Friday Night Lights: Franklin vs. Oak Creek Recap
In a big Southeast Conference matchup between the Franklin Sabers and the Oak Creek Knights the undefeated Sabers used a menacing pass-rush and the deadly duo of 2022 QB
Myles Burkett
Myles
Burkett
6'1" | 200 lbs | QB
Franklin | 2022
State
WI
and 2021 dynamo
Dyson Klubertanz
Dyson
Klubertanz
5'10" | 165 lbs | DB
Franklin | 2021
State
WI
to assert some conference dominance and duck and punch their way for a 35-3 home victory to extend their 2020 record to 5-0. Despite the score, the game contained really strong and impressive defensive performances from both teams, and Franklin’s playmakers were put on display in what resulted in an exciting and fun Friday Night Lights contest of two Wisconsin talented programs. Scroll below for the more detailed retelling of the game presented to you by PrepRedzoneWI, and thank you for reading.
The defense really set the tone of the ball game as Oak Creek received the opening kickoff but was suffocated by 2022 DB
Daniel Martens
Daniel
Martens
5'11" | 190 lbs | DB
Franklin | 2022
State
WI
and the 6’5, 250 lb. DL Steve Martinez to force a punt in the opening series of the game. Franklin received the ensuing punt but was also met with stiff resistance from 2022 Oak Creek LB
Sam Paar
Sam
Paar
6'4" | 205 lbs | LB
Oak Creek | 2022
State
WI
& company. Oak Creek also forced a punt on their opponents opening drive, and Franklin gave the Knights the ball in their own territory with 7 and a half minutes left in the first quarter. That’s when things got going, as the Sabers defense came up big and Martens forced a PBU tipped ball that popped up in the air where DB
Jarrick Miller
Jarrick
Miller
6'2" | 190 lbs | DB
Franklin | 2021
State
WI
caught the ball in-stride and used that momentum to propel himself into the end zone for the first points of the game. With 7:14 left in the first the score stood at 7-0 in favor of Franklin. The two sides then battled back and forth for the remainder of the quarter before Franklin put together another balanced drive and set up senior kicker Luke Cool nailed a 25-yards for a 10-0 lead, and the score remained 10-0 in favor of Franklin when the first quarter expired.
Franklin got themselves the ball back early in the second quarter and used a nice combination of 2024 RB Terrance Shelton, WR Klubertanz, and TE/WR
Marko Rajkovic
Marko
Rajkovic
6'5" | 220 lbs | TE
Franklin | 2021
State
WI
to thread and grind downfield where Burkett found Rajkovic on a beautiful fade in the endzone to put the Sabers up 17-0 with 9:27 left in the half. Despite strong efforts from Oak Creek’s 2024 standout QB prospect Cade Palkowski and his physical OL, they just simply couldn’t put a complete series together, and gave Franklin advantageous field position all quarter, which the Sabers used to once again set up Cool for a 42-yarder (!) which he nailed for a 20-0 Franklin lead. Thanks to outstanding defensive efforts by Franklin’s
Noah Jessup
Noah
Jessup
6'5" | 220 lbs | DL
Franklin | 2021
State
WI
and
Jack Baretz
Jack
Baretz
6'4" | 220 lbs | LB
Franklin | 2022
State
WI
the Knights were only able to scratch and crawl for 3 points on a successful Nolan Mobley field goal set up by a beautiful interception by Knights DB Zach Peterson on a great read and reaction on a Burkett pass, and at halftime the score stood at Franklin 20, Oak Creek 3
The second half saw a number of things. Franklin continued to efficiently use their balanced offensive attack led by P5 OL prospect
Chad Schuster
Chad
Schuster
6'6" | 280 lbs | OL
Franklin | 2022
State
WI
to run, pass, scramble, stiff-arm, and power their way to positive gains every play. Klubertanz was shifty and explosive after the catch and made many Knights defenders quake with violent and shifty cuts after the catch. Burkett was solid in his reads and used a naturally strong arm and a powerful lower body to scramble and toss his way into positive passing completions, and freshman RB Shelton read his blocks well and looks comfortable and athletic in a primary tailback role. Burkett also leaned heavily on the seemingly always open Rajkovic to move the chains, and Franklin cruised to 15 more points in the second half. Oak Creek, despite it’s offensive struggles, had some playmaking defenders in 2022 DB
Sean Garcia
Sean
Garcia
5'8" | 150 lbs | DB
Oak Creek | 2022
State
WI
, safety Peterson, LB Paar, and a nicely sized DL, but at the end of the day they were on the field far too often against an explosive Sabers offensive attack. When the final whistle blew the score had finished at Franklin 35, Oak Creek 3
Daniel
Martens
5'11" | 190 lbs | DB
Franklin | 2022
State
WI
and the 6’5, 250 lb. DL Steve Martinez to force a punt in the opening series of the game. Franklin received the ensuing punt but was also met with stiff resistance from 2022 Oak Creek LB
Sam Paar
Sam
Paar
6'4" | 205 lbs | LB
Oak Creek | 2022
State
WI
& company. Oak Creek also forced a punt on their opponents opening drive, and Franklin gave the Knights the ball in their own territory with 7 and a half minutes left in the first quarter. That’s when things got going, as the Sabers defense came up big and Martens forced a PBU tipped ball that popped up in the air where DB
Jarrick Miller
Jarrick
Miller
6'2" | 190 lbs | DB
Franklin | 2021
State
WI
caught the ball in-stride and used that momentum to propel himself into the end zone for the first points of the game. With 7:14 left in the first the score stood at 7-0 in favor of Franklin. The two sides then battled back and forth for the remainder of the quarter before Franklin put together another balanced drive and set up senior kicker Luke Cool nailed a 25-yards for a 10-0 lead, and the score remained 10-0 in favor of Franklin when the first quarter expired.
Franklin got themselves the ball back early in the second quarter and used a nice combination of 2024 RB Terrance Shelton, WR Klubertanz, and TE/WR
Marko Rajkovic
Marko
Rajkovic
6'5" | 220 lbs | TE
Franklin | 2021
State
WI
to thread and grind downfield where Burkett found Rajkovic on a beautiful fade in the endzone to put the Sabers up 17-0 with 9:27 left in the half. Despite strong efforts from Oak Creek’s 2024 standout QB prospect Cade Palkowski and his physical OL, they just simply couldn’t put a complete series together, and gave Franklin advantageous field position all quarter, which the Sabers used to once again set up Cool for a 42-yarder (!) which he nailed for a 20-0 Franklin lead. Thanks to outstanding defensive efforts by Franklin’s
Noah Jessup
Noah
Jessup
6'5" | 220 lbs | DL
Franklin | 2021
State
WI
and
Jack Baretz
Jack
Baretz
6'4" | 220 lbs | LB
Franklin | 2022
State
WI
the Knights were only able to scratch and crawl for 3 points on a successful Nolan Mobley field goal set up by a beautiful interception by Knights DB Zach Peterson on a great read and reaction on a Burkett pass, and at halftime the score stood at Franklin 20, Oak Creek 3
The second half saw a number of things. Franklin continued to efficiently use their balanced offensive attack led by P5 OL prospect
Chad Schuster
Chad
Schuster
6'6" | 280 lbs | OL
Franklin | 2022
State
WI
to run, pass, scramble, stiff-arm, and power their way to positive gains every play. Klubertanz was shifty and explosive after the catch and made many Knights defenders quake with violent and shifty cuts after the catch. Burkett was solid in his reads and used a naturally strong arm and a powerful lower body to scramble and toss his way into positive passing completions, and freshman RB Shelton read his blocks well and looks comfortable and athletic in a primary tailback role. Burkett also leaned heavily on the seemingly always open Rajkovic to move the chains, and Franklin cruised to 15 more points in the second half. Oak Creek, despite it’s offensive struggles, had some playmaking defenders in 2022 DB
Sean Garcia
Sean
Garcia
5'8" | 150 lbs | DB
Oak Creek | 2022
State
WI
, safety Peterson, LB Paar, and a nicely sized DL, but at the end of the day they were on the field far too often against an explosive Sabers offensive attack. When the final whistle blew the score had finished at Franklin 35, Oak Creek 3
