Franklin will be looking to continue its remarkable run this Thursday afternoon. The Lions played football from 1915 to 2020 without a single state title. Now, they are going for their third-straight championship.
Malakoff, meanwhile, is on the opposite end of the spectrum. The Tigers lost their only state title game appearance back in 2018.
This game was a slugfest a year ago with Franklin beating Brock on a field goal as time expired. Considering Malakoff knocked off Brock in the semifinals this year, expect another close game on Thursday.
Here’s what to watch for in the 3A Division I State Title Game.
Malakoff Tigers (15-0)
Head Coach: Jamie Driskell (15th season; 157-35)
Distance from AT&T Stadium: 98 miles
2023 Playoff Results
Bi-District: W 49-0 vs. Maypearl
Area: W 66-21 vs. Mount Vernon
Regional Semifinal: W 42-7 vs. Grandview
Regional Final: W 58-20 vs. Winnsboro
State Semifinals: W 38-31 vs. Brock
Key Players and Storylines
Malakoff defensive lineman Daniel Norrell had the play of the game last week in Malakoff’s state semifinal win over Brock. He picked off a Brock pass with under 90 seconds to go and returned it into the red zone. From there, quarterback Mike Jones scored on a quarterback sneak to give the Tigers a big 38-31 victory.
BIG FELLA INT!
Malakoff at the Brock 16 with 1:29 left pic.twitter.com/A9zRyllCH8
— William Wilkerson (@WillieWilk23) December 8, 2023
The Malakoff defense will be in for another big challenge this week against Franklin’s slot-T attack. Malakoff head coach Jamie Driskell said he’s keeping his message to his defense simple. He said they will have to “get lined up and tackle well.” Winning the turnover battle could also help. The Tigers forced four last week against Brock.
Offensively, Malakoff is led by its backfield with quarterback Mike Jones (2,480 passing yards, 716 rushing yards, and 45 total touchdowns) and sophomore running back Jerrion Hall (1,460 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns).
Hall was quiet last week with just 32 rushing yards on 12 carries, although Jones stepped up with 84 rushing yards on 14 carries.
When Jones does turn through the air, Chauncey Hogg has been his main target so far this year. He has more than three times the yardage and receptions than anyone else on the team (69 catches for 939 yards).
Malakoff had a number of big plays from its special teams and defense a week ago. However, it will likely need more offensive production than the 216 total yards it put up against Brock as it faces the high-flying Lions.
Franklin Lions (14-1)
Head Coach: Mark Fannin (4th Season; 58-4)
Distance to AT&T Stadium: 164 miles
2023 Playoff Results
Bi-District: W 50-22 vs. Hallettsville
Area: W 50-16 vs. Shepherd
Regional Semifinals: W 52-27 vs. Little River Academy
Regional Final: W 49-27 vs. Lorena
State Semifinals: W 52-14 vs. Edna
Key Players and Storylines
Franklin may have had its 39-game winning streak snapped by Lorena in the regular season, but the Lions got their revenge in the reginal final with a 49-27 victory over the Leopards. They then followed that up with a 52-14 blowout win over back-to-back state semifinalist Edna.
The Lions certainly seem to be peaking at the right time. When they won the state title back in 2021 over Gunter, they didn’t compete a single pass. That may change this year with Cort Lowry slinging the ball around. He completed 10 of 12 passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Edna.
However, the bread and butter of this Franklin team remains its rushing attack. And even though the Washington brothers have graduated, Jayden Jackson has taken on the lead role this year. He rushed for 297 yards in the regional final victory over Lorena.
Besides Jackson, the Lions also have Stephen F. Austin commit Braden Smith at tight end and Wyoming commit Devyn Hidrogo at receiver.
Hidrogo also stars at safety for the Lions, the position he will play at the next level.
Final Thoughts
Franklin head coach Mark Fannin said this matchup is exactly what you’d want in a state title game.
He said the Lions will have to limit turnovers and penalties on Friday because as Malakoff showed against Brock, it will punish you if given the opportunity.
With so little between these two teams, Fannin believes the team with the fewest mistakes will win the game.
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