Lancers Foil Franklin, 42-28, to Advance in Football Playoffs

The football team took only three plays and less than a minute to get on the scoreboard against Franklin in Saturday's second-round game of the Division 1 WIAA playoffs.

The very first play from scrimmage was a 55-yard pass from quarterback Jason Meichtry to Marcus Crum, and that set the table for things to come. Two plays later, Riley Richarz rambled 10 yards to put the Lancers up 7-0.

While the Sabers were able to tie it up twice, Central finally took charge defeated Franklin on the road, 42-28.

The victory puts Central a step closer toward reaching the state tournament in Madison. The second-seeded Lancers (9-2) will take on top-seeded Kenosha Bradford (11-0) either Friday or Saturday.

Franklin’s first possession almost ended in disaster, when a pass from quarterback Sean McGuire was intercepted by Centrals senior D.J. Ley at the Sabers' 19-yard line. The Franklin defense buckled down and held Central to a field goal attempt that sailed wide and kept the score at 7-0.

The Sabers evened up the score at 7 after Ben Miller broke through for a 25-yard touchdown run. The series started with several key passing plays from McGuire, and that softened the Lancer defense for the run by Miller.

But Central answered quickly with another touchdown just under two minutes later. Meichtry found Robert Rossmiller open for a 19-yard scoring pass to give the Lancers a 14-7 lead after the first quarter.

The Lancers pushed their lead to 21-7 when their well-balanced running attack gave Jason Toney a rare opportunity. Toney busted through for a 23-yard touchdown, after several runs by teammates set the stage for his heroics.

Franklin bounced right back on a spectacular pitch and catch. McGuire scrambled out of the pocket and found a wide open Shaun Quirk. McGuire’s pass was nearly too high for Quirk, however, the receiver was able to tip the ball up in the air with one hand before securing it and going into the end zone untouched for a 56-yard touchdown. That cut the deficit to 21-14 at the half. 

The second half started with both teams trading possessions and several punts.  However, the arm of McGuire was just warming up.

McGuire hooked up with Quirk again on a long pass play, this time from 42 yards out to score the game-tying touchdown.

Central mounted a drive of its own, and marched right down the field. Behind the strong running of DeMario Harris, the Lancers ate up ground and the clock. As Central was just about to run a play from the 1-yard line, the game had to be stopped when two people wearing only gym shorts and masks ran onto the field from the opposite end zone.

Unshaken by the bizarre event, Harris punched the ball across the goal line on the next play to give the Lancers a 28-21 advantage.

Franklin’s next drive resulted in the momentum swing that seemingly defined the game’s outcome. The Sabers were marching down the field when they were set back by a holding penalty. The next play saw McGuire hit Miller with a pass.  However, Miller would cough up the ball and it was recovered by Central at the Sabers' 14-yard line.

Four plays later, Richarz scored his second touchdown of the game from five yards out to give Central a 35-21 lead.

Franklin, with its season on the line, mounted a drive they hoped would get them back in the game. Riding the arm of McGuire, the Sabers moved the ball with passes of 13, 27 and 21 yards. The 27-yard pass was an outstanding head-long diving catch by Quirk. The drive and the momentum would be quashed when Miller coughed up the football at the 5-yard line.

Central would capitalize on the turnover and milk the clock with a sustained drive that culminated in a Harris 27-yard touchdown run. That seemingly put the game out of reach at 42-21.

Franklin would not give up that easily, as the Sabers continued to chew up the yardage. Once they got to the red zone, Miller would put the ball into the end zone with a 13-yard run that made the score 42-28 with just 1:22 left in the game.

Everyone knew the onside kick was coming, but the ball did not take the high hop that usually helps to let the kicking team recover. Instead, the Lancers were in position to run out the clock.  A few plays later, a fumble by Harris breathed a glimmer of hope into the Franklin faithful.

Time was not on the Sabers' side, as they would run out of time before scoring again.

The Lancers were paced by Harris and his 177 yards on the ground. Meichtry completed five of nine passes thrown, for 131 yards.

For Franklin, McGuire ended up with 397 yards on 25 completions in 41 attempts.