A showdown that many foresaw coming will wrap up Thursday night at AT&T Stadium as Franklin and Gunter will square off for the 3A Division II title.
Franklin is seeking to avenge a heartbreaking 35-34 defeat to Canadian in this game one year ago, while Gunter is seeking its third state title in six years.
Here is what to watch for on Thursday night.
Tale of the Tape
Gunter Tigers
Head Coach: Jake Fieszel: 15th season (179-28 record)
Distance from AT&T Stadium: 65 miles
2021 Playoff Results:
Bi-District: W 62-7 vs. Scurry-Rosser
Area: W 62-12 vs. Millsap
Regional Semifinals: W 62-20 vs. Dublin
Regional Final: W 35-14 vs. Holliday
State Semifinals: W 47-12 vs. Lubbock Roosevelt
Key Players and Storylines
Gunter has obliterated everyone in its path this year with an average margin of victory of 41.5 points.
The Tigers’ run-heavy pistol option offense is led by Texas Tech commit quarterback Hut Graham, who has thrown 1,655 yards and 24 touchdowns while adding 1,147 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground.
Gunter head coach Jake Fieszel said Graham is not only a talented player on the field but a great person off of it, pointing out his involvement in his local church as well as his top academic standing at Gunter.
“Hut is an awesome player and a great leader on the field, but what impresses me most about him is his character and work ethic,” Fieszel said. “No one in our program has done a better job of working in the offseason to become a better player. He is also just a good human being. He sets a great example for our younger players of how a student athlete should conduct themselves.”
Running back Ethan Sloan (1,248 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns) has led the way among the Gunter running backs, while Ashton Bennett (637 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns) and Cade Dodson (283 rushing yards) have also chipped in.
When Gunter does go through the air, keep an eye out for senior Cole Lemons (550 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns), who is starting to catch the eye of college coaches, including a preferred walk-on offer from Stephen F. Austin.
When Franklin has the ball, look for Bennett and fellow linebacker Saul Rodriguez to anchor the Tigers at the heart of their defense.
Franklin Lions
Head Coach: Mark Fannin: 2nd season (27-3 record)
Distance from AT&T Stadium: 164 miles
2021 Playoff Results:
Bi-District: W 63-7 vs. Danbury
Area: W 70-6 Stockdale
Regional Semifinals: W 60-0 vs. Riesel
Regional Final: W 66-0 vs. Poth
State Semifinals: W 28-14 vs. Waskom
Key Players and Storylines
Death, taxes, and Franklin lighting up the scoreboard. The Lions averaged 57.5 points per game on the year as they tore through their schedule en route to clinching their second consecutive state title game berth.
Franklin’s slot-T offense has been at the center of its offensive explosion. The Lions have rushed for 6,486 yards on the ground this year and are led by a talented trio of running backs in Bobby Washington (1,629 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns), Bryson Washington (1,318 yards and 20 touchdowns), and Malcom Murphy (1,176 yards and 16 touchdowns).
Franklin head coach Mark Fannin believes this combination of multiple dangerous running backs and a talented offensive line has helped Franklin dominate opponents all year long.
“We are very fortunate to have several athletes that can run the football well,” Fannin said. “It’s tough to just key on one of them because they all are very capable of scoring each time they touch the football. The offensive line is what makes this offense operate. These guys fight in the trenches each and every play. They are a tough group of players that get very little credit.”
And while its run game is as strong as ever, Franklin has made more of a point of throwing the ball this year. When the Lions have turned to the aerial attack, quarterback Marcus Wade (1,187 passing yards and 20 touchdowns on 79 passing attempts) has relied on Hayden Helton (468 receiving, seven touchdowns) as his favorite target.
Defensively, Bryson has made an impact from his safety position, while Colby Smith and Brayden Youree anchor the Lions at linebacker and will be needed to slow down Gunter’s rushing attack.
Final Thoughts
A year after seeing its title game against Canadian decided by a missed extra point, a victory for Franklin this year against Gunter would be that much sweeter.
However, the Jake Fieszel and his coaching staff will be ready for the big stage having won state titles two of the past five years.
This matchup has been a long time coming in 3A Division II football. It shouldn’t disappoint as the nightcap on Thursday.
See all Playoff Final Scores Here: live-scores-texas-high-school-football-scoreboard
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