Ike travels to Franklin tonight

Eisenhower head football coach Jim Penley talks to his team during a timeout last week against Seneca.
Times Observer Photo by Steve Younger

It will be the Knights vs. the Knights tonight when Eisenhower (4-3) travels to Franklin (1-6) for a non-region football game.

Both teams are looking to get back in the win column after losses last week. Eisenhower’s second-half rally fell short as it dropped a region contest to Seneca 27-14 while Franklin lost to Meadville 62-6.

Despite Franklin’s record, Eisenhower head coach Jim Penley is wary of tonight’s game.

“Franklin is physically one of the biggest teams that we have faced so far,” he said. “They possess both size and strength. Their skill players may not run past an opponent, but physically they bring the lumber when they run at you.”

Franklin is “old school,” as it prefers to run the ball with minimal passing, and Penley knows what his team has to prepare for.

“Offensively, they run the ISO and like to pitch the ball outside,” he said. “Most of their passing game is based on play-action off of their run offense. We have to play disciplined football.”

Franklin is led by quarterback Jason Carey, who has passed for 219 yards on just 14 completions. The run game is led by Caiden Mincer, who is averaging 5.2 yards per carry.

Eisenhower is a multi-faceted team that is led by junior quarterback Caleb Jakubczak, who has thrown for 360 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He has proven to be a deceptive runner as well, adding 466 yards on the ground with five touchdowns.

The ground game for Eisenhower is led by Logan Penley, who has rushed for 526 yards and leads the team with six touchdowns.

Defensively, Eisenhower will have its hands full and must play mistake-free football.

“We know we have to control the line of scrimmage,” Penley said. “With their size, that is going to be critical.”

Tonight’s kickoff is set for 7 at 910 Armory Drive in Franklin.