By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
Winning their last two games by 52 and 39, the Franklin Quakers looked to extend their winning streak to three games and stay in contention for a playoff spot. Previously beating Cleveland on their home turf and Nathan Hale on the road, Franklin would put their winning ways to the test against Lakeside who came into the game with a two-game winning streak of their own. The Lions, who beat Nathan Hale 39-7 and West Seattle 20-13, looked to get their third win of the season and derail the Quakers playoff hopes.
Looking to avenge their 32-point loss during their last encounter with Lakeside, the Quakers were out to make a statement. Defensively, the Quakers have been rolling. In their three wins Franklin has allowed six points or less, and offensively, being led by running back James Scott, Jr., they’ve been able to score at will. Coming off back-to-back wins where they scored 40 points or more the Quakers looked to keep their momentum going.
From the very beginning of the game, Franklin’s defense set the tone. From incomplete passes, tackles for losses, sacks and forcing penalties Franklin was able to hold Lakeside scoreless for three straight quarters.
The opening possession for Franklin started with miscues, as penalties and bad snaps put Franklin behind the chains. But finding their rhythm with the ball on the 30-yard line, quarterback Lyndon Vaivao would hand the ball off to Bubba Banks who would break away on a 70-yard touchdown run.
Converting the two-point attempt to take an 8-0 lead, the Quakers defense would respond with a touchdown of their own, as Carmonte Banks intercepted a Lakeside pass and returned it to the Lions’ one-yard line which setup a touchdown run by Scott as Franklin extended their lead to 16-0.
Offensively, Franklin would follow up with two touchdowns in under five minutes. Banks scored his second touchdown of the first half on a 20-yard run, and on their next possession Scott exploded past Lakeside’s defenders for a 60-yard touchdown run.
After taking a 33-0 lead into halftime, Franklin would continue their dominance in the second half as they scored 20 third quarter points and ultimately solidified the Quakers third consecutive win with a 50-20 victory over Lakeside.
Defensively, Carmonte Banks led Franklin with nine tackles and one interception, while Lyndon Vaivao recorded eight tackles and forced a fumble that was recovered by Khalifa Maleng, who returned it 55-yards for a touchdown.
Offensively, Scott and Banks led the way for Franklin. Scott finished the game with 13 carries for 200 yards and three touchdowns while converting four extra point attempts, while Banks totaled 130 yards and three touchdowns on the night.
With the win, Franklin improved to 4-3 on the season and will face the undefeated Ingraham Rams next week in their regular season finale, as they hope to hand the Rams their first loss of the season.
