FRANKLIN – Powered by a career afternoon from junior running back Garrett Cora, the Franklin football team celebrated the start of conference play and homecoming weekend with a 31-24 win over the Bluffton Beavers.
 
Cora rushed for a career-high 265 yards and scored three times for the Grizzlies (1-3, 1-0 HCAC), as the home side shook off an early 10-point hole to best the Beavers (1-3, 0-1 HCAC) in front of a packed Faught Stadium crowd.
 
How it Happened
An early fumble from Cora de-railed Franklin's first drive and led to a Beaver field goal. Bluffton added a touchdown the next time they touched the ball to make it 10-0 with four minutes to go in the first quarter, but Cora shook off his early fumble and got the Griz on the board with a 23-yard touchdown run late in the opening period.
 
That late first quarter touchdown started a run of 24 unanswered Franklin points, with Cora putting the Grizzlies in front early in the second quarter on an 11-yard run. Shay McRath fell on a Bluffton fumble to set up Franklin's next drive in great field position, with Gabe Crutchfield knocking in a 22-yard field goal to make it 17-10 with 4:41 to go in the half.
 
The Griz got the ball one more time before the half and stretched their lead to two touchdowns with Ross scoring on a one-yard sneak to make it a 24-10 game but a Bluffton touchdown on the final play of the first half made it 24-17 at the intermission.
 
Cora put the lead back to two scores on the first drive of the second half, darting through the Bluffton defense on a 40-yard touchdown run. The Griz defense kept the Beavers at bay until a final-minute touchdown, but Franklin's hands team recovered the onside kick that allowed the hosts to run out the clock.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Cora continued to torment the Beavers during his career, toting the ball 31 times at 8.5 yards per carry. The Lizton, Ind.-native set a career best total for rushing in the two teams meeting last year with 226 yards.
-Ross was 12-for-20 through the air for 89 yards.
-Dylan McKinney led Franklin with 52 receiving yards on four grabs.
-Junior Hayden Kermode set a career-best with 13 tackles to lead the team.
-DeMarion Newell made nine stops in the secondary with freshman De'Marreia Stephens recording seven tackles in his first career start.
-Jireh Ojata had 1.5 sacks and McRath added a sack and two batted passes to go along with his fumble recovery.
 
Up Next
The Grizzlies hit the road next Saturday (Oct. 7) for another conference battle with the Anderson Ravens. Kick-off is set for 1:30 p.m.