Box Score Franklin got the home crowd juiced up with a touchdown on its opening possession Saturday afternoon, sparking dreams of a second straight victory to start the season.

No. 18 Hope quickly dashed those dreams, scoring on all five of its first-half possessions on its way to a 38-14 win at Faught Stadium.

The Grizzlies (1-1) struck first, marching 75 yards in seven plays to begin the game. Quarterback Marshall Kmiecik finished off the drive with a 6-yard toss to Jace Mohr in the back of the end zone just 2:48 into the game. Charlie Overton's PAT kick made it an early 7-0 lead.

That advantage lasted less than a minute. On the Flying Dutchmen's second play from scrimmage, Alex Thole found Jonny Rohen-Blanton across the middle for a 62-yard pitch and catch to tie it up with 11:26 left in the first period.

"That's two games in a row we've got off to a great start, and kind of put each of the two teams we've played on the defensive real quick," Franklin coach Mike Leonard said. "But they answered very fast ... they've got a great program. We're on that innocent climb, and that's who we aspire to be like."

Hope owned the remainder of the first half, taking the lead for good on a Caden Balkon field goal and then tacking on three consecutive touchdown drives. Up 17-7 after one quarter, the Flying Dutchmen scored two second-period touchdowns, the last a 7-yard Thole pass to Travis Myers with 1:11 to go, to take a 31-7 cushion into the break.

The Flying Dutchmen piled up 348 yards of offense in the first half and 509 overall; the Grizzlies had 197 yards before halftime and finished the game with 310.

After yielding another Hope touchdown to start the third quarter, the Grizzlies got a needed momentum boost from a Jace Dorsey interception that helped set up the team's second scoring drive. Kmiecik capped that eight-play, 53-yard march by looking right and finding Mohr for a 30-yard score on the first play of the fourth quarter.

"I love our football team, just as it is," Leonard said after the loss. "I love our guys, and I love the fight that they had."

Kmiecik was 21 of 37 passing for 260 yards, with Jordan Fonda (five catches for 111 yards) and Mohr (five for 46 yards and the two scores) his top targets. Franklin was held to just 1 yard rushing, while the Dutchmen racked up 179 yards on 36 carries.

Drew Servies led the Griz defense with 10 tackles, seven of those in the first half. Haden Durnil added six stops, with Brayden Baker and Michael Loehmer chipping in six apiece.

Franklin will play its next two games on the road, starting with a trip to Trine next Saturday (Sept. 20).