for first downs by sophomore fullback Kyle Adams (North Canton/Hoover).

Kras missed the point-after try that would have tied the game, but he came back to convert a 31-yard field goal after the Bishops recovered a Franklin fumble at the Grizzly 38-yard line. Hymes' 20-yard completion to junior split end Zach Dennis (Jefferson) helped set up the kick, which made it 9-7, Ohio Wesleyan, with 2:47 left in the quarter.

Franklin's Chad Rupp then found Danny Sears for 42 yards and a first down, and when Rupp ran for 14 yards and R.J. Hartsfield followed with a 17-yard burst, the Grizzlies had a first down on the Ohio Wesleyan 6. But the Bishop defense stiffened, forcing Rupp incompletions on second and third downs from the Bishop 4, and Machy Magdalinos came on and kicked a 21-yard field goal that gave Franklin a 10-9 lead with :05 left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Rupp moved the Grizzlies into scoring position with a 50-yard strike to Tony Gregory, then found Gregory again for a 2-yard touchdown that increased the Franklin lead to 17-9 with 5:04 left in the first half.

As they did before, Ohio Wesleyan answered the Franklin scoring drive with one of its own. Hymes and Dennis teamed up on a 36-yard pass play to spot the ball on the Grizzly 29, and Adams and senior halfback Nick Rice (Dublin/Scioto) took over from there, combining to cover that 29 yards in 5 carries, with Rice going over from 4 yards out with 2:14 left in the half. Ohio Wesleyan went for the game-tying 2-point conversion, but Hymes' pass fell incomplete, leaving the score 17-15, Franklin.

The Grizzlies came back with a 55-yard, 6-play drive culminated by Hartsfield's 2-yard run with :20 on the clock. Magdalinos' point after gave Franklin a 24-15 lead at halftime.

Franklin blocked an Ohio Wesleyan punt on the first possession of the third quarter, taking the ball over on the Bishop 37. Rupp and Sears hooked up for 32 yards for a first-and-goal, and Hartsfield covered the final 2 yards to stretch the lead to 31-15.

The Grizzlies added to their lead on Everett Johnson's 35-yard run early in the fourth quarter, making the score 38-15 with 12:23 left in regulation time.

Ohio Wesleyan struck back quickly, with sophomore quarterback Andy Boff (Defiance/Tinora) connecting with Rice on a 75-yard scoring play on the second play of the Bishops' next possession. Boff then hit Raeford for a 2-point conversion to bring the Bishops within 38-23 with 11:48 to play.

The Bishops allowed one first down before forcing Franklin to punt, then got the ball back and started downfield again. Boff connected with Dennis for 4 yards on fourth-and-3 from the Bishop 33, then found Rice again for 37 yards and a first down at the Franklin 26, but on fourth-and-2, Boff was tripped up after a gain of 1 and the Bishops turned the ball over on downs with 5:05 to play.

Ohio Wesleyan had one more shot, but Boff's pass was intercepted by Joe White and the Grizzlies were able to run out the clock.

Adams led the Bishops with 42 yards in 11 rushes, while Rice ran for 31 yards in 10 carries. Hymes completed 10 of 18 passes for 96 yards and Boff was 6-for-9 for 129 yards. Rice and Dennis each caught 5 passes, Rice for 128 yards and Dennis for 71 yards.

For Franklin, Rupp completed 12 of 16 passes for 197 yards and a TD, while Ty Fritz completed 4 of 6 throws for 53 yards. Hartsfield ran for 127 yards in 28 carries. Gregory caught 5 passes for 81 yards and Sears made 4 catches for 117 yards.

Defensive standouts for the Bishops included senior end Owen Case (Marion/River Valley), who led the team with 8 stops, including 1 for loss; sophomore cornerback Ryan Ellis (Columbus/Dublin Scioto), who had 7 tackles; junior linebacker Chad Ellis (Dublin/Scioto), who had 7 stops and forced a fumble; senior safety Kyle Sherman (Plain City/Dublin Scioto), who had 6 tackles and broke up a pass; and senior tackle Dom Schwed (Aurora), who made 6 stops, including a sack and 2 for loss.

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