Franklin completes MAC play with Enka
11/01/2006 Dan Hunter

On Friday the Franklin Panthers wrap up the 2006 MAC conference season when they host the Enka Jets. Enka is still under the guidance of former Franklin assistant coach Kevin “Bucky” Tarr. Tarr was a Franklin assistant for five years, before moving to Enka. Franklin looks to extend a six game winning streak over the Jets that extends all the way back to the 2000 season.

The series between the Jets and Panthers began in 1997. Conference realignment took Enka out of the MAC 3A conference and put them into the WAC 2A-3A. In 2001, both teams were added to the MAC 3A Conference and the WAC 2A – 3A was eliminated. Since the series began, Franklin has won seven times and Enka has won two. Franklin ’s defense has shut out the Jets on one occasion, while Enka has never shut out the Panthers. Franklin has averaged 30.7ppg, while Enka has averaged 14.8ppg.

The following is a look at some of the recent highlights in the Franklin/Enka series.

1997 - Franklin needed a win over the Jets to secure the second place 3A playoff spot in the WAC. The Panthers defense held the Jet’s star running back Aaron Farmer in check for three quarters, limiting him to 80 yards for the game. With the game tied 7-7 late in the fourth quarter, Enka managed to get its highly potent ground game in gear with Farmer (1 and 27 yards) and Mitch Miller (2 yards) scoring touchdowns to take the win 21-7. Franklin scored on a 39-yard screen pass from Dennis Seay to Rodney Morris. Seay kicked the PAT.

1998 - First year Franklin coach Mark Leek’s Panthers rolled up 536 yards of total offense to beat Enka and win the 3A portion of the WAC by a 34-21 score. This win allowed Leek to take the Panthers to the 3A playoffs for the first time since 1993. Rodney Morris had a huge night offensively for the Panthers as he rushed for a school-record 323 yards on 25 carries and three touchdowns (36, 69, and 59 yards) and recorded thirteen tackles on defense. Defensive back Matt Derry returned an interception 39 yards for a score. Jon Guthrie also had a good night for Franklin , adding 124 yards rushing on 12 carries. Nick Sutton caught three Matt Pyle passes for 94 yards with a touchdown (79 yards.). Pyle also added a PAT pass to Sutton. Franklin went on to match up with the Concord Spiders in the 3A playoffs.

1999 - Penalties and turnovers killed Franklin ’s chances as Enka won a tough game by a score of 17-7 in the Panther Pit. Franklin ’s lone score came from a Matt Derry kickoff return for a touchdown.

2000 - Franklin overcame 145 yards in penalties and the ejection of standout player Craig Younce to earn a come-from-behind victory over Enka, 20-16, in a hotly contested game. Franklin backs rolled up 319 yards rushing and QB Matt Bradley threw for 166 yards (one touchdown). There were two controversial calls that went against the Panthers that changed the momentum of the game. The first controversial call happened when Gary Morris scored what looked like a Franklin touchdown, but he fumbled as he crossed the goal line. Franklin ’s Josh Scarver recovered it in the Panther end zone, but Enka was given the ball on a touchback taking six points away from the Panthers. On the second call, Craig Younce ran a reverse 32 yards to the two-yard line as time was running out on the second quarter. Younce, who was gang tackled by the Jets, received an unsportsmanlike penalty and was ejected from the game as the players un piled. On the same play, the Franklin bench and crowd each received an unsportsmanlike penalty of 15 yards. First and goal from the two-yard line went to first and goal from the 32-yard line.

Franklin got on the board when Matt Bradley connected with Craig Younce for a 70-yard score. The PAT failed. Benji Williams then added a 14-yard scoring run. Late in the game, Gary Morris added a 14-yard score to seal the win for the Panthers.

2001 - Franklin won what was billed as a battle of the two best defenses in WNC. Enka QB Clint McCoy was picked off five times by the Panther Defense; two were returned for touchdowns as Franklin won 35-28. Clay Wyatt went over from the one-yard line to put Franklin on the scoreboard. Wyatt also threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Dockery. Matt Myers added an interception return for 84 yards. Dockery got into the scoring act again as he intercepted another McCoy pass and returned it 31 yards for the score. Wyatt found Chris Durm on a screen pass from the four-yard line to round out the Panther’s scoring. Kyle Garner was good on all five extra point kicks.

2002 – Franklin continued to be dominant at the Panther Pit; limiting Enka to no points and just 23 yards rushing as Franklin won 47-0. Franklin QB Clay Wyatt completed 11 passes for 99 yards and four touchdowns. Josh Durm rushed 14 times for 127 yards and Marcus West carried 10 times for 87 yards. Franklin rolled up 341 yards of total offense, while Enka was limited to 123.

2003- RB Chris Durm and the Franklin defense got the Panthers off to a good start in Mountain Athletic Conference play with a 34-7 win over Enka.  Durm scored three times while rushing for 187 yards on 24 carries.  The Panther defense limited the Enka to just two first downs in the first half. The Jets finished with just 13 yards rushing for the game.