Road to redemption runs through Ohio
Last season, Mike Leonard and the Franklin football team had the advantage of playing at home in the playoffs. But just because the team is traveling this year doesn’t mean Leonard is less confident.
“[I remember] hoping more than 100 percent believing,” Leonard said. “This year we know we can compete.
Franklin’s 2007 season ended in heartbreak at home when North Central completed a last-second 19-yard touchdown pass for a 44-42 victory.
This year the team travels to Westerville, Ohio, as the fifth seed against the fourth-seeded Otterbein College Cardinals. Saturday’s game kicks off at noon.
The 10th-ranked Cardinals finished second in the Ohio Athletic Conference, behind the only team to beat them this season, top-ranked Mt. Union College. Their 9-1 (8-1 OAC) record is the best in the history of the program and this season’s playoff berth is another first-ever for the Cardinals.
The only school that played both Franklin and Otterbein this season is 5-5 (5-4 OAC) Baldwin-Wallace College. Franklin opened its season with a 42-35 win at home over the Yellow Jackets in a game in which the Grizzlies never trailed.
Otterbein – who also played the Yellow Jackets at home – came from behind in the third quarter, before running away with the game in the fourth. The final was 42-28.
Leonard said not only will traveling not hurt the Grizzlies, but it could help them because of the additional bonding time.
The 18th-ranked Grizzlies take a 9-1 (7-0 HCAC) record and an outright HCAC title into the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The 9-1 record ties the school’s best. Franklin’s lone loss was to Trine University, the No. 2 seed in the region.
Senior quarterback Chad Rupp has led the offense, completing 211 of 328 passes for 2,954 yards and 32 touchdowns, with nine interceptions. He averages 295.4 passing yards per game.
Senior Tony Gregory leads the team in season receptions with 33. He has five touchdowns and 475 receiving yards on the year. Senior Kevin Lynch leads Franklin in receiving touchdowns with seven. He has 383 receiving yards on 30 catches.
Senior Jon-Erik Bennett has led the ground attack this season with 377 yards on 74 attempts with six touchdowns, but Leonard said he is questionable for Saturday’s game. On 63 carries, sophomore Fred McMoore has run for 268 yards and four touchdowns. Freshman Nick Mongan contributed 263 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.
Sophomore Nick Cochran leads the Grizzly defense in tackles with 86, 39 solo and 47 assisted. He has two interceptions on the season. Senior Jamison Foley has 62 tackles and an interception.
Senior Dan McManus leads the team with 11.5 sacks. He recorded at least one sack in every game this season and has 59 overall tackles. Senior Levi Smythe has five sacks on the season.
McManus said the fact that it is Otterbein’s first playoff experience could benefit the Grizzlies, in that they could have the same jitters the Grizzlies had last season.
Leonard compared Otterbein quarterback Jack Rafferty to his own All-American signal caller. For the season, Rafferty has completed 110 of 182 passes for 1,655 yards and 17 touchdowns with five interceptions.
The receiving corps is led by Ryan Rowley. He leads Otterbein in receptions with 51 for 694 yards and seven touchdowns.
But while Otterbein averages about 175 yards per game through the air, they rush for almost 200. Leonard said the Grizzly run defense matches up well against the ground attack, which is led by Colton Coy leads the Cardinal ground attack with 849 yards and 13 touchdowns on 143 carries.
Leonard said he’d continue to be aggressive and risky with his high-powered offense and wouldn’t count going deep into the playbook.
“You’ve got to be prepared for anything,” he said. “We might just use a ton of [trick plays.] Tricks are for kids … We’re going to have fun.”
But Franklin has one major goal in store according to McManus.
“We expect to win,” he said. “We don’t want this team, this season to end.”
