2A-1 BI-DISTRICT CHAMPIONS — Frankston Indians Head Football Coach Paul Gould, surrounded by his Indians team,  holds up the Class 2A-1 Bi-District trophy the team received Thursday, Nov. 10. They had just defeated Wolfe City, the District 9-2A-1 third seed, 47-34 at Emory Rains Wildcat Stadium to advance to the Area round in the playoffs.   — Laurie Gould Photos

Indians win 2A-1 bi-district

title over Wolfe City 47-34

The Frankston Indians are Class 2A-1 Bi-District football champions after winning over the Wolf City Wolves 47-34 at Rains Wildcat Stadium in Emory Thursday night, Nov.10, according to a report from Coach Paul Gould and staff.

Their first bi-district win since 2010, the one Thursday advances the Indians to the Area round of the playoffs against No. 1 ranked Timpson, a perennial challenge.

The Indians jumped out to a commanding 33-0 first half lead and added 14 more points in the third quarter to amass their winning 47 points. However Wolf City came roaring back with 20 points in the third quarter and 14 points in the fourth to outscore the Indians in that second half.

In the second half, Wolfe City’s offense came to life and scored a touchdown to erase the zero from the scoreboard and make it 33-6, but the Indians came right back to make it 40-6.

Wolfe City continued to move the football and scored, adding a two-point conversion to make it 40-14. Again the Indians answered, scoring and booting the PAT to make it 47-14.

From then on Wolfe City’s offense scored 20 unanswered points, six more in the third quarter and 14 in the fourth, a touchdown pass after a fumble recovery and rushing score in the waning minutes

The Indians had the ball in the final penalty-filled seconds with the final score 47-34.

In that Indians first half shutout, the Tribe got on the board after the two teams went four and out, but the next time Frankston got the football, Tyler Rogers scored from the 1 and Coleman Merritt booted the PAT to make it 7-0,

On the next Wolfe City possession, senior lineman Jared Cook forced a fumble and freshman linebacker Davis Holladay scooped it up and scored. The PAT kick was partially blocked and no good. The Indians went into the second quarter with a 13-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, sophomore quarterback Reese Hicks broke free on an 84-yard run but the PAT kick was no good and the Indians led 19-0.

(At Left) A. J. SNAGS CATCH — Freshman wide receiver A. J. Donnell reaches down to pull in a key catch against the Wolfe City Wolves Thursday, Nov. 10 in the Indians 47-34 Bi-District victory. — Laurie Gould Photo

On the next Wolfe City possession, they turned the ball over on downs and the Indians took advantage of their possession with a 33-yard TD run by senior wide receiver Benton Allen. Merritt’s PAT kick was good and the Indians increased their lead to 26-0.

When the Wolves got the ball again, the Indians’ Holladay forced a bad throw by the Wolfe City quarterback and senior linebacker Jeremiah Mitchell intercepted the pass and raced 83-yards for a “Pick 6” and Merritt kicked true to make the halftime score 33-0.

As the second half began, Wolfe City got their first score but their PAT kick was blocked and it was 33-6, Indians.      (Defense action in pictures HERE )

When the Indians got the ball, quarterback Hicks answered with a 60-yard TD run and Merritt booted the PAT to make it 40-6 with 9:40 left in the third quarter.

Wolfe City answered on their next possession with a 4-yard TD run and converted for two points to make it 40-14 with 7:18 to go in the third quarter.

On the following Indians possession, senior wide receiver Allen weaved his way through Wolves defenders about 40 yards for a score. Merritt kicked the extra point and the Indians scored what was to be their winning points 47-14 with 4:39 left in the quarter.

The resilient Wolves came back with only 19 seconds left in the quarter. Their two-point conversion try failed but the score was narrowed to 47-20.

As the seconds ticked off in the third quarter, a fumble by the Indians as the quarter ended gave the ball to the Wolves at the Indians 33.

Shortly after the fourth quarter began, Wolfe City moved the ball to the Indians 21. Then on fourth down, they completed a 10-yard pass for another touchdown with 9:02 left in the game and added a two-point conversion to make the score 47-28.

With slightly more than a minute to go, the Wolves scored again, this time on a one-yard run. The try for two points failed, and the score was 47-34.

The Indians took the ensuing kick and, in a penalty-ridden finish, the clock ran down to give the Indians their Class 2A Bi-district victory 47-34.

(See Frankston-Wolfe City, Game, Season Statistics HERE )

Score by Quarters:

Wolfe City   0      0    20    14 — 34

Indians      13    20    14      0 — 47

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Coach Gould was happy with the bi-district win, the first for an Indians team since 2010. He said he was glad to see the Indians come out and go ahead early in the game and then play enough good defense to hold down the Wolfe City running game in the latter part of the contest.

The Indians coach had words of praise for the offensive performance of sophomore quarterback Reese Hicks and senior wide receiver Benton Allen. Hicks had 192 yards in 11 carries and scored two touchdowns and Allen had 90 yards in four carries and two touchdowns, according to the statistics. Kody Loebig caught a pass for 44 yards. A.J. Donnell had four catches for 41 yards and Benton Allen caught two for 34 yards. The team had a total of 346 yards rushing and 119 yards in pass receiving.

Defensively, he thought senior linebacker Jared Cook and sophomore linebacker Tyler Rogers led a defense which made some big plays at the right time. The senior linebacker Cook had 25 tackles, had five tackles for losses, two sacks and forced a fumble. Sophomore linebacker Rogers had 18 tackles and a tackle for a loss. Freshman Davis Holladay had a fumble recovery and a touchdown and senior Jeremiah Mitchell had an interception for a touchdown. The team allowed Wolfe City 304 yards rushing and only 49 passing.

Coach Gould said the Indians were able to force some key turnovers and avoid Wolfe City big plays, all the while allowing time to run off the clock.

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INDIANS AREA FINALISTS — The Class 2A-1 Bi-District Champion Frankston Indians finished their 2022 football season as Area Finalists, giving the Timpson Bears, 2A-1 No. 1 team, a competitive battle before falling in the Area playoff on Friday, Nov. 18 at Rusk. The Indians finished with a successful 9-3 season and hopes for the future. — Laurie Gould Photo

No. 1 Timpson’s big plays down Indians’

effort 49-7 in Class 2A-1 Area on Nov. 18

The Frankston Indians were victimized by the running of Quarterback Terry Bussey and a couple of forced fumbles to fall to the No. 1 ranked Timpson Bears 49-7 Friday night, Nov. 18 in the Class 2A-1 Area playoff round at the Rusk Eagles Stadium, according to reports by Tribe Coach Paul Gould and staff.

The relentless and promising Indians ended their successful season at 9-3, finishing as Bi-District Champions and Area Finalists and taking second place in District 10-2A-1 with an 5-1 record, losing only to district champion, Beckville.

Playing in their final football game for the Indians were seniors Jared Cook, Benton Allen, Kody Loebig, Jeremiah Mitchell, Christian Hernandez, Logan Taylor, Matt Fridinger and Ke’Aundre Barnes.

The Indians played the formidable Timpson team tough to the very end but could not stop the running of talented junior quarterback Terry Bussey, who had dealt the Indians misery for three seasons, starting with a couple of season opening wins in 2020 and 2021 and in bi-district at the end of those seasons.

This time, the Indians looked like they might start off the game with a score, despite the fact that they had started after the opening kickoff at their own 1 yard line.

They drove all the way to the Bears 12-yard line before they were forced to try a field goal from 32 yards out and the kick was no good.

(At Right) REESE RAMBLES — Indians Sophomore Quarterback Reese Hicks (4) breaks loose for a big gainer behind a block by sophomore Brayden Dotson (78) in the  Area playoff against Timpson on Friday, Nov. 18.  — Laurie Gould Photo

The Indians may have missed a scoring opportunity but they ate up a lot of the first quarter clock. There was only 3:16 left in the quarter when Timpson took over at their own 15-yard line.

The Indians appeared to have received a break when, after the Bears got two first downs, a holding call nullified a big pass play, but the Bears recouped and junior Vosky Howard broke loose on a 34-yard run with only 22 seconds left in the quarter. The PAT boot was good and Timpson led 7-0.

The Indians came right back, starting a drive from their own 35-yard line, and put together three first downs to get to the Bears 25. It appeared that they had another first down, but a penalty set them back. A third down and long pass play fell incomplete and after a fourth down try, the Bears took over at their own 31.

With 6:45 left in the half, Timpson mounted a drive starting with a pass play which moved them to midfield. A big running play put them on the Indians’ 10 and quarterback Bussey ran in for the score with 5:42 left in the half. The PAT kick was good and it was 14-0, Timpson.

With 3:46 left, the Indians had to punt and the Bears took over at their own 45. Timpson moved for a first down at the Indians’ 10 and shortly after getting a first and goal, Bussey ran in for a TD. The PAT kick was good and the Bears led 21-0.

The Indians mounted another drive with sophomore back Tyler Rogers moving the football with a big run and quarterback Reese Hicks keeping for a first down. With only 15 seconds left in the half, another field goal try went awry and the half ended with Timpson ahead 21-0.

After taking the second half kickoff and starting at their own 49, Timpson’s talented quarterback Bussey took off on a 30-yard jaunt for a score with 8:25 left in the third quarter. The PAT kick was good and the Bears padded their lead to 28-0.

(At left) BIG TACKLE — Indians junior defensive back Devin Allen (8) puts a big stop on Timpson junior Vosky Howard (6) in the 2A-1 Area playoff game Friday, Nov. 18 at Rusk. — Laurie Gould Photo

The Indians took the ensuing kickoff and started from their own 42. After three tries, they were forced to punt to the Bears who took over at their own 43.

Timpson started off with a big play but on fourth down at the Indians 12, the Tribe defense held and took over on downs.

Indian sophomore quarterback Hicks answered with a 60-yard run but at the end he was hit hard and the ball was loose. The Bears recovered and on the next play, junior Vosky Howard broke loose on a 70-yard run for a score to boost the Timpson lead to 34-0 with 4:16 left in the quarter. The extra point was good so when the Indians got the ball back at their own 18, the quarter ended with the score Timpson 35, Indians 0.

The Indians had not given up yet. At the start of the fourth quarter, quarterback Hicks completed a key pass to freshman wide receiver A.J. Donnell for more than 30 yards and the Indians drove to the Bears 8 where sophomore back Rogers went in for what was to be the only Indians score with 11:18 left in the game. The Coleman Merritt PAT kick was good and it was Timpson 35, Indians 7.

Timpson took over after the ensuing kickoff on the Frankston 48 and with 8:06 left in the game, the Timpson quarterback Bussey went into the end zone from the 1. The PAT kick was good and the Bears had a 42-7 lead.

The Indians got the following kickoff at their own 26 and misfortune struck as Indians quarterback Hicks was sacked and the loose ball was picked up by a Bears defender who recovered it for a score only seconds after the previous Timpson TD. The extra point try was good and the Bears boosted their lead to 49-7.

After the kickoff, the Indians had the ball at their own 25-yard line but turned the ball over on downs at the 31. Fortunately for the Indians, junior defensive back Devin Allen picked off a Timpson pass with just under two minutes to go in the game and the Tribe took over at their own 36-yard line.

When the game clock ticked down to zero, the Indians had possession to end the game.

( See Frankston-Timpson Game, Team Season Statistics HERE )

Score by Quarters:

Indians       0      0      0      7 —   7

Timpson    7    14    14    14 — 49

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Indians Coach Paul Gould had some comments about the 2022 season:

“I’m proud of all of our kids! They had a great year,” he said.  “Our seniors did a great job leading us and I’m excited for what the future holds for these young men. I believe they are going to make Frankston proud.”

According to the statistics, the Indians had 285 yards rushing and 126 passing while Timpson had 158 yards rushing and 243 passing. In addition to his running plays, Bears Quarterback Terry Bussey completed 9 of 16 passes in various drives.

Indians Quarterback Reese Hicks led Tribe rushers with 156 yards in 15 trips. Sophomore back Tyler Rogers had 56 yards in 13 carries and a touchdown. Junior back Kaymon Davis had 55 yards in 10 carries. Leading receiver was freshman wide reeeiver A.J. Donnell with three catches for 62 yards. Senior receiver Benton Allen caught three for 45 yards. Hicks completed 7 of 15 passes for 91 yards. Senior Kody Loebig completed 1 of 2 for 20 yards and freshman A.J. Donnell was 1 for 1 for 15 yards.

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Second seeded Indians prepare for Wolfe City

in 2A-1 Bi-district contest Nov. 10 at Rains site

The Frankston Indians will take on the Wolfe City Wolves in a Class 2A Bi-district football game Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. at Rains Wildcat Stadium in Emory seeking to advance in playoff competition.

Frankston has been designated as the home team for the neutral site contest, according to Indians Head Coach Paul Gould.

The Indians go into the playoffs as the second seed in District 10-2A-1 and the Wolves are the third seed in District 9-2A-1.

The Indians ended the regular season with an 8-2 overall record and were 5-1 in district competition, losing only to Beckville, the district champion. The only other loss was to Winona in a non-district game.

Wolfe City had a 5-5 season record and were 4-2 in district play. In the district, their only losses were to district champion Cooper 49-6 and the second place team Honey Grove 34-6. They defeated Alba-Golden 24-14, Como-Pickton 28-6, Quinlan Boles 34-18 and Bogata Rivercrest 32-20. In non-district, they won over Leonard 37-28 in the season opener and then fell to Paris Chisum 34-28, Celeste 38-24 and Blue Ridge 49-0.

Coach Gould said the well-coached Wolves team is not quite as big as Ore City but they are quick. He said their offense runs more than passes out of the spread formation and their defense uses a split defense to stop their opponents and reads their keys well. The Tribe coach said the Wolves are better than their season record indicates because they had to adjust to an early key injury.

The Tribe coaches are hoping the Indians can continue the momentum from the regular season and come away with a first round win in the playoffs. The relatively young Indians team has capitalized on a strong defense and some timely offensive performances by talented runners and wide receivers behind an improving offensive line, it was noted.

REGULAR SEASON GAMES

GAME 10

Indians use big second half surge

to defeat Ore City in 2A-1 finale

The Frankston Indians scored 40 points in the second half to run away with a 43-14 regular season finale over the Ore City Rebels Saturday, Oct. 29 in a District 10-2A-1 contest rescheduled from Friday due to heavy rains at Ore City, according to a report by Coach Paul Gould and staff.

The Indians got off to a slow start in the first half, scoring only three points on a Coleman Merritt field goal. Fumbles by both teams and an interception by Ore City along with defensive stops plagued both teams in that half.

However, the Indians put their offense into high gear, thanks largely to big runs by sophomore Quarterback Reese Hicks and sophomore back Tyler Rogers along with a TD pass from Hicks to junior wide receiver Devin Allen, a “Pick 6” by junior defensive back Ryan Harper and a run by senior offensive lineman turned ball carrier Jared Cook.

The victory gave the Indians an impressive 8-2 season record and put them firmly into second place 5-1 and second seed in the Class 2A-1 playoffs.

Neither the Indians or the Rebels could move the football in the first quarter, with an Indians fumble after a defensive stop and a series of punts in early going.

As the second quarter began, the Indians mounted a drive which took them to the Rebels 12-yard-line. It was there that they decided to try a 22-yard field goal and sophomore Coleman Merritt obliged with a successful boot to put the Indians ahead 3-0 with 6:53 left in the half.

On the next Rebels possession, senior linebacker Jared Cook forced a fumble to give the ball to the Indians. However, an Indian bobble was ruled a fumble and the Rebels had the football. They were unable to move and Frankston took over, but an Ore City interception stopped that Tribe effort.

Ore City could not move and they punted the Indians into a hole at their own 10 as the halftime clock ran down.

The second half began on a sour note for the Tribe as they fumbled, but again Ore City could not move. It was then that Frankston began a drive which was to spark their upcoming scoring fireworks. Quarterback Hicks kept the football and scampered about 42 yards to paydirt and Merritt kicked true to make the score Frankston 10, Ore City 0 with 4:57 left in the third quarter.

The Rebels displayed their first significant offense shortly afterward, completing a long pass for a score and kicking the PAT to narrow the score to Frankston 10, Ore City 7.

The Indians were not impressed, however. They proceeded to mount a drive which was culminated by an 8-yard TD run by quarterback Hicks, but the PAT kick was blocked. Still Frankston had boosted the lead to 16-7 with only 44 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Indians started the fourth quarter with an explosive run of 74-yards by sophomore back Rogers and this time Merritt’s kick sailed through the uprights  to give the Indians a 23-7 lead with 10:04 left in the game.

The next Indian score was set up by a timely interception by Devin Allen and moments later quarterback Hicks rewarded junior wide receiver Allen with a 20-yard touchdown pass. Merritt kicked the PAT and it was 30-7, Frankston with 9:01 left.

Ore City still had some offense left and they ran for a touchdown and kicked the extra point to narrow their deficit to 30-14, Indians. There was 6:26 left in the game.

The Indians were driving with about four minutes to go and capped it with the unique 10-yard touchdown run by senior lineman turned ball carrier Jared Cook to make it 37-14 after the successful Merritt PAT kick. There was still 3:25 to go in the game.

When Ore City got the football, their offensive plans were interrupted when junior defensive back Ryan Harper intercepted a Rebels pass and raced about 70 yards for a “Pick 6” for the Indians. The extra point try was unsuccessful, but the Indians had their winning margin of 43-14 with only 1:26 left on the game clock.

After a fumble recovery by the Indians junior Conlan Lemay, time ran out and the Indians had won their regular season finale and completed a successful season which had earned a second seed in the playoffs.      (See Frankston-Ore City Game, Season Statistics HERE )

HARPER GETS FIRST DOWN — Indians junior back Ryan Harper (23) runs for a first down against Ore City Saturday, Oct. 29. The Indians won 43-14 in regular season finale. — Laurie Gould Photo

KEY DEVIN ALLEN CATCH — Indians junior Devin Allen (8) makes a key catch against Ore City Saturday, Oct. 29. — Laurie Gould Photo

Coach Paul Gould was happy with the win and the team’s performance during the regular season, finishing 8-2, and what that may promise for the future.

Of the Ore City game he said “it was a good week to work on adversity”.

The Indians had to wait for a couple of hours on Friday night, hoping that the lightning would let up so they could play but finally seeing the game postponed until Saturday, the coach said.

He said, then they had to adjust to playing on Saturday, making some extra trips and getting into the frame of mind for the new time.

Coach Gould said he thought that situation may have affected the team in the first half, although he thought the defense played well, holding off any offense that Ore City tried to launch.

He said that in the second half, the offense rebounded and was able to move the football and sustain drives and turn those drives into scores. Meanwhile, the defense continued to play well, shutting down the Ore City running game and allowing the Rebels to score only twice, once on a long pass, the coach noted.

He had words of praise for the offensive play of sophomores quarterback Reese Hicks and running back Tyler Rogers. According to the statistics, Hicks ran for 209 yards and scored two touchdowns. Rogers had 152 yards rushing and scored a touchdown. The Indians offense recorded 481 yards rushing. Junior wide receiver Devin Allen added three key catches for 44 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the coach thought linebackers sophomore Rogers and senior Jared Cook played well and the entire defense held Ore City to only 66 yards rushing. The Rebels’ passing offense helped them score with 180 yards, according to the statistics. However, a big interception by defensive back Ryan Harper late in the game and his 70-yard  “Pick 6” diluted their passing game efforts, it was noted.

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Seventh Grade Braves celebrate District Championship

The Frankston Seventh Grade Braves were celebrating this week upon winning a District Championship after defeating Ore City 40-0 on Thursday, Oct. 27 at Austin Stadium.

The win gave  them a 6-0 district record and an 8-0 record with one game to go this season.

The Eighth Grade Braves defeated Ore City 38-6 with their only district loss to Beckville. The Eighth Graders will be playing also at Arp following the seventh grade game on Nov. 3.

The Junior Varsity Indians defeated Ore City 30-22 and have suffered only two district losses. The JV has completed its season.

On Thursday, Nov. 3, the Seventh grade Braves suffered their first season loss when Arp defeated them 12-6.

Later, the Eighth Grade Braves upped their season record to 7-1-1 with a 34-8 win over Arp.

See Picture of District Champion Seventh Grade Braves HERE

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HOLLADAY PRESSURE — Indians freshman linebacker Davis Holladay (6) puts the pressure on Beckviille quarter-back Calan Castles (12) in the Friday, Oct. 21 game at Austin Stadium.

—  Laurie Gould Photo

ROGERS CUTBACK — Indians sophomore back Tyler Rogers (21) cuts back behind the block of quarterback Reese Hicks (4) for a key gainer against Beckville Friday night, Oct. 21.

— Laurie  Gould  Photo

ROGERS LEAPS FOR PASS BLOCK TRY — Indians soph-omore linebacker Tyler Rogers (21} leaps high to block a pass try by Beckville junior quarter-back Calan Castles (12) in the Friday, Oct. 21 game at Austin Stadium.

— Laurie Gould Photo

GAME 9

Beckville dominates Indians 55-0

to secure first place in district race

The Beckville Bearcats used the running of junior back J’Koby Williams and senior back Bo Hammons along with key runs by junior quarterback Calan Castles and a pressure defense to hand the Frankston Indians a 55-0 defeat Friday night, Oct. 21 in a final home game on Senior Night at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium.

Senior Night Pictures HERE

The win gave the Bearcats first place at 4-0 in District 10-2A-1 and first seed in the 2A playoffs while Frankston dropped to second place at 4-1 and is assured a second seed in the playoffs.

The Indians defense made it tough on Beckville on several occasions, forcing them to have to convert on fourth downs, but the quick Bearcat runners behind an impressive offensive line broke for big gainers to gain their victory.

Meanwhile, the Indians offense was continually stopped by the Bearcat’s pressure defense keying on sophomore quarterback Reese Hicks and allowing the Indian signal-caller only a few big runs and forcing him to throw away several pass attempts as he was chased by the quick Bearcat rushers.

The Indians had three opportunities to score, once as time was running out in the first half, again on their first possession of the second half and another time after an interception by defensive back Kaymon Davis a short time later. On all three occasions, the Bearcat defense stiffened and thwarted the scoring attempts.

Indian fans had reason to be optimistic when on the first drive after the opening kickoff, the Indians broke on a 15-yard run by senior wide receiver Benton Allen which moved the Tribe into Bearcat territory. However, the next three Indian plays went for a couple of losses and an incomplete pass.

Complicating things more for the Indians was a blocked punt on fourth down which gave Beckville the football on the Indians 40. It took the Bearcats only four plays, including a 24-yard run by Williams to paydirt with 7:14 left in the first quarter. Senior kicker Jayden Mojica booted the extra point and Beckville led 7-0.

Later the Indians defense was able to stop the Bearcats on fourth down, but after taking an Indian punt, Beckville began a drive for their second score, using runs by Castles, Hammons and Williams. Castles went the final six yards for a score with less than a minute gone in the second quarter. A two point conversion pass was incomplete but the Bearcats now led  13-0.

The Indians responded with runs by Hicks, Davis and Tyler Rogers to move to a first down, but after three more tries they were forced to punt.

The Bearcats took over at midfield and on their first play Hammons ran to the Indians 26. In three plays Beckville still needed a yard so they decided to run for the first. On that play, Williams broke on a 17-yard run to the end zone. Mojica booted the PAT and Beckville upped their lead to 20-0 with 6:39 left in the half.

After the Indians went three and out, a short punt gave the ball to Beckville at the Indians 40. On four runs by Williams, the junior speedster went the final 10 yards to score with 3:38 left in the half. Again Mojica kicked true and Beckville led 28-0.

On the next Indians possession, quarterback Hicks ran for 10 yards but went out with an injury, replaced by freshman A.J. Donnell who completed a pass to Devin Allen for a first down. However, on third down, Beckville intercepted a pass to take over at midfield.

After two incomplete passes, Hammons handed off to the quick Williams and he raced 49 yards to the end zone. Fortunately for the Indians, a holding penalty nullified the score and two plays later a Beckville fumble gave the ball to the Indians at their own 49.

That’s when the Indians had their first chance to score. On first down, Tyler Rogers broke on a 31-yard run to earn a first down at the Bearcat 19. A 12-yard run by Rogers earned another first down at the Beckville 5 with only 42 seconds left in the half. After three plays and a net loss of two yards, time ran out for the Tribe at the Beckville 7.

The Bearcats received the second half kickoff and sophomore Baker Seegers ran it back to the Indians 47. On first down, Hammons broke free for a 42-yard run to the Indians 5 and Williams went a final three yards to score with 10:54 left in the third quarter. A pass for two points was no good but the Bearcats lead went to 34-0.

The Indians second chance to score came on their next possession as they drove from their own 41 with Hicks back in the game at quarterback. A 40-yard run by Hicks gave the Indians a first down at the Bearcat 14 but a five-yard loss set them back to the 19. A fourth down pass was incomplete and Beckville took over to foil the scoring attempt.

Fortunately for the Indians, a Beckville pass on first down was intercepted by  junior defensive back Davis, who returned it to the Bearcats 9.

After gains on runs by Rogers and Davis, the Indians were four yards short and on fourth down they lost two and the ball went over to Beckville at the 5.

The Bearcats quickly conquered their poor field position with a 16-yard run by Hammons to the 21 and Williams promptly erased the remaining distance 79 yards to score with 3:09 left in the third quarter. Mojica’s PAT kick was good and Beckville led 41-0.

Despite a fumble recovery for the Indians which stopped another Beckville drive, the Beckville defenders held the Indians on fourth down and two plays later, Castles found Hammons with a touchdown pass which covered 76 yards with 10:13 left in the game. Mojica again kicked true and Beckville went up to 48-0.

Misfortune fell on the Indians on the ensuing kickoff as the return was fumbled and Beckville recovered at the Frankston 36.

The Bearcats turned  runs by freshman Jorden Prince and Mojica into gains to the Indians 12. From there, Prince went in to score with 5:30 left in the game. Mojica’s kick was good and Beckville had their winning margin.

The Indians took over after the Bearcat score and got two first downs on runs by Rogers, Conlan Lemay and Davis before time ran out at the Bearcat 46.

(See Frankston game, season statistics  HERE )

Score by Quarters:

Beckville      7     21     13     14 — 55

Indians        0       0       0       0 —   0

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Coach Gould’s Comments

Indians Coach Paul Gould was disappointed with the loss, but he gave Beckville much credit as a “good football team”.  The coach said he would have preferred for the Indians to have fewer mistakes, but he was encouraged that the Tribe has a lot of younger players who show promise in achieving goals for the future.

He said the whole Indians team played hard, but he was particularly happy with the play of sophomore Tyler Rogers. He also thought freshman A.J. Donnell did well playing for a time for starter Reese Hicks at quarterback.

According to game statistics, the Indians compiled 237 yards rushing. Hicks had 85 yards on 14 carries. Rogers had 84 yards in 14 trips and Kaymon Davis had 36 yards in 12 carries.

Beckville rushed for 438 yards. Jared Cook had nine tackles. Rogers had eight. Conlan Lemay and Ryan Harper had seven each. Davis Holladay had six.

The Indians play their final game of the regular season at Ore City. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Coach Gould said Ore City is big and physical and uses a multiple offense out of a basic spread formation. He said they attempt to stop opponents’ offenses with a 4-3 defense.

Ore City comes into the game with the Indians with a 1-3 district record and a 2-6 season mark. They had a bye this week but lost to Beckville last week 62-7. Prior to that they won over Linden-Kildare 13-7 in the season opener, then lost to Prairieland 20-7, New Diana 23-7 and Quitman 15-13 before winning over Union Grove 32-7. Next they lost to Big Sandy 21-0 and Hawkins 50-24 before playing Beckville.

The Indians' bi-district playoff opponent will be from District 9-2A-1 and will be the third seed..

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7th Grade Braves defeat Beckville, Ore City to win District

The Frankston sub-varsity teams went against Beckville teams Thursday, Oct. 20 at Beckville..

The Seventh grade Braves defeated their Beckville counterparts 34-16. The Eighth Grade Braves lost a close one  28-16 and the Junior Varsity Indians were defeated 31-8.

UPDATE: On Thursday, Oct. 27, the Seventh grade Braves defeated Ore City 40-0 to remain undefeated at 6-0 and win the District Championship. The Eighth Grade won 38-6 with only one loss in district and the Indians Junior Varsity won 30-22 and had  only two losses.

See Picture of District Champion Seventh Grade Braves HERE

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DEFENSE PURSUIT — Tribe linebacker Reese Hicks (4) and company corral a Hawkins ballcarrier in one of several big stops during the Friday, Oct. 14 district game. The Indians won 22-16 in a nail-biter. — Laurie Gould Photo

KAYMON EYES HANDOFF — Indians junior Kaymon Davis (10) prepares to take a handoff from sophomore quarterback Reese Hicks (4) in one of Davis’ runs against Hawkins Friday, Oct 14. — Laurie Gould Photo

REESE RUNS TO DAYLIGHT — Indians sophomore quarterback Reese Hicks (4) finds a hole and runs to daylight against Hawkins Friday, Oct. 14. Hicks had 104 yards rushing.

— Laurie Gould Photo

GAME 8

Tribe key fourth quarter drama

preserves win at Hawkins 22-16

The Frankston Indians gave fans a real nail-biter Friday night, Oct. 14 as they used a fake punt to maintain possession in the final minutes and preserve a 22-16 District 10-2A-1 victory over the Hawkins Hawks, according to a report from Coach Paul Gould and staff.

The road win increased the Indians’ district record to 4-0 and their season mark to 7-1 and set up a key battle with district co-leader Beckville.

The Tribe put fans on edge late in the game when they drove to the Hawks three-yard line and the Hawkins defenders held them on fourth down and took over.

The Tribe had gone ahead 22-8 going into the fourth quarter but Hawkins came right back to score a TD and added a two-point conversion to tighten things to 22-16 with a long run seconds after the fourth quarter kickoff.

The Indians offense came back, fielding an onside kick at about the 50. A couple of first down catches by freshman A.J. Donnell and a run by junior Kaymon Davis helped move the football to the Hawks three yard line and what looked like another scoring opportunity. However, facing third and 1, the Hawks stopped the Indians‘ two straight tries and took over on downs.

The Hawks responded with a 50-yard run but a penalty set them back to their own 28. With 4:30 left in the game, Hawkins moved to midfield as the clock ticked down to 3:40. Fortunately for the Indians, their defense stiffened and stopped the Hawks on fourth down.

Seeking to capitalize on their opportunity, the Tribe faced fourth and 7 and a punting situation. Seeking to keep possession, the Indians came out and executed a fake punt which gained the Tribe a crucial first down. The Indians then advanced for a couple of first downs, one on a run by sophomore back Tyler Rogers, to move the ball deeper into Hawks territory with less than two minutes left in the game.

As the game clock ran down, the Indians were able to go into the “victory formation” and preserve their victory.

Before all this drama the ballgame had been tight in the first half, with both defenses flexing their muscles and the Hawks controlling the ball for most of the time.

Hawkins received the opening kickoff and moved for a few first downs. However, the Tribe defense held them on fourth down to take over on the 28.

The Indians offense went three and out and punted the Hawks into a hole deep in their own territory. On an ensuing third down, the Tribe defense forced a Hawks fumble and linebacker Reese Hicks recovered at the Hawkins three yard line.

Hicks ran in for a score and Coleman Merritt booted the PAT to give the Indians a quick lead 7-0.

Hawkins was to make up for that early mistake by mounting a drive, converting on fourth down twice. They continued their drive to the Indians 1. From there the Hawks scored and succeeded on a two-point conversion to go ahead 8-7.

With less than five minutes left in the half, the Indians covered an onside kick and began a drive from the 49. With about two minutes left, the Indians faced fourth down at the 30. A run for first down appeared successful but a penalty set them back and forced a punt. The Indians’ punt by Ryan Harper put the Hawks back at their own 7 with only a minute left before halftime. Time ran out with Hawkins holding an 8-7 lead at the half.

After the Indians fielded the second half kickoff, they faced fourth down but were able to gain enough for a first and continue a drive with junior Kaymon Davis going the final 10 yards for a score. Merritt booted the extra point and the Indians were ahead 14-8 with just over nine minutes left in the quarter,

On their next possession, Hawkins went three and out and the Indians took over after the punt with 7:39 left in the quarter. The Tribe put together three first downs and eventually moved to about the Hawks’ eight yard line. From there sophomore back Rogers scored and this time quarterback Hicks, the PAT kicker holder, kept for a two-point conversion to give the Tribe their 22-8 lead with just over two minutes left in the quarter.

When time ran out in the third quarter, Hawkins had received the kickoff and was to quickly score the points which set up the drama of the fourth quarter.    (See Hawkins game, season statistics  HERE )

Coach Paul Gould praised the Indians offense for playing tough in the second half of the Hawkins game after seeming a little flat in the first half, largely due to a tough Hawks defense and their ball control game.

The coach said at halftime the team was able to make some adjustments which allowed them to score 15 points in the decisive third quarter.

He said, as usual, the defense played tough throughout, allowing the Hawks only 181 yards in total offense, forcing a fumble which led to a score and stopping Hawkins on several fourth down attempts.

Offensively, he praised quarterback Reese Hicks who rushed for 104 yards on 18 carries and scored a touchdown. Also junior running back Kaymon Davis made several key runs totaling 49 yards in eight carries, one resulting in a touchdown. Sophomore back Tyler Rogers also had a good night, running for 52 yards on 12 carries.

Although the Indians threw the ball only eight times, they gained 65 yards. Freshman wide receiver A.J. Donnell caught three key passes for 32 yards. Rogers had one catch for 18 yards and Benton Allen caught one for 15 yards.

He had words of praise for the defensive line and noted Ke’Aundre Barnes, Jeremiah Mitchell and Braydon Dotson for their efforts.

He said Hawkins played the Indians tough as they usually do each time the two teams meet.

Looking ahead, Coach Gould said the Indians must next face the perennially tough Beckville Bearcats who currently share an undefeated District 10-2A-1 record with the Indians. Winner of the game will earn the first seed in the playoffs.

The Bearcats have only lost one game this season and that to perennial power, Timpson 53-22 in the season opener. In week two, they edged Joaquin 42-41, then on successive weeks defeated Harmony 51-29, downed Elysian Fields 51-19, won over Big Sandy 56-0, defeated Hawkins 62-6 and downed Ore City 62-7. They were idle in Week Seven.

Coach Gould said he thought the Indians are mentally ready to contest with the Bearcats and he expects to have a good week of practice preparing for the game.

He described the Bearcats as about the same size overall as Frankston with good quickness and the confidence and experience which comes with a winning tradition.

Standouts for Beckville are junior quarterback Calan Castles (12) and junior wide receiver J’Koby Williams (2) in the multiple offense. He expects a pressure defense from a basic 3-4 alignment.

It will be Senior Night at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium Friday, Oct. 21. Kickoff for the Beckville game will be at 7:30 p.m.

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Sub-varsity teams win over Hawkins

All three Frankston sub-varsity teams won in action on Thursday, Oct. 13 at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium.

Coach Gould said the seventh grade Braves won their game 24-20 and the eight grade Braves defeated Hawkins 34-0.

The Indians Junior Varsity defeated their Hawkins counterparts 38-6.

The three teams will be traveling to Beckville for games on Thursday, Oct. 20 with the first game starting a 5 p.m.

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DAVIS GAINS — Indians junior back Kaymon Davis (10) (right) follows the blocks of the Tribe line for some of the 190 yards he gained Friday, Oct. 7 against Big Sandy. — Laurie Gould Photo

DE-FENSE — Sophomore line-backer Tyler Rogers (21) and company put a stop on a Big Sandy running back as the Indians defense shines Friday, Oct. 7 in the Tribe’s Home-coming win.

—Laurie Gould Photo

COOK MAKES BIG TACKLE — Indians senior linebacker Jared Cook (55) corrals a Big Sandy runner as senior DB Benton Allen (3) comes in to help Friday, Oct. 7 in the Homecoming 61-20 win.

— Laurie Gould Photot

GAME 7

Indians score early, often in 61-20

Homecoming win over Big Sandy

The Frankston Indians recovered a Big Sandy fumble in Wildcat territory early to go ahead 7-0 and went on to score a convincing 61-20 District 10-2A-1 victory at Homecoming Friday night, Oct. 7 at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium.

The win gave the Indians a 6-1 season record and kept them undefeated in district play at 3-0.

The only first quarter trouble the Indians had was when they were pinned at their own 10 after a Big Sandy punt and on fourth down, the center snap sailed into end zone for a safety, making it closer 7-2 going into the second quarter.

That first Indians score came when Benton Allen recovered a Wildcat fumble at the Big Sandy 40. From there sophomore quarterback Reese Hicks accounted for 38 yards rushing, the final eight yards to paydirt with 8:20 left in the quarter. Coleman Merritt booted the extra point to make it 7-0.

The safety was to come with 4:07 left in the period and Big Sandy got the ball on a free kick after the safety.

The Indians defense was able to hold the Wildcats and took a punt at their own 25.

From there, the Indians mounted a drive on runs by Hicks and running backs Kaymon Davis and Terry Rogers to their own 45 as the first quarter ended.

On the first play of the second quarter, Rogers broke free for a 55-yard TD run with 11:46 left in the half. Again Merritt’s PAT kick was good and the Indians upped their lead to 14-2.

The resilient Wildcats came back on their next possession, using their running game to get to the 20. From there they completed a touchdown pass with 9:11 to go in the half. When they attempted the PAT kick, it was blocked and an alert junior, Devin Allen, scooped up the deflected football and raced almost 90 yards to the other goal to give the Indians two points and a 16-8 lead.

The Indians fielded the ensuing kickoff at the Wildcat 49 and on the first play, senior Benton Allen broke loose for a 19-yard run to the Big Sandy 30. Runs by Davis and Hicks moved the football to the 5 on a fourth down run by Hicks. Then junior Ryan Harper went the final five yards to the end zone with 5:43 left in the half. Merritt again kicked the PAT and the Indians led 23-8.

Big Sandy was unable to get a first down on their next possession but their punt put the Indians deep in their own territory at the 10. Davis ran first for nine yards to the 19 and then broke free for a 69-yard run and another Tribe touchdown with 3:57 left in the half. Again Merritt’s kick was good and the Indians led 30-8.

The Indians defense held Big Sandy on their next possession and took over at their own 45. Kody Loebig had come in as quarterback and he ran for six yards to the Wildcats 49. Then Loebig completed a screen pass to his running back Rogers who outran the Wildcat defense 61 yards to score. Merritt’s PAT boot was good and the Indians were ahead 37-8 with only 1:27 left in the half.

On the ensuing short kickoff, junior Devin Allen pounced on the free ball to gain possession for the Tribe at the Wildcats 28. With time running out, the Indians moved the ball to the 14 with only four seconds left in the first half.

The Indians lined up for a field goal and Merritt booted the 24-yard kick through the uprights to make it 40-8 with no time left on the scoreboard clock in the first half.

To start the second half, the Indians received the kickoff and drove 54 yards for another score, using the running of Davis and quarterback Hicks. It took a 19-yard run on fourth down by Hicks to the Wildcat 26 to sustain the drive but Hicks then went the final seven yards to the end zone with 8:54 left in the third quarter. Merritt again booted true for the PAT and the Indians lead was 47-8.

Big Sandy decided it was time to unleash its passing attack and they began a drive from their own 38 using passes from Big Sandy quarterback Jake Johnson to Ja’Davian Sanders, climaxed with a score from inside the 10 with 5:55 left in the third quarter. The run for two points fell short and the Indians lead was cut to 47-14.

On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, the Indians scored again. Homecoming King Benton Allen broke free on a 54-yard run with 5:31 left in the quarter. Merritt’s kick was good again and the Tribe increased their lead to 54-14.

On the next Wildcat series, the Indians defense stopped Big Sandy and took over after a fourth down try.

It took the Tribe only two plays to get on the scoreboard again as sophomore back Rogers broke loose for a 59-yard scamper and a score with 2:29 left in the quarter. Merritt’s kick was good again, completing a perfect night of place kicking for scores and the Indians had a 61-14 lead.

The Indians got another chance late in the quarter when Benton Allen fell on the free ball on the ensuing kickoff at the Wildcat 33. They moved the ball to the 10 but a penalty set them back to the 24 and forced a turnover on downs.

Big Sandy was unable to sustain their drive and the Indians took over, but the Wildcats recovered a Tribe fumble and ran 45 yards for a score with 5:32 left in the game. Again their two-point conversion try failed and the score was 61-20.

After the kickoff, the Indians took over at their own 39 with time running out, They were a able to move to the Wildcat 20, thanks to a 39-yard run by junior Ryan Harper, as the time on the game clock ran out.        (See Big Sandy game, season statistics  HERE )

Big Sandy     2       6         6     6 — 20

Indians         7      33      21     0 — 61

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Coach Gould’s Comments

Coach Paul Gould was happy about the Indians “total win” over Big Sandy.

“We did well in all aspects of the game,” the coach said. “Our offense, defense and special teams all played well.”

He particularly noted the kicking game in which Coleman Merritt was 8 of 8 in PAT kicks and a 24-yard field goal plus his kickoffs which were placed well and allowed the Indians to pounce on the free balls when Big Sandy could not field them.

The Indians coach said he could not be prouder of the Indians’ offense which generated 577 yards rushing. Statistics showed Kaymon Davis led rushers with 190 yards on 16 carries and scored a touchdown. Tyler Rogers had 117 yards on just three carries and got two TDs. Quarterback Reese Hicks had 94 yards in 13 carries and scored two touchdowns. Benton Allen had two carries for 73 yards and a TD. Ryan Harper had 83 yards in seven carries and a touchdown. Conlan Lemay carried once for 18 yards.

Coach Gould gave the relatively young offensive line a lot of credit, saying they have continued to improve in the last two games.

The Indians did not need to rely on their passing game, but senior Kody Loebig completed three of five passes for 62 yards. Rogers caught one for 51 and a TD and freshman A.J. Donnell caught two for 11 yards, the statistics showed.

Defensively, the Indians stopped Big Sandy’s offense in key situations. They allowed a total of only 182 yards rushing and passing, the latter considering the Wildcats’ talented quarterback and efficient receivers.

The Indians will try to continue their winning streak, specifically in district play, when they journey to Hawkins Friday night, Oct. 14. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Coach Gould said Hawkins has been one of the teams which have given the Indians tough games during previous years and this year’s team should be a challenge. The Hawks are 2-4 for the season and 1-1 in 10-2A-1 but have shown signs of improvement. They lost to Maud in the season opener 28-20 and then defeated Simms Bowie 38-18. They lost to Quinlan Boles 26-22 and fell to Hooks 40-0. The opened district play by falling to formidable Beckville 62-6 and Friday night, they won over Ore City 50-24.

Coach Gould said the Hawks run a multiple offense, sometimes from the shotgun and sometimes in a wing-T, and they have relied more on their running game. He said they are big and have some good runners.

Defensively, the coach expects the Hawks to line up in an even front most of the time.

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Sub-varsity teams sweep games with Big Sandy

All three Frankston sub-varsity football teams came away with victories on Thursday, Oct. 6 in games at Big Sandy, Coach Gould reported.

The Indians Junior Varsity won their game 18-0. The eighth grade Braves defeated their Big Sandy counterparts 22-0 and the seventh grade Braves won their scrimmage two scores to one.

On Thursday, Oct. 13, the Indians JV, eighth grade Braves and seventh grade Braves will host Hawkins, starting at 5 p.m., at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium.

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ROGERS ROMPS — Indians sophomore running back Tyler Rogers (21) eludes a Union Grove tackler as he heads toward pay dirt Friday night, Sept. 30. — Laurie Gould Photo

DEFENSE SWARMS — Tribe defenders swarm a Union Grove ballcarrier, led by Ke’Aundre Barnes (75) and Ryan Harper (23), Friday night, Sept. 30 on the road. — Laurie Gould Photo

GAME 6

Indians offense, defense gains

45-0 victory at Union Grove

The Frankston Indians put together an explosive offense and a strong defense Friday night, Sept. 30 to earn a 45-0 District 10-2A-1 victory over the Union Grove Lions at Gladewater, according to a report from Coach Paul Gould and staff.

The Tribe defense forced multiple fumbles and the offense launched a convincing running game to take advantage of the Union Grove mistakes and sustain several drives.

The win improved the Indians’ season record to 5-1 and their district showing to 2-0.

Indians fans who made the trip to Gladewater saw the Tribe jump out to an early 6-0 lead in their first possession after the defense forced a UGHS punt which put the Indians deep in their own territory. However, the Tribe had an answer for that as sophomore quarterback Reese Hicks launched a 56-yard pass to senior wide receiver Benton Allen which put them well on their way to paydirt. Sophomore running back Tyler Rogers finished off the scoring drive with a 10-yard TD run. A two-point conversion try failed but Frankston had a 6-0 lead.

The Indians got another quick touchdown when Union Grove fumbled and linebacker Rogers recovered in Lions territory. Seconds later quarterback Hicks scampered for 20 yards and a score. The PAT kick failed but the Indians had a 12-0 lead.

On their next possession, UG was deep in their own territory after the kickoff.  Then the Indians senior defensive lineman Ke’Aundre Barnes recovered a Lions fumble inside the 50 to stop their drive. This time the Union Grove defense held the Tribe on downs as the first quarter ended.

Early in the second quarter, the Indians’ junior defensive back Conlan Lemay intecepted a Lions pass and the Tribe took over to stop a Union Grove drive.

The Indians mounted a drive themselves and capped it with a 30-yard TD run by junior running back Kaymon Davis. The PAT kick by sophomore Coleman Merritt was good and Frankston increased their lead to 19-0.

The two teams exchanged punts as the half ended.

The Indians got the kickoff to start the second half and they wasted little time as they launched a scoring drive with Rogers going the final 30 yards to paydirt with barely a minute gone in the third quarter. Merritt’s kick was good and the Indians’ lead went to 26-0.

Another fumble by Union Grove, recovered by linebacker Hicks, set up the next Tribe score. This time quarterback Hicks ran in from eight yards out. The extra point try failed but the Indians now had a 32-0 lead.

The Lions were forced to punt after the ensuing kickoff and the Indians started a drive from inside Lions territory. This time junior Conlan Lemay ran for a touchdown from about 35 yards out with about three minutes to go in the quarter. The PAT kick again failed. Frankston had increased their lead to 38-0.

About halfway into the fourth quarter, the Indians got their final score. The Indians had lined up for a field goal try. The kick was blocked and, fortunately for Frankston,  the deflected ball conveniently landed in the hands of Hicks and he ran in to score from about 25 yards out. This time the PAT kick was good and Frankston had its 45-0 winning score.

After the kickoff, Union Grove fumbled another time and junior linebacker Walker McCann recovered for the Indians with about five minutes to go, inside Lions territory.

With less than two minutes left, the Indians went into the “victory formation” at about the Union Grove 10 as the game clock ran down.

(See Union Grove game, Indians season statistics HERE )

Score by Quarters:

Indians            12     7     19     7 — 45

Union Grove     0     0      0     0 —   0

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Coach Gould’s Comments

Coach Paul Gould said he thought the Indians were prepared and ready to play on both offense and defense against Union Grove.

“We (the coaches) stressed that we wanted them to not only start fast but continue throughout the remainder of the game,” he said. “That’s what they did.”

He said the Indians defense played well, forcing five turnovers and allowing the Lions only 87 total yards.

On offense, Coach Gould said the Indians had one of their better games. He said the Indians used eight running backs and they all contributed 500 yards rushing as a team. He attributed a lot of the rushing yards to the continually improving offensive line.

Leading rusher was Hicks with 188 yards on 12 carries and three touchdowns. Davis had 82 yards on 7 carries and a touchdown. Rogers had 81 yards on 6 carries and two TDs. Benton Allen had two carries for 50 yards. Braylon Donnell had 5 carries for 43 yards and Lemay had one carry for 35 yards and a touchdown.

The Indians coach said he thought Conlan Lemay had an outstanding game on both offense and defense. He also praised the Tribe quarterback Hicks for a good game, both for 188 yards running and with 109 yards, completing 6 of 12,  passing the football.

Because Union Grove did not field a junior varsity team on Sept. 29 against the Indians JV, the coaches were able to bring up the Frankston JV players for the varsity game and some got to see action.

All this, he said, was against a scrappy Union Grove team.

Looking ahead to the Homecoming game against Big Sandy on Friday, Oct. 7, Coach Gould said the Indians have to be prepared and focused against the steadily improving Wildcats team. Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m. at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium.

He said Big Sandy, who defeated Ore City 21-0 on Friday night, are big and have some players who can run the ball. He said the Wildcats’ quarterback throws the ball well and the Wildcats, who use a spread offense, have been successful passing in some of their games.

Defensively, they line up in a 3-4 defense, shifting to fit the situation. He said the Wildcats have “two really good linebackers”.

He said the Wildcats return seven offensive starters and eight on defense from a year ago.

“Big Sandy is a good team,” Coach Gould stressed.

They come into the game with Frankston with a 2-4 season record and are 1-1 in district play. They lost early to Prairieland 41-7 and to Quitman 42-8 before defeating Linden-Kildare 20-8 and losing to Alba-Golden 43-25. In their district opener they lost to formidable Beckville 56-0 before their 21-0 win over Ore City on Friday night.

Indians 7th, 8th grade teams down Union Grove

The Frankston Eighth Grade Braves defeated their Union Grove counterparts 42-0 and the Seventh Grade Braves outscored Union Grove in a scrimmage three scores to one.

No junior varsity game was played, because Big Sandy did not field a JV team.

The Frankston sub-varsity teams will go to Big Sandy on Thursday, Oct. 6 with action starting at 5 p.m.

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ROGERS GAINS — Frankston sophomore running back Tyler Rogers (21) shakes off a tackle and gains yardage against Harleton Friday night, Sept. 23. The Indians won the 10-2A-1 game 16-12 at home.

— Laurie Gould Photo

CONLAN LEMAY TACKLES — Indians junior defensive back Conlan Lemay (5) tackles Harleton back Draven Ring (2) to limit his yardage in the Tribe’s 16-12 win Friday night, Sept. 23.

— Laurie Gould Photo

BRAYLON RUN — Indian JV back Braylon Donnell (20) runs against Harleton. — Laurie Gould Photo

GAME 5

Early Indians lead, timely late

defensive stand down Harleton

The Frankston Indians took control of the first quarter quickly, offensively and defensively, Friday night, Sept. 23 to score two quick touchdowns, but it was a goal line stand with less than two minutes to go that secured a 16-12 win over Harleton in the Tribe’s district opener at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium.

It looked like it might be a big night for the Indians early in the game, as the Tribe defense did its thing and held Harleton to negative yardage on the Wildcats opening possession.

After Harleton punted, the Indians took over at their own 18 and on the first play, sophomore quarterback Reese Hicks found senior wide receiver Kody Loebig open for a 16-yard pass completion for a first down at the Tribe 34. Sophomore Tyler Rogers followed with a big run into Wildcat territory. Hicks took to the air again, this time finding freshman wide receiver A. J. Donnell for a gain to the Wildcat 26. Rogers followed with a run to about the 15 and then capped the drive with a touchdown run with 8:36 left in the quarter. Coleman Merritt booted the PAT and the Indians led 7-0.

The Indians were to score again quickly after the defense forced another Harleton punt and the Indians took over at the Wildcats 38.

Hicks started that drive with a 21-yard run and followed with an 8-yard scamper to the Wildcat 9. Two plays later, Rogers scored with 5:26 left in the quarter. Merritt again kicked true and the Indians led 14-0.

Late in the quarter, an Indians punt by Ryan Harper pinned down the Wildcats at their own 8.

Seconds later, in the second quarter, a Harleton penalty set them back to their own 3. Then a snap sailed over the quarterback’s head and into and out of the end zone for a safety, giving the Indians another two points with 11:58 left in the half. The Indians then had a 16-0 lead as Harleton executed their free kick after the safety.

Neither team could score for the remainder of the second quarter, but Harleton managed a drive, aided by penalties, and big run by Draven Ring, but the drive was stopped at the 6 by the Indians defense.

At halftime, it was Indians 16, Harleton 0.

Indians fans had been accustomed to big second halves in previous games, but Harleton players had different plans.

When a fourth down punt play went awry for the Tribe, the Wildcats took over at the 25 in Indians territory. They used key runs by junior fullback Ring and a penalty against the Tribe to move to the 3 and Ring scored a play later. A run for the two-point conversion failed, but the score was now Indians 16, Harleton 6 with 8:51 left in the third quarter.

The next Tribe possession was plagued by penalties and they were forced to punt. Harleton took over at the Indians 48 and, on third down, the Wildcats scored on a big 40-yard TD run by Ring with 5:15 left in the quarter. Again their two-point conversion try failed but the Indians’ lead was narrowed to 16-12.

Neither team could successfully mount a scoring drive for the remainder of the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter.

However, Harleton launched a drive late in the game from their own 37 after an Indians punt.

The Wildcats used a relentless running game by Ring and quarterback Blaine Cornelius to move inside the Tribe 10.

With the ball at the 4 yard line, the Tribe defense came up with their goal line stand to get the turnover and use the clock and some key runs by Hicks and Rogers, a key pass to Donnell and Harleton penalties to hold onto the football as the game ended.

The Indians are now 4-1 on the season and 1-0 in District 10-2A-1.

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Coach Gould’s Comments

Coach Paul Gould said he felt “really good” about the win.

He said the Indians had a good week of practice and were really focused going into the game.

“This was probably the best week of preparation we’ve had so far,” Coach Gould said.

He had words of praise for the Indians offense which dominated that first half. He praised the defense for consistently stopping the Harleton offense, led by the running of Ring. He particularly praised the effort by the Tribe which stopped the late Harleton drive and paved the way to preserving the Indians victory.

Coach Gould noted the outstanding offensive line play of senior Jared Cook and sophomore Brayden Dotson. On defense, linebackers, senior Cook and sophomore Tyler Rogers, received plaudits. He also noted the play of newcomer Ke’Aundre Barnes who led the way in stuffing the Wildcats in that final goal line stand.

“Harleton is a good football team which could challenge for a top spot in the district race,” he said.

The coach said the Wildcats were as big and physical as he had expected.

The Wildcats are now 2-3 on the season and 0-1 in district play. They had lost to Price Carlisle in their season opener 31-0, then won over Bogota Rivercrest 12-9. In game three, they lost to White Oak 12-2 and then put on an offensive show against a good Maud team last week 41-13.

Looking ahead to the road game against Union Grove, Coach Gould said the Lions are experienced and play hard and are about the same size and speed as the Indians. He said they run their offense out of a traditional “I” formation, with backs who “like to run right at you.” Defensively, the Lions put up an even front with mutiple variations.

Union Grove is 3-2 for the season and 0-1 in district play. They won over Tyler Gorman 28-24 and Cumby 18-12. Then they lost to Cushing 16-7 before winning over Linden-Kildare 14-12. In their first district game Sept. 23, they fell to Ore City 32-7.

The Indians will be traveling to Gladewater to take on Union Grove on Friday, Sept. 30. Kickoff is at 7:30.

(See Harleton game, season statistics HERE )

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Sub-Varsity Games results

The Frankston sub-varsity teams suffered their first misfortune at Harleton on Thursday, Sept. 22.

The Junior Varsity, hampered by some injuries, fell to their Harleton counterparts 30-6. The Eighth Grade ended with a 0-0 tie and the seventh grade was outscored in a scrimmage two scores to one.

They play Union Grove Thursday, Sept 29 at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium with action beginning at 5 p.m.

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ROGERS TD — Sophomore back Tyler Rogers (21) crosses the goalline for a touchdown for the first Indians score in a second half comeback effort against Winona.  — Laurie Gould Photo

BIG CATCH — Tribe senior wide receiver Benton Allen (3) takes off with a 49-yard pass reception which set up a touchdown by Reese Hicks, narrowing the Tribe deficit to 23-18 at Winona, and giving the Tribe a chance in the last two minutes. — Laurie Gould Photo

GAME 4

Indians’ comeback falls short

as Winona takes 23-18 win

The Frankston Indians mounted a determined comeback in the second half, but failed to overcome a 16-0 halftime deficit and avoid a loss to the Winona Wildcats 23-18 Friday night, Sept. 16 in the final non-district game, according to reports by Coach Paul Gould and staff.

The Indians, hampered by some key players out with injuries, could not stop the Wildcat running game in the first half while being unable to sustain an offensive drive against the  Winona team.

Winona scored early in the first quarter after a fourth down penalty against the Tribe gave the Wildcats the opportunity to score and lead 6-0. Their PAT kick try was blocked.

Later in the quarter, Winona threatened again as they were first and goal as the first quarter ended.

However, the Indians were able to hold off the Winona offense and with fourth and goal, the Wildcats booted a field goal to boost their lead to 9-0.

The Wildcats were to score again before the half ended, taking a 16-0 lead into the dressing room at halftime.

The Indians came out in the second half and drove downfield only to be held on a fourth down attempt  for a first down. The Wildcats still led at the end of the third quarter 16-0.

Later the Indians were able to convert a fourth down try to sustain the drive. They continued to pick up first downs  and moved to the Wildcats 10.

The Tribe moved the football to the Winona 4 and from there sophomore running back Tyler Rogers slipped through the Wildcat defenders for a touchdown. A two-point conversion try failed but the Indians were on the scoreboard trailing 16-6.

Rogers was to set up another Indian touchdown with a run of about 40 yards and the Indians had a first down inside the 20. Sophomore Quarterback Reese Hicks found senior wide receiver Benton Allen open on a 14-yard pass to paydirt. The PAT try was blocked, but the Indians had narrowed their deficit to 16-12 with about six minutes to go in the game.

The Indians needed another score to go ahead, but a Winona runner broke loose on a 52-yard run for a touchdown. The PAT kick was good and Winona had their only score of the second half to increase their lead to 23-12 with just over three minutes left in the game.

The resilient Indians were not ready to give up yet. Hicks lofted a 49-yard pass to Benton Allen to set up first and goal inside the Wildcat 10. Seconds later, Quarterback Hicks crossed the goal line from five yards out for a score. The Indians tried for two-points but were not sucesssful and it was Wildcats 23, Indians 18 with just over two minutes left to play.

Winona got the ball after the kickoff with 1:11 left, and ate time off the clock with a big running play which put them at first and goal. The Indians held them on downs but there was only time left for one play. Seconds later, time ran out for the Indians as the final horn sounded.

Game statistics show that the Indians rushed for a total of 217 yards. Quarterback Hicks ran for 89 yards in 18 carries and scored a touchdown. Running back Rogers rushed for 75 yards in seven carries and scored a TD. Kaymon Davis had 39 yards in nine trips.

Hicks competed four passes for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Leading receiver was senior Benton Allen who caught two for 63 yards and a touchdown. Rogers had two catches for 25 yards.

Defensively, linebacker Rogers had 14 tackles, Jared Cook 11, Walker McCann 11, and Jeremiah Mitchell 10. Winona was held to 243 yards rushing and 81 passing.

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Coach Gould’s Comments

Coach Gould termed the game “a tale of two halves”. He praised the Tribe for their ability to come back offensely in the second half. Overall, he thought the defense played well, particularly against the pass, but big running plays hurt their cause. The coach was particularly proud that the Indians played hard to the very end of the game and never gave up..

He said the Indians couldn’t get their offense going in that first half and allowed Winona to post 16 points.

At halftime, the Indians vowed to pick up their game and came out to outscore the Wildcats 18-7, Coach Gould noted. He said the 52-yard run by Winona which put them ahead 23-12 made the difference, because the Indians would have gone ahead 18-16 on Hicks’ late score had they been able to stop that play.

Coach Gould said he hopes the Indians (3-1) can pick up their first half play and be at full strength when they host Harleton in the District 10-2A-1 opener on Friday, Sept. 23 at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Harleton (2-2) lost their opener to Price Carlisle 31-0 before winning over Bogata Rivercrest 12-9 and losing to White Oak 12-2. In their game Friday night, they won over Maud 41-13.

Since Harleton is a new district team, the coaches will be spending extra time during the week to map their strategy, the coach said.

He said Harleton appears to be “big, strong and physical” and offensively relies predominately on their running game. He said they have been operating their offense out of a basic Wing-T with the quarterback in the shotgun spot. He said they have been starting a quick quarterback and have a pretty good running back. Defensively, he expects them to line up in a 3-3 stack, from which they like to blitz on occasions.

(See Winona game, season statistics HERE )

Frankston sub-varsity teams remain undefeated

The Indians Junior Varsity easily handled their Winona counterpart 44-0 Thursday, Sept. 15 at home. Coach Gould said Stevie Fry excelled at defensive lineman and running backs Derricke Owens and Braylon Donnell had good games on offense.

The Eighth Grade Braves downed Winona 22-8 and the Seventh Grade Braves won a scrimmage, scoring six times to none for the Wildcat seventh graders, the coach reported.

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LOEBIG CATCH — Senior wide receiver Kody Loebig (11) leaps high to make one of three catches for 43 yards. Linebacker Loebig, late in the game,  inter-cepted a Groveton pass and scored to secure the 14-2 Indians victory.

— Laurie Gould Photo

FHS DEFENSIVE PRESSURE — Indians sophomore outside linebacker Reese Hicks (4) puts pressure on the Groveton quarter-back.

— Laurie Gould Photo

GAME 3

Indians ice 14-2 win at Groveton

with late interception on Sept. 9

The Frankston Indians defense iced a 14-2 victory over Groveton Friday night, Sept. 9 when senior Indians linebacker Kody Loebig picked off a pass and raced 30 yards for a touchdown with just over a minute left in the non-district game at Groveton, according to reports by Coach Paul Gould and staff.

It was a defensive struggle for most of the game with ball control and field position dictating what either offense could do to the other. In fact, it was 0-0 at halftime. Neither team could mount a scoring drive and the Indians defense held Groveton at bay with a stop on fourth down and an interception by junior defensive back Kaymon Davis. Groveton also had an interception which stopped a FHS drive.

Midway in the third quarter, the Indians finally got on the scoreboard as they took a Groveton punt at their own 47 and seconds later sophomore Quarterback Reese Hicks found senior wide receiver Benton Allen in the open for a 53-yard touchdown pass which put the Indians on top. The PAT kick by Coleman Merritt was good and Frankston led 7-0.

Late in the third quarter, Groveton took over at the Frankston 45 after a Frankston punt and was driving toward a score when Frankston’s Benton Allen forced a fumble at about the seven yard line to end the threat.

Seconds later, the Indians, starting in a hole near their own goal, gave up a safety to award two points to the Groveton tribe. That made it 7-2 with Groveton still having a chance to go ahead if they could score in the last 10 minutes of the game.

What followed were three interceptions. First sophomore linebacker Tyler Rogers picked off a Groveton aerial with about five minutes to go.

Groveton countered with an interception of their own, but with about three minutes left, Frankston junior defensive back Ryan Harper intercepted a Groveton pass. However, the Frankston tribe could not move the football and punted to Groveton with just over two minutes left in the game.

That’s when Loebig secured a Frankston win with an interception and a 30-yard dash to the end zone to put the game out of reach for the competitive Groveton team. Merritt kicked the extra point and the Indians had their 14-2 win with 1:27 left in the game.

Groveton still had time to narrow the score, but Frankston freshman defensive back A.J. Donnell intercepted a Groveton pass to put the lid on the game and run out the game clock.

The non-district win gave the Frankston Indians varsity a 3-0 record to start their 2022 season and set up another non-district encounter on Friday, Sept. 16 on the road against the Winona Wildcats before starting District 10-2A-1 play against Harleton at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium on Sept. 23.

Coach Gould’s Comments

Coach Paul Gould had words of praise for the Tribe defense, particularly the secondary who had several key interceptions. He was particularly proud of how the team played hard to the end of the hotly contested game.

Defensively the coach said Tyler Rogers had 19 tackles and Jared Cook and Ryan Harper 16 each. The Tribe defense allowed only 103 yards rushing and 32 passing for a total of 135.

He said the tough Groveton defense was able to contain the Frankston running game, but the offense completed a number of key passes, including the 53-yard third quarter score. Kaymon Davis rushed for 61 yards on 8 carries of the 110 yards in rushing for the Indians. Benton Allen caught two passes for 62 yards and Kody Loebig had three catches for 43 yards. Reese Hicks completed 8 of 15 passes for a total of 124 yards and a touchdown. He had two interceptions.

Looking ahead to Class 3A-2 Winona (1-2), the Indians coach said he expects the Wildcats to operate out of an offense much like the Indians, utilizing the talents of senior quarterback Nate Hampton (2) and senior running back Jessie Jones (21). Defensively, the Wildcats line up in a 4-3 defense, with a few variations, Coach Gould said. He said Winona returns seven offensive and eight defensive starters from a year ago.

The Wildcats will be coming off a 20-13 loss to Redwater. In Week 2, Winona won over Lone Oak 29-6 but lost to Tyler Grace Community 39-7 in the season opener.

The Indians are hoping to continue to improve as they meet the Wildcats.                                                                    (Groveton game, season statistics HERE )

Score by Quarters:

Frankston     0     0    7    7 — 14

Groveton      0     0    0    2 —   2

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Indian JV, 8th, 7th Grades top Groveton

On Thursday, Sept. 8 at home, the Indians Junior Varsity scored an 18-0 win over their Groveton counterparts. Coach Gould said Stevie Fry had a good game at defensive tackle and running back Derricke Owens had a good night. Fry and Owens each scored touchdowns.

In their first game, the Indian 8th grade Braves played well in their 38-0 win against Groveton, Coach Gould said. In a scrimmage format, the seventh grade Braves scored five touchdowns, the coach reported. The sub-varsity teams are now undefeated so far for the season.

The sub-varsity teams will be hosting Winona on Thursday, Sept. 15 at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium.

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GAME 2

Indians defense, kicking game

keys 33-15 win at Huntington

The Frankston Indians football team won their second straight game of the 2022 season, downing the Huntington Red Devils 33-15 of Class 3A-1 on the road Friday night, Sept. 2, according to reports by Coach Paul Gould and staff.

The Indians had to wait out an early delay due to the danger of lightning and they had to overcome an early Huntington lead before they took a 21-15 lead into the dressing room at halftime.

As it turned out, the Red Devils were not able to score again in the non-district encounter while the Indians put 12 more points on the board in the second half. They iced the win with about two minutes left in the game with their final touchdown.

Things looked challenging early for the Tribe as Huntington scored on a 70-yard pass and converted the two extra points to lead 8-0.

However, on their next possession, the Red Devils went to the pass again, but this time an alert Kody Loebig intercepted and set up a 10-yard touchdown run by Tribe back Kaymon Davis. Coleman Merritt booted the PAT and the Indians trailed by only 8-7 with only seconds left in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, the Red Devils were held on downs by the Indians’ defense, but the Tribe offense couldn’t capitalize and had to punt. Huntington was also forced to punt and the Indians were to begin a drive from their own 29-yard-line.

With about three minutes left in the half, Tyler Rogers took a Reese Hicks handoff and raced five yards to paydirt. Merritt again kicked good and the Tribe lead 14-8.

It didn’t take the Red Devils long to go back to the pass and this one went about 60 yards for a score. The PAT kick was good and Huntington was back in the lead 15-14 with only seconds off the clock.

The Indians were not impressed, however, and they came right back, this time with a  31-yard pass from quarterback  Hicks to Kody Loebig for a score with less than a minute left in the half. Again Merritt’s kick was good and the Tribe went ahead  21-15 going into the halftime.

HARPER RUN — Indians junior Ryan Harper (23) eyes a hole created by Jared Cook (55) after taking a handoff from Quarterback Reese Hicks. Harper ran for 102 yards and scored two touchdowns in the win over Huntington Friday, Sept. 2.  

— Laurie Gould Photo

MITCHELL TACKLE — Indians’ linebacker Jeremiah Mitchell (15)  wraps up a Hunt-ington ballcarrier Friday, Sept. 2 in a 33-15 win for the Tribe. — Laurie Gould Photo

The Frankston defense toughened early in the second half to hold the Red Devils on downs and allowed the offense to begin a drive from their own 47-yard-line. Tribe running back Ryan Harper raced about 35 yards to the end zone with about seven minutes left in the third quarter. The PAT try was no good, but the Indians had a 27-15 lead.

Again the defense stepped up, as the Indians intercepted a couple of Red Devil passes, the first by Kaymon Davis and the second by Devon Allen. Allen’s pick came with less than a minute in the third quarter.

The Indians could not capitalize on either interception, but Merritt punted the football and put the Red Devils in a hole at their own 5. In four tries the Red Devils could not gain a yard and their ensuing punt gave the Indians great field position at the Red Devil 37. Harper scored again, capping a drive with a 10-yard run to paydirt. The PAT kick narrowly missed, but the Indians had their 33-15 win and the game clock ran out of time for the Red Devils.

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Coach Gould’s Comments

Indians Head Coach Paul Gould had praise for his team which started slow but got better in the second quarter against Huntington.

He noted that the Indians’ pass defense made some corrections and came up with key interceptions by linebacker Loebig and defensive backs Davis and Devin Allen. He also had praise for the defensive line and linebackers, Jared Cook and Tyler Rogers.

Offensively, he praised the performance of Quarterback Hicks, whose scrambles and runs gained 169 yards in 19 carries and set up the key TD pass to Loebig. Hicks completed 4 of 9 passes for 83 yards,

Coach Gould said Indian backs Davis, Harper and Rogers contributed to the Tribe rushing total, behind the blocks of the offensive line. Harper had 102 yards on 12 carries. Davis rushed for 63 yards in 11 trips and Rogers ran for 43 yards in six carries.

Leading receiver was Benton Allen who caught two for 51, one a key in a scoring drive. Loebig had a single catch for 31 yards and a TD.

Overall, he felt the youngish Indians are continuing to improve, on both offense and defense. He also noted a key punt by Merritt in the waning minutes which set back the Red Devils deep in their own territory and subsequently gave the Indians great field position for their final scoring drive which iced the victory.

On Friday, Sept. 9, the Indians will be journeying into the territory of District 12-2A-1 Groveton, a football program with an impressive record of successes.

Coach Gould said the Groveton tribe of Indians brings a 1-1 record including a loss in their opener to a good Lovelady team 28-7 and then a win over Trinity 27-0 on Friday night, Sept. 2.

He said Groveton is similar to Huntington in size and speed and a winning tradition. He said the Frankston tribe will have to continue their improvement to handle Groveton. Because Groveton is a new opponent, coaches will be spending extra time this week studying videos as they prepare for their third non-district encounter.

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9 at Groveton Indian Stadium.

The Frankston Junior Varsity won their second game of the season on Thursday, Sept. 1 when the game was called due to a weather risk in the second quarter and the JV Tribe was ahead 28-0.

(See Complete game and season offensive and defensive statistics HERE )

Score by Quarters:

Frankston      7     14     6     6 — 33

Huntington    8      7      0     0 — 15

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GAME 1

Last-second field goal earns 24-22

Indians victory over Grapeland

A field goal by sophomore Coleman Merritt with only a second left in the game gave the Frankston Indians football team an exciting 24-22 non-district victory over the Grapeland Sandies Friday night, Aug. 26 in the home opener at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium.

Merritt was following in the footsteps of his brother, Clayton Merritt, who kicked for the Indians before he graduated last year.

As exciting as the last-second field goal was for the hometown crowd, it was the clutch running of another sophomore, quarterback Reese Hicks, who set up the 22-yard field goal with his runs. Hicks moved the ball to the Sandies 12 with only seconds left on the clock. The Indians were able to get off the field goal with five seconds left.

Before the drive which set up the winning field goal, Grapeland had gone ahead of the Indians 22-21 after scoring with 1:49 left in the game and Grapeland sophomore Trey Gilmore had run for the two-point conversion.

That key score had put a damper on what had been a 21-14 Frankston lead when junior back Kaymon Davis had scored on a 26-yard run and Merritt had booted the PAT with 5:43 left in the game.

The two teams were tied earlier in the fourth quarter when the Indians mounted a drive to the Sandies 21 and Tyler Rogers caught a seven-yard pass followed by a Hicks run to the 1 and another run for the score with 10:50 left in the game. Hicks then ran for the two point conversion and it was 14-14.

In the first half, the Sandies had gone ahead first to lead 8-0 in the first quarter on a 55-yard pass play from Sandies senior quarterback Johnny Lamb to senior Omarian Wiley and a two-point conversion by Gilmore with 3:42 left in the period.

The Indians answered shortly afterward as quarterback Hicks broke loose on a 47-yard run. The two-point conversion try failed with 2:07 left in the period.

It was 8-6 at halftime as the two teams were unable to score in the second quarter.

Grapeland scored first in the third quarter going ahead 14-6 on a six-yard pass from Lamb to Wiley with 7:54 left in the period. The two-point conversion failed.

After that, the Indians gave the home fans something to cheer about as they moved first to the 14-14 tie, then went ahead  21-14 before all the late fourth quarter action which sent the Sandies ahead 22-21 and the Merritt field goal saved the day for the Tribe at 24-22 in the last seconds.

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Coach Gould’s Comments

The Indians had 229 yards rushing, 92 passing for a total of 321 yards, according to statistics provided by Coach Paul Gould.

Quarterback Hicks led rushers with 169 yards on 19 carries. He scored two touchdowns. He was 6 of 11 for 81 passing yards. Kaymon Davis had 32 yards rushing and scored a TD.

Defensively, Tyler Rogers had 18 tackles, three for a loss. Jared Cook had  16 tackles, 11 for losses, a sack and two forced fumbles. Jeremiah Mitchell had 11 tackles, one for a loss.

As a team, the defense held the Sandies to 132 yards rushing, 143 passing for a total of 275.

Coach Gould was very happy about the win.

“I thought the kids last night found a way to win,” the coach said Saturday morning. “We had a lot of younger kids playing. It was good for the program and the kids.”

He had particular praise for the defense which held the talented Grapeland offense on downs several times.

He noted that it was the first game for both teams and at times it was a bit sloppy, but he was glad the Indians were able to keep playing hard and improving to the end.

Next Friday, Sept. 2, the Indians will journey to Huntington for another non-district game with a perennially strong opponent. Coach Gould said the Red Devils have good size and quickness and like to throw the football. Their offense operates out of the spread and they use a 3-4 defense to try to stop their opponents.

Benton Allen (3) Makes Key Catch.

—  Laurie Gould Photo

Ryan Harper (23) forces Grapeland fumble. — Laurie Gould Photo

Last year, the Indians hosted Huntington in their third non-district game and fell 43-12, thanks largely to a strong Red Devils passing game, set up by an effective power running game.

Indians Junior Varsity wins big

On Thursday, Aug. 25 the Indians Junior Varsity journeyed to Grapeland and came away with a 42-6 victory, Coach Gould reported.

He said Davis Holladay and Stevie Fry had good games on defense and quarterback Carson Bizzell and wide receiver Bradlee Gould excelled on offense.

The JV will host the Huntington JV on Thursday, Sept. 1 at Austin Stadium. Action begins at 5 p.m.       

(Varsity game and individual statistics HERE )

Score by Quarters:

Grapeland    8     0     6       8 — 22

Frankston    6     0     0     18 — 24

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SEASON PREVIEW

Indians football team opener

hosts Grapeland on Aug. 26

The Frankston Indians football team will have hopes for returning to the Class 2A-1 playoffs in 2022 in a re-aligned District 10-2A-1 as they go into their first game, a non-district match-up with the Grapeland Sandies from 11-2A at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26 at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium in Frankston.

Head Coach Paul Gould returns six players on offense and five on defense. They take the field with some proven but younger  players in the skill positions.

Taking the snaps as a starter this year in the Indians’ spread offense will be sophomore Reese Hicks (4), who came in at times to show promise, running and passing, as a freshman. Hicks also saw lots of action last year at outside linebacker and will occupy that spot in the Tribe 3-4 defense this year. He will be joined in the backfield by a quick and elusive running back, junior Kaymon Davis (10) who also did yeoman duty at cornerback on defense. The other running back is likely to be junior Ryan Harper (23) who was hampered some by injuries last year but will display his running prowess on offense and also use his talent in the defensive backfield.

Versatile sophomore Tyler Rogers (21) is expected to complement the running game while posing a threat as a receiver on occasion.

The Tribe backs will be following the blocks of some big offensive linemen, ranging from 200 to 240 pounds. They include veteran senior Jared Cook (55) along with seniors Logan Taylor (57) and Matt Fridinger (70) and two big sophomores Carson Allen (74) and Brayden Dotson (78)

When Hicks chooses to throw the football, he will find some impressive targets in senior Benton Allen (3), junior Conlan Lemay (5) and seniors Kody Loebig (11) and Jeremiah Mitchell (15).

The Indian 3-4 defense will be composed of a rangy group led by linebackers Cook, Hicks, Loebig, Mitchell and junior Walker McCann (20).

The Indians started their preparations for the season with a couple of scrimmages, the first with Troup where they did some good things and saw some areas where they needed work, Coach Gould said. The following week they went to Cushing and did things well while correcting those things needing improvement, he said.

The Indians are hoping to get even better in their opening non-district games in preparation for challenging district competition. No. 8 ranked Beckville is expected to return many of the players who took the district title last year and advanced to the playoffs, only to be thwarted by eventual state finalist Timpson. The perennially tough Hawkins Hawks and newly added Harleton, coming down from 3A, are expected to contend with the Indians for top spots. Other teams in the district are new entry Ore City and familiar opponents, Big Sandy and Union Grove, both expected to be improved from previous years.

When Grapeland comes to town, they are expected to field an athletic team with some good skilled people, Coach Gould said. They will be competing later in tough District 11-2A-1 where perennial powerhouse Timpson is favored to rule the roost. They return five offensive and seven defensive starters from last year with good size and speed. Offensively, they operate from a spread, much like the Indians, and try to stop the Indians’ attack with a 3-3 stack defense.

“We’ll have to tackle well to succeed against the Sandies, the Indians’ head coach said.

The Indians junior varsity will be going to Grapeland for a 5 p.m. game Thursday, Aug. 25 against the Sandies JV.

Assisting Coach Gould on the sidelines will be Assistant coaches Terrence Coleman, Treston Coleman, Brady Cunningham, Wes King, Jamie Palmer, Matt Wilkins and Alec Wofford.           (See picture of coaches HERE )

BENTON ALLEN TD — Indians senior Benton Allen (3) heads to the end zone on a 40-yard run for a touchdown against Wolfe City Thursday night, Nov. 10 to help the Indians to a 47-34 Class 2A-1 Bi-District cham-pionship. — Laurie Gould Photo