Franklin Football, Seven Games In

Franklin football won 35-28 at White Lake Lakeland Friday, Oct. 9, and is 5-2, 4-2 in the Lakes Valley Conference, with wins over Stevenson and Churchill that coach Christopher Kelbert says give the team its fifth straight city championship. Two regular-season games remain: Walled Lake Northern at home Oct. 16 and at Walled Lake Central Oct. 23.

The season so far

• Friday, Aug. 28: beat Berkley 42-0 at home
• Thursday, Sept. 3: lost at Walled Lake Western 58-7
• Saturday, Sept. 12: beat Farmington 31-13 at home
• Friday, Sept. 18: beat Stevenson 37-22 at home
• Friday, Sept. 25: lost at South Lyon East 31-14
• Friday, Oct. 2: beat Churchill 31-17 at home
• Friday, Oct. 9: won at White Lake Lakeland 35-28

Kelbert gave the team's record as 3-2 in an email the morning of Friday, Oct. 9, before the Lakeland game. The season game list shows Franklin 3-2 in conference games and 4-2 overall at that point. After the Lakeland win, Franklin is 5-2 overall and 4-2 in the Lakes Valley Conference, according to the conference standings.

Source: coach Christopher Kelbert; season game list and Lakes Valley Conference standings, via Locals Thrive

After Western, Farmington

Franklin lost 58-7 at Walled Lake Western Thursday, Sept. 3, and beat Farmington 31-13 nine days later. "Farmington was a big win for us," Kelbert said. "We got beat up the week before to Western. We bounced back and beat a good team."

Stevenson and Churchill

Franklin beat Stevenson 37-22 Friday, Sept. 18, and Churchill 31-17 Friday, Oct. 2, both at home. "Beating both Stevenson and Churchill is always big for us," Kelbert said. He said it is Franklin's fifth straight city championship.

A running team

Through its first six games, Franklin ran for 1,416 yards and 20 touchdowns, 236 yards a game, and threw for 388 yards, according to the team's Hudl season report. The defense had 12 sacks over those six games. The report does not include the Lakeland game.

Kelbert named Brody Gross, Jake Kotrych and Zyaire Lainer as the top players on offense. Lainer (No. 24) leads the team with 549 rushing yards, on 107 carries, and has five rushing touchdowns. Gross (No. 10) has 458 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, and has completed 46 of 74 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns. Kotrych (No. 0) has 301 rushing yards on 25 carries, about 12 yards a carry, with four rushing touchdowns, and eight catches for 91 yards and a touchdown. He also has 13 tackles, three for loss.

On defense, Kelbert named Logan Birdwell, Tyler Brown and Nick Miles. Birdwell (No. 21) has 12 tackles, eight solo. Brown (No. 11) has seven tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss, and leads the team with 93 receiving yards, on seven catches, with a touchdown. Miles (No. 7) has seven tackles, six solo.

Source: coach Christopher Kelbert; team Hudl season report, first six games

The last two

• Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.: Walled Lake Northern (2-5) at Franklin
• Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m.: Franklin at Walled Lake Central (1-6)

Source: schedule and Lakes Valley Conference standings, via Locals Thrive

Photos