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(Statistical Information Courtesy of NWPASports.com archives, The Herald and Erie Times-News)

WEEK TWO FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

Eleven of the area's 12 teams are in action this week in Mercer County. Eight of the nine games will be played Friday night, with Slippery Rock hosting Franklin in a Saturday evening clash. Two rivalry games highlight the schedule Friday night as Mercer hosts Lakeview while Greenville welcomes Sharpsville to town.

Kennedy Catholic has an open date this weekend. 

FRIDAY NIGHT

Lakeview at Mercer, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Mercer, 29-13
Last Lakeview Win: November 11, 2023 (35-6, District 10 Class 1A semifinal at Meadville)
Last Mercer Win: October 13, 2023 (28-20 at Lakeview)
First Meeting: September 17, 1966 (Mercer won 44-0)

One of Mercer County's fiercest all-sports rivalries will be renewed Friday night in the county seat as Mercer hosts Lakeview in a battle of 1-0 teams. For the first time in nearly two decades, the teams are in separate leagues, with Class 2A Mercer playing in Region 1 and Class 1A Lakeview having been placed in Region 2.

Yet, the game still features plenty of intriguing storylines.

Lakeview eliminated Mercer from the District 10 Class 1A playoffs last season with a 35-6 victory in the semifinal round. Mercer won at Lakeview during the regular season last year, 28-20, denying Lakeview the outright conference title. Overall, Mercer has won each of the last three regular season meetings.

The rivalry between the bordering schools added a new element during the offseason, thanks to another neighboring school -- Commodore Perry. Commodore Perry and Lakeview had a co-op agreement in several sports, including football, for a handful of years. Lakeview's school board initially elected to not renew the football co-op last winter, however. A second vote did approve continuing the agreement, but in the interim, Commodore Perry instead reached a co-op agreement with Mercer instead.

Now, according to Mercer head coach Jeff Lockard, nine Commodore Perry athletes are members of the Mustangs' football squad. Most notable among that group is senior lineman William Guy, who starts at guard for Mercer. He started at offensive tackle for Lakeview in last year's playoff win over Mercer.

Mercer's 2024 roster features 35 men while first-year Lakeview head coach Blake Reddick has approximately two dozen players on this year's roster. Still, the Sailors proved to be more quality than quantity last week in a season-opening 32-26 victory at Northwestern.

 Senior quarterback Leyton Zacherl completed 10 of 14 passes for a career-high 228 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Blake Skiles caught eight balls for 182 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 63 yards and a score. Brayden Booher led the Sailors on the ground with 73 rushing yards and Zacherl added 60 yards with two touchdown runs.

Lakeview finished with 419 total offensive yards.

Mercer also opened the season last week with a road victory, albeit a much different type of game. The Mustangs pulled out an 8-7 victory at Franklin last Saturday night, thanks to a fourth-quarter safety. Mercer trailed 7-6 but linebacker Parker Puskar tackled Franklin quarterback Eddie Maddox in the end zone after an errant shotgun snap to give Mercer the lead.

Mercer's defense allowed only one first down and held Franklin to minus-16 total yards. Mercer also held Franklin to 1-of-11 efficiency on third down. Colton Davis recorded two of Mercer's four sacks while Parker Barish added a sack. Guy and Asa Davis shared a sack while Davis and safety Rider Chiappini both intercepted passes.

Halfback Colin Wise led Mercer with 69 rushing yards while Puskar had 43 yards and the Mustangs' touchdown. Mercer finished with 145 total yards.

It marked the first 8-7 victory in Mercer history and the first 8-7 win by a Mercer County team since November 5, 1983, when host Kennedy Christian edged Liberty, Ohio, 8-7, at Butala Stadium.

The Lakeview defense forced three Mercer turnovers and held the Mustangs to an 0-for-8 third down performance in last year's playoff victory. Skiles had an interception and forced a fumble. Mercer won the turnover battle, 4-0, in last year's regular season win in Stoneboro.

The team winning the turnover battle has won each of the last five meetings between the programs.

Mercer is 15-5 all-time at home against Lakeview. Lakeview's last win at Mercer came August 27, 2016, when the Sailors held on for a season-opening 24-22 Saturday afternoon win in Johnny Falconi's debut as head coach. Mercer won the most recent meeting in Mercer, 15-13, two years ago.

The game will be broadcast on Sports Radio 96.7. Live Stats available here.

Sharpsville at Greenville, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Sharpsville, 42-38-2
Last Greenville Win: September 13, 2019 (20-12)
Last Sharpsville Win: September 22, 2023 (41-13)
First Meeting: October 15, 1910 (Greenville won 17-0)

The oldest and most frequently-played active series in Mercer County will be renewed Friday night when Greenville opens its home schedule against Sharpsville. It will be the 83rd all-time meeting between the longtime foes, who first met during William Howard Taft's presidential administration.

Sharpsville seeks its third straight 2-0 start after opening the 2024 season with a 32-23 home win over Girard last Friday night at McCracken Field. The win featured some familiar names and some new names emerging in the Blue Devil box score. Senior running back Jaiden White ran for 129 yards and a touchdown while also catching three passes for 79 yards and a pair of scores. Freshman fullback Geno Currie added 57 rushing yards and two scores in his debut while senior quarterback Aiden Cadman threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns in his first varsity start.

Defensively, senior defensive tackle Antonio Cornejo recorded a sack while senior cornerback Graham Pernesky intercepted a pass.

Greenville dropped a 28-7 verdict at Wilmington in last week's season opener. Senior Nick Solderich, one of only four returning starters at quarterback in the 12-team area last week, completed 14 of 21 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Justin Schell caught six passes for 59 yards while Keith Covert set career highs with five catches and 41 receiving yards.

Greenville's ground attack sputtered, however, as Wilmington held the Trojans to eight rushing yards on 14 attempts.

Sharpsville has won six straight meetings in the series. Greenville is 17-8-1 against Sharpsville at Stewart Field. That includes Sharpsville's 41-13 win September 22, 2023 at Greenville. White ran for two touchdowns and also caught two scores to help lead the Blue Devils. Solderich completed 8 of 15 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown for Greenville. Current junior Rudy Gentile ran for 89 of Greenville's 182 rushing yards.

Greenville went 8 for 12 on third down but had four drives end in Sharpsville territory.

Seventy-seven years ago, the teams met in the final Greenville home game at Packard Park, with Sharpsville winning 20-6 on November 1, 1947.

Greenville has dropped four straight home openers. That streak began in 2020, when Sharpsville edged the Trojans in Week Two, 14-12. Greenville and Sharpsville played three times in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sharpsville competes in District 10's Region 1 while Greenville will open Region 2 play next week. This is the first time that the teams have played in separate conferences since 2015. The teams competed against each other in the Northwest Conference from 1971 to 1980. Prior to that, the teams played in Mercer County's Class A league from the 1930s until 1970. Grove City, Hickory and Reynolds also played "Class A" in the mid- to late-1960s. Farrell and Sharon also played in that loop prior to World War II.

Greenville-Grove City is the county's most frequently-played series, as the schools have met 108 times. Greenville leads that series, 53-50-5. However, that series is on hiatus for this PIAA two-year cycle.

Farrell at Fort LeBoeuf, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Farrell, 2-0
Last Farrell Win: October 29, 2021 (48-21)
Last Fort LeBoeuf Win: None
First Meeting: October 6, 2017 (Farrell won 41-14)

Perennial playoff participants Farrell and Fort LeBoeuf both look to rebound from Week One losses at home when the Steelers head to Waterford's Carm Bonito Field. Farrell fell to Hickory last Saturday night, 35-31, while Fort LeBoeuf dropped a 41-27 decision to visiting Meadville in non-region action.

Farrell junior running back Juelz Johnson, one of four returning offensive starters for the Steelers, ran for a career-high 226 yards and four touchdowns last week. He also caught a career-high seven passes for 45 yards and a touchdown from sophomore quarterback Aaron Pegues, who made his first varsity start. Pegues completed 9 of 14 passes for 64 yards.

Farrell scored on five of its final six possessions. Defensively, Rashaud Dunbar recovered a fumble while Dorean Cain notched a sack.

Johnson's 226 rushing yards are the most for a Farrell back since Anthony Stallworth ran for 322 yards and four touchdowns November 12, 2021 against Wilmington in the District 10 Class 2A title game. It's the highest regular season total since Stallworth ran for 234 yards and two touchdowns October 29, 2021 at Fort LeBoeuf.

Fort LeBoeuf started seven sophomores on offense against Meadville, according to the Erie Times-News. Quarterback Dominic Walters accounted for 216 total yards while halfback Dustin Blose, the son of head coach Justin Blose, added a pair of touchdown runs. He ran for 152 yards on 16 carries.

Fort LeBoeuf yielded 481 total yards to Meadville, including 304 rushing yards.

Fort LeBoeuf went 7-4 last season, falling to Grove City in the District 10 Class 3A quarterfinals, 35-0, at Slippery Rock High School. The Bison also went 7-4 in 2022.

Mercer County teams are 34-7 all-time against Fort LeBoeuf, including an 8-4 mark in Waterford.

Fairview at Grove City, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Grove City, 7-2
Last Fairview Win: November 18, 2006 (32-7, District 10 AA semifinal at McDowell)
Last Grove City Win: November 4, 2022 (35-21, District 10 3A quarterfinal at Greenville)
First Meeting: November 13, 1987 (Grove City won 28-14; D-10 Division II semifinal at Girard)

Grove City opens its home schedule Friday night by hosting fellow Class 3A foe Fairview in non-region action at Forker Field. While the Eagles are coming off a 21-0 win over North East at Iroquois last week, the Eagles will look to tighten up a number of areas.

The Eagles committed 14 penalties for 165 yards, which is the highest penalty yardage total for an area team since Hickory accumulated 175 penalty yards September 3, 2021 at Girard. The Eagles also went 2 for 10 on third down.

However, Grove City also has plenty of positives to build upon from the Week One victory. The Grove City defense held North East to 103 total yards and nine first downs on 45 plays. Senior free safety Nathan Greer intercepted two passes and helped sew up the win with a 96-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter.

Offensively, junior running back Jaxyn Wilson ran for a career-high 179 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Senior quarterback Lucas McCreadie completed 12 of 18 passes for 117 yards in his first varsity start behind center. Greer had eight catches for 79 yards and senior tight end Clayton Martin added four receptions for 38 yards. 

The win marked Grove City's first Week One shutout since a 40-0 home win over Carrick a dozen years ago.

Fairview rolled to a 35-0 home in in Week One over Slippery Rock in non-region action. The Tigers' multiple option attack accumulated 284 rushing yards and 23 total first downs. Fairview went 6 for 9 on third down, including a 5-for-6 effort in the first half. Fairview scored on each of its first five possessions.

Tyler Benford led Fairview with 110 rushing yards and two scores. Senior quarterback Vinny Campoli pilots Fairview's attack, which uses both spread formations and the flexbone look utilized by the service academies. Campoli completed 5 of 6 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown. He has returned to action after sustaining a serious knee injury last season. 

Fairview is 0-4 all-time at Forker Field. The Tigers are 0-3 against Grove City, having dropped regular season games in 2007 (25-21), 2017 (46-13) and 2021 (41-8). Fairview also fell to Wilmington in the 2012 District 10 Class AA quarterfinals, 47-0, at Forker Field.

Grove City's first-ever District 10 playoff game took place November 13, 1987, when the Eagles defeated Fairview in the Division II semifinals at Girard, 28-14. In 2006, Fairview eliminated Grove City in the D-10 Class AA semifinals, 32-7, at McDowell High School.

The 1987 season also marked the last time that Grove City lost its home opener to an Erie County opponent. Strong Vincent pulled out a 28-22 win September 11, 1987 over the Eagles at Forker Field. Grove City trailed 22-6 in the fourth quarter but Dave Buck's 55-yard punt return to the end zone, Sam Trinch's three-yard touchdown run and a pair of two-point runs by Rob Moore forged a 22-22 tie.

But with 1:14 left in the game, Strong Vincent running back Tony Quinn threw a 90-yard touchdown to quarterback Eric Kuhn on a throwback pass to reclaim the lead.

Since then, the Eagles have won seven straight home openers against Erie County opposition.

University Prep at Hickory, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: First Meeting

Hickory breaks the proverbial seal on its newly-installed artificial surface at Hornet Stadium by hosting Pittsburgh City League entry University Prep in a non-conference tilt Friday evening. It's a short week for the Hornets, who pulled out a 35-31 victory last Saturday night at backyard rival Farrell in the season opener.

Big plays helped vault Hickory to the road victory. Freshman Christian Dungee returned a kickoff 72 yards for a touchdown while sophomore tailback Kelvin Morrison twice scored on 29-yard runs. Morrison finished with 100 yards on a dozen carries while junior Jamal Calhoun added 49 yards on four attempts. Calhoun's 27-yard sprint to the 11 set up Hickory's clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter. Senior quarterback Zander Telesz capped the drive, which used 5:38 of clock, with a two-yard touchdown run.

Defensively, Hickory yielded 21 first downs. But the Hornets held Farrell to a 2-for-9 performance on third down. Ben Walls and Trevor Borowicz both recorded sacks for Hickory. Borowicz also caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Telesz, who went 4 of 6 for 41 yards.

University Prep opened its season with a 22-18 loss last Friday night at Hampton. Freshman quarterback Dai'mere Adair made his varsity debut by completing 11 of 17 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Zion Hauser led University Prep with four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown.

Senior linebacker Xair Stevenson, a University of Buffalo commit, leads the Wildcats' defense.

Lou Berry is in his 14th season as University Prep head coach. He is the only coach in program history. He guided University Prep to three Pittsburgh City League titles in the program's first six seasons. University Prep is one of two Class 4A schools in the City League, along with Brashear.

University Prep went 7-4 last year, dropping a 22-18 decision at Meadville in a PIAA Class 4A Subregional playoff game.

 Hickory is 2-2 all-time against City League opponents, having split four games with Westinghouse from 2016 to 2019. The home team won all four games in that series. University Prep is 3-2 against Mercer County opponents. The Wildcats are 2-1 against Sharon and 1-1 against Farrell.

Hickory is 8-2 in its last 10 home openers. This is the first time in program history that Hickory will play an Allegheny County school in the home opener. The 2016 and 2018 games against Westinghouse are the times that Hickory has hosted an Allegheny County squad in football.

Maplewood at Reynolds, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Maplewood, 6-5
Last Maplewood Win: September 23, 2023 (27-6)
Last Reynolds Win: November 12, 2022 (44-6, District 10 Class 2A semifinal at Farrell)
First Meeting: October 4, 2008 (Maplewood won 20-6)

Reynolds opens its home schedule Friday night by hosting Maplewood in non-conference play. It will be the fourth meeting in the last three seasons between the Class 1A programs.

Reynolds earned a 15-0 victory at Eisenhower last Friday night in the season opener, thanks in part to touchdown runs in the second half from Gabe Minjarez and Parker Nay. Defensively, the Raiders forced four turnovers in recording their first shutout in 18 games. Reynolds limited Ike to seven first downs.

Minjarez led Reynolds with 109 yards while Nay chipped in 27 yards on his six attempts. Junior quarterback Xavier Zachrich made his first start at that position and completed 7 of 11 pass attempts for 48 yards. Zachrich also ran for 39 yards on nine attempts.

Maplewood opened the season with a 21-0 home win over longtime rival Union City last Friday night. A.J. Proper ran for 102 yards and two scores to help pace the Tigers while Cadyn Shetler added 60 rushing yards and a touchdown. Maplewood's defense allowed 161 rushing yards but forced three Union City turnovers.

Kyle Jordan, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound sophomore, is in his second season as Maplewood quarterback. Seniors Carl and Ray Crosley, a pair of 260-pounders, help lead Maplewood's veteran offensive and defensive lines. Ten of Maplewood's 28 rostered players are seniors.

Head coach Jason Wargo is in his third season after working as an assistant coach at Franklin High School and at Geneva College.

Jordan threw for 164 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-6 home win September 23, 2023 over Reynolds in a Saturday matinee. Maplewood forced five Reynolds turnovers while not committing a turnover. Exactly one year earlier, Reynolds blanked Maplewood, 64-0, in the last meeting in Transfer. That also marked Reynolds' last shutout until last week's win at Ike.

Last week's victory marked Reynolds' first road shutout in a season opener since 2012, when the Raiders won 44-0 at Maplewood. Reynolds also won at Kennedy in the 2003 opener, 31-0. Reynolds won 10-0 at Greenville in the 1985 lidlifter and blanked host Union in the 1978 opener, 28-0. 

The teams have split the four previous meetings at Reynolds. Both teams open region play next week. Reynolds visits Mercer in Region 1 action while Maplewood hosts Region 2 foe Cochranton. Maplewood will also play Cambridge Springs, Greenville, Lakeview and Saegertown in conference action.

Wilmington at Hubbard, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: First Meeting

The Wilmington Greyhounds make their ninth all-time sojourn into Ohio when they trek to nearby Hubbard for the 2024 road opener Friday night. It's a considerably shorter trip for Wilmington than its last trip to Ohio three seasons ago. Instead of the 200-mile trip to Liberty-Benton High School in 2021, it's only 15 miles from New Wilmington to Hubbard Memorial Stadium.

A 1-0 Hubbard team awaits Wilmington. The Eagles renewed their long-dormant rivalry with Brookfield last week by rolling to a 49-19 home win. Senior quarterback Alex Hackwelder, a letterwinner at Grove City in 2022, threw three touchdown passes and ran for three more scores. He took over as Hubbard's starting quarterback early in 2023. Hackwelder threw for 1,007 yards last season while adding 366 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. 

Wilmington won its first season opener since 2021 by securing a 28-7 home win over Greenville in Week One. Sophomore halfback Chase Mitcheltree ran for a career-high 157 yards while junior fullback Jamie Miller added 64 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Wesley Vass-Gal made his first varsity start and went 3 for 6 with a touchdown. All three completions went to Mitcheltree, who accumulated 49 receiving yards and a score.

Miller also scored on a 37-yard punt return. Defensively, Michael Mistretta intercepted a pass for the "Hounds Hammer." Wilmington held Greenville to eight rushing yards on 14 attempts. Wilmington head coach Brandon Phillian earned his 50th career victory in last week's triumph.

Former West Middlesex head coach Brian Hoffman is in his 17th season as Hubbard head coach. Last year's 4-6 record marked Hubbard's first sub-.500 season since 1998. He did not face Wilmington while at West Middlesex from 2004 to 2006. 

Wilmington is 3-5 all-time in Ohio. The 'Hounds last win in the Buckeye State came September 21, 2018 when Wilmington won 55-14 at Conneaut, Ohio.

Hubbard is 24-19-2 all-time against Mercer County opponents. Sharpsville is Hubbard's most-frequently played Mercer County foe. Sharpsville leads the series 9-8 but the teams have not met since 1965. Hubbard has also played Farrell (Hubbard is 4-5 in the series), Greenville (2-0), Grove City (0-0-1), Hickory (4-0), Kennedy (4-1) and Sharon (1-2). 

Wilmington is the first of two area teams to play this year in Ohio. Hickory visits Niles in Week Six. Hubbard and Niles are both members of the seven-team Northeast 8, along with Girard, Lakeview (Ohio), Poland, South Range and Struthers.

Cathedral Prep vs. Sharon, 7:30 p.m., Memorial Field, Westminster College

Series History: Tied, 4-4-1
Last Cathedral Prep Win: September 12, 1997 (28-7)
Last Sharon Win: September 13, 1996 (19-10)
First Meeting: October 27, 1950 (Cathedral Prep won 14-0 at Sharon)

Two perennial District 10 powerhouses will meet Friday night in New Wilmington when Sharon "hosts" Erie's Cathedral Prep in non-conference action. The game will be played at historic Memorial Field instead of Sharon Tiger Stadium due to renovation delays at the Tigers' longtime home.

Cathedral Prep will be Sharon's second straight Erie-based opponent to open the 2024 season. Last week, the Tigers rolled to a 55-6 victory at Mercyhurst Prep as three special teams touchdowns helped the Tigers amass a 55-0 halftime lead.

Cassius Hosey and Ra'keem Hughes both scored on blocked punts while Kare'mez Norris returned a punt 59 yards for a touchdown. Junior quarterback Ethan Engelmore made his first varsity start and threw for 181 yards and three touchdowns on 5-of-9 accuracy.

Fellow junior Bishop Root caught three passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns while junior Brock Ondo pulled in a 33-yard touchdown reception. Senior tailback Ike Friday ran for 94 yards and a score as Sharon finished with 216 rushing yards as a team.

Sharon's 55 points marked the most for the Tigers in a season opener since a 71-0 win September 9, 1938 over Oil City St. Joseph's.

Cathedral Prep opened the 2024 season last Friday night with an 18-6 win over crosstown rival Erie in Region 7 action. The Ramblers intercepted four Erie passes and also recorded four sacks. Prep held the Royals to 93 offensive yards. Erie's points came when Tahjae Thomas returned a punt for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Cathedral Prep quarterback K.J. Williams clinched the win with a 14-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He came on in relief of starter Davin Friedman, who completed 9 of 17 passes for 103 yards. Williams completed 3 of his 5 attempts for 15 yards.

Mike Krahe is in third season as the Ramblers' head coach. The 2000 Prep alumnus spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Cathedral Prep while also making coaching stops at Northwestern High School, Lake Erie College and Mercyhurst College. 

 Cathedral Prep is 12-8-1 all-time against Mercer County opponents. The Ramblers have played Farrell, Greenville, Grove City, Sharon and Sharpsville.

Although Sharon and Cathedral Prep met for the District 10 Division I title in both 1987 and 1988, this will be the first neutral-site game between the programs. Cathedral Prep defeated Sharon for the 1987 title, 18-0, at Erie Veterans Stadium. "The Vet" served as Prep's primary home field until Dollinger Field's opening in 2015.

Sharon hosted the Ramblers in the 1988 District 10 title game, with the visitors pulling out a 12-10 win at Sharon Tiger Stadium.

Sharon outscored Prep 13-0 in the second half of the teams' last meeting 28 years ago in Sharon. Tailback T.J. Phillips ran for 175 yards on 22 carries for the Tigers. His 55-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter sealed the win. Quarterback Jeff Valentino threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Steve Byerly in the first quarter, then gave Sharon a 12-10 lead with a six-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

This is believed to be Sharon's first neutral site regular season game since October 24, 1997, when the Tigers dropped a 26-12 decision to Wilmington at Youngstown State. This is Sharon's third all-time game at Westminster. The Tigers played Westminster College on September 30, 1917, with the college team earning a 59-0 win. Sharon filled in for St. Bonaventure College that day.

On November 25, 1916, Sharon defeated New Wilmington, 52-0. Those teams played before the Geneva-Westminster game.

The game will be broadcast on News/Talk 790 WPIC.

SATURDAY

Franklin at Slippery Rock, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Slippery Rock, 7-4
Last Franklin Win: September 11, 2010 (35-31)
Last Slippery Rock Win: September 6, 2019 (35-6)
First Meeting: October 31, 1997 (Franklin won 28-12 at Slippery Rock)

Two teams aiming to rebound from tough Week One setbacks will meet Saturday night at Troy-Alan Field when Slippery Rock hosts Franklin in non-region action. Both teams will look to shift their offenses into a higher gear after sputtering on opening.

Fairview limited visiting Slippery Rock to 124 total yards and seven first downs last week as the Rockets fell 35-0 on the road. Franklin dropped an 8-7 decision to visiting Mercer as the Knights accumulated minus-16 total yards and one first down in Week One.

Both schools unveiled first-time starting quarterbacks in Week One. Slippery Rock sophomore Fred Campagna completed 8 of 18 attempts for 66 yards. Landon Lynch started for Franklin, completing 2 of 7 attempts for 52 yards and a touchdown. Franklin lost Lynch to injury in the second half, however. Junior Eddie Maddox and sophomore Freddie Blackhurst both saw time behind center in place of Lynch.

Defensively, Franklin's 3-4 unit limited Mercer to 145 total yards and only 3.0 yards per carry. Franklin also held Mercer to a 2-for-13 performance on third down. However, Franklin converted only 1 of its 11 third-down situations. The lone conversion came on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Lynch to Jaden Wilmoth in the second quarter that put Franklin ahead, 7-6.

The game will also feature two of District 10's top kicking specialists in Slippery Rock sophomore Zach Lasko and Franklin junior Connor Ritchey. Lasko averaged 51.0 yards per punt at Fairview while Ritchey averaged 42.7 yards on his seven punts against Mercer. Both of Ritchey's kickoffs against Mercer reached the end zone for automatic touchbacks.

Slippery Rock is 4-2 all-time at home against Franklin. Franklin won the 1997 finale at Slippery Rock, 28-12, which also marked Mike Kish's final game as the Rockets' head coach. Nine years later, the Knights won 35-14 at Slippery Rock in Week Four. The Knights finished 6-4 that year, which is Franklin's last winning season.

Franklin won four of its final five games last season under now fifth-year head coach Matt Turk. That strong finish led to a significant increase in roster size and an overall invigoration of the program.

Saturday's game at Slippery Rock opens a three-game road trip for Franklin. The Knights open Class 4A Region 6 play in Week Three at Warren. Slippery Rock visits Sharon in the Region 4 Class 3A opener next week.

Live Stats available here.