Franklin outlasts Montwood to win District 1-6A opener

For one mistake-filled first half, Franklin hurt itself with penalties while Montwood hurt itself with turnovers.

As the game neared intermission, the key to victory was obvious: Whichever team turned its substantial arsenal toward its opponent and away from its own feet was going to win.

And so it was in Franklin's 49-45 victory, when its five turnovers forced and comparatively clean third quarter eventually wore down a Rams team that didn't find the handle on the football until it was in a 21-point hole.

Franklin led 49-28 in the fourth quarter before a Montwood flurry eventually helped the Rams within four points with 23 seconds left, but they couldn't recover the onside kick as they fell to 1-3.

High school football: 'Guys are working hard': No. 4 Montwood HS football will challenge for 1-6A title

High school football: 'Trust the process': No. 2 Franklin High School football in hunt for District 1-6A title

What they said

"We wanted to come out strong in the second half, we felt we left some points on the field in the first half," Franklin coach Darren Walker said after his team won its District 6-1A opener to move to 2-2. "The turnovers were a big plus for us, we took care of the ball and that was a big difference in the game."

This was Franklin's first home game of the year and first in front of a full house since 2019.

"It was confidence," said Franklin quarterback Cameron Byrd, who rushed for 124 yards and threw for 229, including a huge touchdown on a bomb with 13 seconds left in the first half that gave Franklin the lead for good. "It was homecoming, our first home game, the crowd was electric.

"I was proud of the guys, the o-line played great. I feel great right now."

How it went

The Cougars took the lead for good on a stunning 28-yard strike from Byrd to Franco Hernandez with 13 seconds left in the half, capping a 75-yard drive that took 1:11 and sent them to halftime up 28-21.

When Franklin started the second half with Hector Facio's interception and the second of four Miles McWhorter's touchdown runs, they were starting to run downhill.

Montwood closed within a touchdown and got the ball back, but a bad shotgun snap was turnover No. 4 and set up McWhorter touchdown No. 3.

Franklin also cut down on its penalties in the third quarter. In the first half, the Cougars' opening kickoff return for a touchdown was called back by penalty and they later extended two Montwood scoring drives with penalties. No Franklin penalties factored into third quarter scoring.

The teams combined for 248 yards in penalties.

"Some things I don't see," Walker said. "You have to play what they call."

Stars of the game

Byrd helped his team with his arm and his feet, including a 75-yard scramble when Franklin was breaking the game open. He also threw for 229 yards without a turnover and the touchdown pass to Hernandez that was the game's biggest play on a night full of them.

Beau Sparks was his main target with six catches for 167 yards, including a 43-yarder that helped his team reopen a two-score lead in the second half.

McWhorter was workmanlike but showed a nose for the end zone with TD runs of 15, 3, 1 and 10 yards.

Bigger still was the Franklin defense, which atoned a raft of penalties with all the turnovers that finally broke Montwood's back.

For the Rams, Kevin Melendez threw three touchdown passes to Yamil Oaxaca, who had five catches for 103 yards. Melendez had 138 rushing yards and 198 passing yards, though the turnovers kept those from being winning numbers.

Up next

Montwood returns home to face Coronado on Friday. Franklin travels to Eastwood for a District 1-6A showdown.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.