FRA defeats BGA 21-14: Instant Takeaways

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Franklin Road Academy clawed out of a 14-point first half deficit to defeat top region foe Battle Ground Academy 21-14 on a last-second touchdown that helped the Panthers defend their home turf in a revenge game where the tensions were high and the environment was electric.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are the instant takeaways that Tennessee high school football fans need to know coming out of a momentum-shifting victory for the FRA Panthers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">TRENCHES</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Battle Ground Academy trenches are massive and athletic, both of which allowed for them to make plays throughout the game. 2027 defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='902956' first='Justice' last='Pittman'] was unstoppable due to his size, athleticism, and overall explosiveness. Blue-chip 2028 defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1177837' first='Ayden' last='Woodruff'] played great off him at times, pressuring the quarterback a handful of times on the night. Columbia 2026 lineman commit Nate Fleming also caused havoc all night long. This front three is arguably the best in the state and are a force to be dealt with.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Franklin Road Academy has strong trenches yet again and they are led by 2027 two-way lineman [player_tooltip player_id='866750' first='Keilan' last='Neal'], who was dominant and played the game on rookie mode at times. He affected the game in every single way, from his leadership taking over with very young quarterback and other lineman, to causing sacks and pass deflections. This game shows he has taken another step forward and should be a breakout prospect to watch now in terms of being recognized with college offers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">SAFETIES</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both teams are big, physical, and fast from the safety position which makes the middle of the field nearly unusable especially with the explosive linebackers running around the intermediate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For FRA, [player_tooltip player_id='903033' first='Omarii' last='Sanders'] has shown he can stick at safety and is dynamic there, improving upon his coverage ability and ball skills, including intercepting the opposing quarterback and returning it for 55 yards, effectively ending a promising BGA drive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1664092' first='Amari' last='Mitchell'] has been freed up to play that strong safety role for the entire game and that is a great thing for him, as his length, physicality, and quickness getting downhill allow for him to be a strong tackler from depth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>BGA 2028 safety Evan Kellum was played in the slot a lot to match the size of these long-framed receivers for FRA, and he impressed with his ability to line up anywhere and match talented prospects for the entire game. He is a player I was excited about after the Baylor-BGA scrimmage and seeing him in-person now makes me even more excited.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">TOP-END PLAYMAKERS</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both programs have talent at every position, but perhaps the most important question entering the game was who would have the best top-end playmakers and that proved to be the home team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='903954' first='Kwadir' last='Fletcher'], Cam Glenn, and Mike Hassell create a strong and reliable three-headed monster in the run game that makes the Panthers offense tough to stop no matter the opponent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1167514' first='Jayden' last='Rush'] continues his high-level play that he has shown since his freshman season as a cornerback and leads a group of defensive backs playing receiver that just finds ways to make plays off the run game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>BGA has dynamic slot weapons with [player_tooltip player_id='905296' first='Fletcher' last='Fields'] and Max Curry and when the offense heals back to full-strength, both should be seeing even more explosive play opportunities in a variety of ways.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both Wildcats linebackers stood out, with [player_tooltip player_id='1103031' first='Elijah' last='Fernandez'] racking up tackle after tackle, and [player_tooltip player_id='902961' first='Jayden' last='Cannon'] making plays in space and scoring both touchdowns for the team as a tight end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">CONCLUSION</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both of these programs have very talented teams with speed, size, power, and athleticism that can put them in a position to win every single football game no matter the opponent in the state of Tennessee.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This very well could be a preview of the state championship game in December, and if it is, SIGN ME UP!!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both teams will continue to clean things up and get a lot better, but tonight made one thing very, very clear: both Battle Ground Academy and Franklin Road Academy are among the best high school football teams and programs in the <em>entire</em> state of Tennessee, period.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->