Lincoln Capitalizes On Early Lead To Defeat Franklin Quakers

The Franklin Quakers fell to the Lincoln Lynx, 17–6, in a hard-fought Week 3 matchup at Chief Sealth High School’s South West Athletic Complex on Friday night.

Lincoln got the ball first and wasted little time. From their own 35-yard line, Avery Jones burst through for an 11-yard run on the opening play, setting a strong tone. Jake Marion added two short gains totaling 10 yards, but the drive stalled at 4th-and-13 from the 43-yard line, forcing a punt.

Franklin’s first possession started deep in their own end at their 5-yard line. Defensive pressure from Lincoln’s front put Leandro Spruill behind the line for a 1-yard loss. Deurian McNeil followed with that yard back, and quarterback Devion Frazier completed a 3-yard pass to Noah Castro. Steven Mpila’s 3-yard rush on third down fell shy, and Franklin turned it over on downs.

Lincoln struck again on their next series. Jones dashed into the end zone from 5 yards out, and with Lukas Larsson’s extra point, the Lynx pulled ahead, 7–0. Much of the rest of the first half turned into a defensive chess match. Lincoln marched forward at times behind grit runs by Marion and a big play from Landon Jones—a rush of 11 yards and a reception covering 17 yards—but Franklin’s defense, especially Spruill and Corde Frazier, stood firm. They delivered big stops, including a sack and multiple tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Franklin looked frustrated trying to gain traction. A sack from Lincoln’s Raffi Whaley made things worse until McNeil scrambled for 20 yards to push the Quakers to the 27-yard line. They managed to keep some momentum and possession, but facing 4th-and-8 at the 21-yard line, Franklin punted. Josiah Smith’s 15-yard return gave Lincoln good field position at their own 34. After modest gains from Jones and Ward, Lincoln’s drive stalled at 4th-and-3.

With just seconds remaining in the half, Franklin had another chance. Frazier connected on a 10-yard pass to Spruill but was sacked on the subsequent play. Franklin’s Tyus Gainer was stopped by Roben Silva just before the horn sounded. Lincoln carried a 7–0 lead into the locker room.

The second half began with Franklin trying to mount a response. Echols and Gainer moved the ball but eventually were thwarted by Lincoln’s stout defensive front, and possession switched back.

Lincoln widened its lead when Avery Jones and Jake Marion pushed to the 17-yard line, setting up a key field goal. Larsson’s 17-yard kick made it 10–0. Later in the third quarter, Franklin was forced into a 4th-and-7 from its own 27. Frazier fumbled under pressure; though a teammate recovered, Franklin couldn’t sustain the drive.

Lincoln responded swiftly. Brandon Ward broke free for 9 yards but lost the ball on the run. He recovered the fumble and kept the drive alive. Marion added a 4-yard run on third down, and the Lynx entered the final quarter still holding onto a 10–0 lead.

Early in the fourth, Silva extended Lincoln’s margin with a 16-yard touchdown, plus the PAT. Under mounting pressure, Franklin’s offense saw Frazier sacked by Logan Perrault. Gainer nearly secured a first down but came up four yards short.

Defensively, Franklin tightened up. Steven Mpila and Spruill combined to tackle the Lynx’s Jones for losses on consecutive plays. Ward was stopped on his next pass attempt and Matteus Alin was dropped short of the line to gain on Lincoln’s 4th down.

As the clock wound down, both teams exchanged a flurry of possessions. Franklin made one last serious push: on a crucial fourth down, Frazier launched a 50-yard pass to Deurian McNeil to stay alive. The next play saw Spruill

stopped for no gain, but Frazier followed with a 6-yard touchdown run in the final minutes, cutting Lincoln’s lead to 17–6.

Lincoln closed the game by kneeling to run out the clock.