TNHSFB Power Scores: X Factors, FRA Panthers

<p>Franklin Road Academy has been home to one of the best high school football programs in the entire state as of late and they seem to get better and better every single year under the direction of head coach Justin Geisinger.</p>   <p>This year's squad has an intriguing combination of blue-chip talent, experience, youth that are all coming along every single week tapping into the potential that this big, athletic team holds, which is a team capable of winning the DII-AAA state championship.</p>   <p>These will be the X-factors to the Panthers postseason push if they want to accomplish that goal of taking home a state ring.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">FRA 2026 RB/DB [player_tooltip player_id='1106238' first='Michael' last='Hassell']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1106238' first='Michael' last='Hassell'] is the leader of this offense and a strong rushing attack, running hard and behind his pads while getting downhill over the middle of the field, making him a tough tackle for the defense.</p>   <p>He can will the offense forward in games if need be, and was responsible for the large majority of the comeback against Antioch.</p>   <p>He is a veteran on the team that always seems to be in the right spot and his downhill running style behind a big, athletic offensive line allows for the Panthers rushing attack to keep them in a position to win the game while draining the clock.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/connersmith04/status/1976469401257103783 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">FRA 2027 OT/DE [player_tooltip player_id='866750' first='Keilan' last='Neal']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='866750' first='Keilan' last='Neal'] is one of the most underrated recruits in the state and he brings that high level of play to both sides of the line of scrimmage as a strong, reliable left tackle and a versatile, disruptive defensive lineman, making him a nightmare for the opposing trenches all night long.</p>   <p>He is unstoppable as a 3-4 defensive end or 3-tech and generates pressure at will, even in the biggest games and one-on-one matchups. He is equally effective as an offensive tackle for this team, giving whichever quarterback is in the pocket a feeling of security on his blind side.</p>   <p>The FRA trenches have some of the most talent and potential in the entire state, but a lot of these players are freshmen in high school, so the leadership of Neal will be absolutely essential to a deep postseason push.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/shaynep_media/status/1976455064068948057 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">FRA 2027 RB/LB [player_tooltip player_id='903954' first='Kwadir' last='Fletcher']</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='903954' first='Kwadir' last='Fletcher'] is another shorter, compact build at running back that can spill Hassell without worry of a dropoff in the rushing attack for the team, but he is an X-factor for this team because he has the ability to fly around the field from the linebacker position and make big plays happen.</p>   <p>He plays with a lot of energy and passion and is the soul of the Franklin Road Academy defense, and they will be relying on him to make plays throughout the postseason with a state championship on the line.</p>   <p>Again, he will also be ultra-important for these young linemen in terms of bringing them along and making sure they are in the right place and position to succeed.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/shaynep_media/status/1971760560367980728 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">FRA 2026 WR/CB [player_tooltip player_id='1167514' first='Jayden' last='Rush']</h2>   <p>Franklin Road Academy has a very talented secondary that they have also used as receivers this season, so while [player_tooltip player_id='1167514' first='Jayden' last='Rush'] is a reliable target especially over the middle of the field, he is not relied upon to carry the passing attack every single week this year, instead he is on this list for defensive purposes.</p>   <p>As mentioned before this is a great FRA secondary with two lengthy and rangy safeties, but Rush is arguably the most important of the bunch to the teams success as he is left on an island with the opposing team's top receiving option every single play. The safeties thrive coming down and making big plays from depth, but that is made possible but Rush locking up top receivers he faces.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/shaynep_media/status/1976458881447669861 </div></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">FRA 2027 WR/S/RS [player_tooltip player_id='903033' first='Omarii' last='Sanders']</h2>   <p>Omarii is being recruited as a defensive prospect by all the top programs in the nation, however, he is an x-factor for this team's success in all the other dimensions in the game of football.</p>   <p>He makes splash plays on defense don't get me wrong, but the ones that take place as a receiver are so necessary for the team, constantly making big plays to move the offense down the field at the most crucial points in the game. As FRA has rotated between two different quarterback options this season to see who gives the team the best chance to win each week, clutch catches from Sanders will be absolutely required for the passing game to get going.</p>   <p>He has also shown his ball skills as a return man at times this season, specifically on punt returns, where he can get downfield quickly with his long strides, and can help the Panthers win the field position battle.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/shaynep_media/status/1971763063469887778 </div></figure>

Franklin Road Academy has been home to one of the best high school football programs in the entire state as of late and they seem to get better and better every single year under the direction of head coach Justin Geisinger.