DANVILLE
As Clay Pinnick came onto the field for his team’s first second-half possession in Franklin’s 42-14 win over Danville, the junior quarterback knew that it was the perfect time for the Grizzly Cubs to strike.
Franklin’s lead was a mere seven points thanks to a Danville touchdown just before halftime, but the Grizzly Cubs’ defense had just forced a Derin Sharp fumble, giving Pinnick and company the ball on Franklin’s 47. After two short passes to Max Clark to earn a first down and move into the Warriors’ half of the field, Pinnick was ready to take his shot.
And just as he had earlier in the game, Clark made sure it counted.
Pinnick’s toss found Clark down the right sideline a full step ahead of two defenders, and the senior wideout did the rest, leaving both Warriors in the dust for a 43-yard touchdown and a two-score lead. Pinnick finished with four touchdown passes on the night and the Franklin defense shut out Danville in the second half to cruise to a season-opening win on Friday night at Warrior Stadium.
“When we came out at halftime, we weren’t going to let up,” Pinnick said. “We knew we had to get back out there and not let (their) touchdown affect us at all. That’s exactly what we did. We came out and forced the fumble and then did what we had to do.”
In the process, the Grizzly Cubs started 1-0 for the first time since 2019, when it started 7-1 en route to an 8-3 season. It’s far too early to think about those things, but Franklin coach Chris Coll didn’t hide his satisfaction with how the Grizzly Cubs closed out the Warriors after meeting adversity.
Franklin seemed to be in complete control near the end of the first half with a two-score game when Danville quarterback Trey Thompson hit BJ Wuest for a 16-yard score, making the halftime score 21-14. With the Warriors getting the ball to start the second half, the first big play would be crucial, and the Grizzly Cubs made sure they made it.
“We wanted to set that mentality that we were not going to let them back into this game,” Coll said. “(The fumble) was a big stop, and then we scored right off of it, so that was huge.”
Clark’s touchdown was the second of three Pinnick passes that went for 40 yards or more against Danville’s secondary. When it was over, three different Franklin receivers had crossed the goal line for Pinnick’s four scores, a combination that proved too much for Danville when combined with two Beau Baker rushing touchdowns.
“We’ve all come together as a team, and I feel like it’s so much stronger this year than it’s ever been,” Pinnick said. “Every day in practice, we break on, ‘Brotherhood,’ and I think that this year, we truly mean that. We’re all super close, and it’s like a family.”
