Prep football: Edgewood completes win over Franklin, off to 2-0 start

Edgewood High School’s football team had to wait a little longer to finish the job Saturday night. It got done nonetheless.

Suspended by Mother Nature’s lightning show after three quarters of play Friday night, the Cougars came back out and completed a 28-9 victory over visiting Franklin at Kumler Field.

“It was kind of a bummer not getting to play last night. We had a lot of momentum going into the last quarter,” said Edgewood junior wingback/safety Lincoln Howell, who ran for a touchdown Friday and picked off a pass Saturday. “We were just ready to play again. We really wanted to beat ’em. It’s been two years.”

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The Cougars’ Wing-T offense did what it does, piling up 384 yards on 43 rushes. Edgewood’s only completed pass went for a 15-yard touchdown from Corbin Craft to Justin Hiltbrand.

Wade Phillips (20 carries, 218 yards, TD), Elijah Williams (14 carries, 104 yards, TD) and Howell (five carries, 44 yards) did the bulk of the ground work. Williams had the only touchdown in Saturday’s final period, a 33-yard jaunt with 4:33 remaining.

“We’re going to enjoy it tonight and then get back to work,” Edgewood coach Scott Clemmons said. “Playing again today, we tried to make everything as normal as possible. We talked to the boys about playing a 12-minute game and finishing the work we put into it, and I thought they were pretty focused.

“The last two years we’ve been 1-1 going into Week 3, so we’re happy with being 2-0 this year. But we know we’ve got a big task ahead of us.”

This win wasn’t as easy as the final score might indicate. Stopping the Cougars is difficult enough, but Franklin (0-2) is having trouble getting out of its own way at key moments.

Edgewood went to the air on its first play at the FHS 40 on Saturday, and Craft’s pass turned into a tipped interception for Aiden Kinser.

The Wildcats methodically marched toward the end zone and got as deep as the Edgewood 25. But a touchdown throw was dropped on third down from the 27 — the second such drop for Franklin in less than 24 hours — and an incomplete pass followed.

Buoyed by the stop, the Cougars drove 73 yards in six plays and scored on Williams’ run.

“It’s a whole different game if we score on that drive,” Wildcats coach Brad Childers said. “Our kids were playing hard, and they kept playing hard right up until the end. We’re on the verge of being a really good football team.

“Our kids are hurt. If we have five or six plays that we make — not that our opponent makes — we’re potentially a 2-0 football team right now. But you can’t make those mistakes time and time again against high-caliber teams like Madison and Edgewood.”

Cooper Daniels kicked three field goals Friday for Franklin, and the Wildcats’ running game wasn’t bad between Matt Centers (12 carries, 82 yards) and quarterback Braden Woods (20 carries, 73 yards).

But Woods was just 8-of-27 for 63 yards through the air, and the offense has failed to score a touchdown through the first two weeks of the season.

“We have to make some adjustments in Xs and Os and personnel,” Childers said. “We’ve got to look at what we’re doing and evaluate that, starting with myself right down to the last man on the roster. Things are going to get better here at Franklin High School.”

Edgewood’s defense was strong when it needed to be.

“They bent but didn’t break once again,” Clemmons said. “Keeping teams to field goals when you’re scoring touchdowns, that’s what it’s all about.”

Phillips got things started in explosive fashion Friday, ripping off an 80-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.

“That was awesome to start a game like that,” Phillips said. “Everything opened up, the blocks hit, and that’s what we do. We just run our offense like we’ve run it since we were little.”

Week 3 will include Friday games for both teams. Edgewood will host Badin, while Franklin travels to Xenia.

Franklin 3-0-6-0—9

Edgewood 7-14-0-7—28

E: Wade Phillips 80 run (Dustin Turner kick)

F: Cooper Daniels 19 field goal

E: Lincoln Howell 34 run (Turner kick)

E: Justin Hiltbrand 15 pass from Corbin Craft (Turner kick)

F: Daniels 29 field goal

F: Daniels 33 field goal

E: Elijah Williams 33 run (Turner kick)

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