Patriots open Lakes Valley Conference play with a 58-7 loss at Walled Lake Western
LIVONIA — 9/5/2026
WALLED LAKE — Livonia Franklin's first game as a Lakes Valley Conference member was decided in the opening quarter.
Walled Lake Western scored 19 points in the first period and 19 more in the second on its way to a 58-7 win over the Patriots on Thursday night. It was Franklin's first loss of the season and its first conference defeat since leaving the Kensington Lakes Activities Association.
Franklin trailed 38-0 at halftime. Its only points came on a 64-yard touchdown run by Brody Gross in the third quarter.
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Walled Lake Western | 19 | 19 | 13 | 7 | 58 |
The Patriots are now 1-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
A different result than Week 1
The loss came a week after Franklin's most complete performance in recent memory. The Patriots opened the season Aug. 28 at home with a 42-0 shutout of Berkley, holding the Bears scoreless across four quarters in a non-conference game.
Through two games, Franklin has scored 49 points and allowed 58 — nearly all of them on Thursday.
Franklin also drew one of the tougher assignments available for a conference debut. Walled Lake Western entered the game 1-0 after a 35-31 win at River Rouge and is now 2-0. The Warriors have been Franklin's most difficult regular opponent historically: the schools have met 27 times, and Franklin has won six, according to the Michigan High School Football Data Warehouse.
Franklin in a new league
Franklin joined the Lakes Valley Conference this school year along with Livonia Churchill and Livonia Stevenson. All three lost their conference openers Thursday — Churchill fell 49-14 at South Lyon and Stevenson lost 38-3 to South Lyon East.
The 12-team league also includes Farmington, Lakeland, Milford, North Farmington, South Lyon, South Lyon East, Walled Lake Central, Walled Lake Northern and Walled Lake Western. Franklin's remaining conference schedule includes the two Livonia rivalry games, with Stevenson on Sept. 18 and Churchill on Oct. 2, both at Franklin.
What's next
Franklin returns home to face Farmington in a conference game. The Falcons are 2-0.
Sources: Lakes Valley Conference official football page for standings, scores and schedule; Michigan High School Football Data Warehouse for all-time series records; ScoreStream and Associated Press Thursday scores; Franklin High School boys varsity football on Hudl for game footage.