Sports
Franklin Heads to Wilson for Northern League Matchup
The Panthers are looking to snap its two game losing skid and pick up their first league win.
football team will sport a new look at the quarterback position when they take on Wilson High School tonight.
John-Anthony Aguilar made his debut as the backup QB in last week’s 28-19 loss against Marshall, alternating snaps with Joshua Taylor, but he’ll get the start against Wilson. Aguilar will be the third player to step into the role for the Panthers this season.
“It helps that this kid has grown up playing football, so he knows the game,” head coach Eric Jaimes said.
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Although most of the passes Aguilar threw against Marshall were short and under five yards, he did complete a trio of passes that were 10 yards or longer, including a 26-yard toss for a touchdown.
Jaimes said he feels good about tonight’s contest and if his team plays like they did last week, FHS (3-3, 0-1 Northern League) should come out on top.
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Wilson (2-4, 1-0) is coming off a 33-30 win over Roybal High School. Franklin’s secondary may have a busy night if QB Dominic Esparza and wide receiver Andrew Urbina duplicate their performances from last week.
Esparza completed 11-of-15 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns, while Urbina racked up 120 yards on five catches.
Franklin’s offensive line will have to step up against a Wilson defense that recorded five sacks against Roybal. The O-line allowed three sacks against Marshall.
Looking Ahead
Franklin needs to win their remaining four games if they have any hopes of making it into the post season. The move to division one this year may hurt their chances.
“We’re proud that the city thinks we’re a division one team because of our track record, but as I’ve said before out loud, we are not a division one team,” Jaimes said.
“If we’re a division two team, I’m pretty confident that if we win outright the next four games, we’re in playoff contention for sure. Now being a division one team, we gotta see if they beat each other out, like the Crenshaws and Dorseys. Now our faith is in them beating each other instead of owning our faith,” he added.
Jaimes said, “Franklin never shies away, we’ve been in division one before and we’re just going to bring what we got and play.”
