Franklin wins blowout over visiting Davis, dominating from the opening kickoff

The Franklin Wildcats continued their undefeated season Friday night, taking down the visiting Davis Blue Devils, 50-8.

The Wildcats are in the process of rebuilding their program led by third-year coach Joseph McCray. It’s been going well so far, and the squad is now 4-0 after defeating their one-time Delta League rivals at Cosumnes Oaks.

Right from the opening kickoff, the Wildcats dominated. Sophomore returner Jovan Harper took the ball 80 yards down the field into the end zone on the first play of the game to give the Wildcats an early lead. Junior cornerback Deon Holston grabbed a 75-yard pick-six on the next drive to stop the Davis offense from building any momentum.

Wildcats sophomore Braylon Robinson completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Jamal Fairley, followed by two rushing touchdowns by senior Allan Rogers, a rushing touchdown by senior Abraham Truett, and an interception returned for a touchdown by sophomore Caden Bowers to close the game.

Franklin athletic director Mike Cody said it’s all hands on deck with Franklin basketball, baseball and soccer players joining the football team. The school Elk Grove school encourages student-athletes to play multiple sports.

“We just want to get athletes out there,” Cody said. “Kids from all over are joining this program and getting us to the next level.”

His son Tyler Cody is one of those multisport athletes playing both baseball and football.

“I’m definitely excited for the future,” Mike Cody said. “We have a bunch of sophomores on the varsity team and really just an up and coming group of great players.”

The Wildcats have struggled in recent years, tallying just two wins over the past two seasons. Cody is impressed with the progress of the team led by McCray, who’s in his third season as head coach after coming over from Natomas, where he served as the defensive coordinator. He had a successful stint at Sacramento High School before his Natomas run.

“We were super impressed with Coach McCray when we interviewed him,” Cody said. “We knew that this was going to be a process that would take time. After these first four games, being undefeated, he has not disappointed.”

Rogers, a key running back, has seen all the team’s struggles. He said this season is different.

“There’s just a whole new mindset,” Rogers said. “The reason is because even though these guys are younger, they have a winning mentality. It comes from the coaching staff and a lot of the leaders of this team.”

Rogers shouted out seniors Kyle Fong and Aderian Adelabu, juniors Carlton Whitted and Javon Ott, and sophomore Jaeden Haselrig.

When McCray took over as head coach, he brought in a coaching staff with a wide range of experience, even bringing back coaches who served under former head coach Mike Johnson, who guided the program’s best teams. McCray said he’s been impressed with his young team.

“The foundation is laid,” McCray said. “We are homegrown. We’ve got a bunch of young guys. It’s really paid off with these young guys and we are seeing the results on the field. The next step is just putting those pieces together and teaching these guys how to be winners”

The success that Franklin has seen from its baseball and soccer programs is something that McCray and Cody are working hard on implementing onto the football field. The support from the students is there. Playing with Cosumnes Oaks as their home site for now, Franklin followers pack the stands and bring the noise. Cody is currently working on securing a full stadium on campus.

“Once we can get stands, our games are going to be even more electric than they are now,” Cody said. “It’s very difficult to build a successful program without the support of our students and on-campus staff. At Franklin, we are extremely lucky to have that.”

It’s a tough road ahead for the Wildcats as they head into the Delta League. Next week, they face a powerhouse in The Bee’s No. 18-ranked Elk Grove.

“We’ve got to focus on execution, on physicality,” McCray said. “Elk Grove is not an easy opponent. Tonight’s celebration is short. We have a lot of work to do on Monday.”

This story was originally published September 13, 2024 at 11:37 PM.