Seahawks regroup to face South Walton Friday

The Franklin County Seahawks varsity football team plans to bounce back Friday night after enduring a difficult opener at home last week.

“Ouch,” said coach Josh Wright, after his team endured a 53-6 defeat at the hands of the Jefferson County Tigers Friday in the annual pre-season Kickoff Classic.

An afternoon lightning bolt had taken out the scoreboard at the Mikel Clark sports complex Friday, so the clock wasn’t working, but it didn’t much matter, as the Tigers led from the time freshman Revonte Robinson scored from 1-yard out early in the game, to the moment he ran in from 2 yards out early in the fourth quarter.

“That was a hornet’s nest, that was not a safe place to be out there,” said Wright. “They were exactly what we thought they were. They got their thing on the tracks.

“They weren’t trying to run up anything. They were just making plays,” he said. ”We didn’t do a good job handling their slant in front. They had a very active front.

“We’re going to regroup, and you’ll see a lot of improvement in a week,” said Wright. “The seniors shouldered their responsibilities. They’re on the same page.”

Four players who missed the Kickoff Classic are expected to be back in the line-up Friday. Senior linemen C.J. Barnes and Shaq Ray, and running back Dale Butler, are all recuperating from injuries, and together with junior Trekale Turrell, are expected to suit up.

The Seahawks skipper promises a better showing Friday night, as the squad travels to Santa Rosa Beach for both teams’ season opener.

The South Walton Seahawks battled to a 24-21 win over the Wewahitchka last week, and their coach David Barron has been cautioning his team that Franklin County has dangerous team speed.

“Franklin has three athletes that can score at any time,” Barron told the Destin Log. “They’ve got speed.”

Last week, though, it was Jefferson County speed and strength that put the Seahawks out of commission.

The Tigers were led by the two Footman brothers, sophomore quarterback Lanoris and junior wingback Alphonso, and Division 1 recruit senior running back Devondrick Nealy.

Nealy, who has a written offer from Auburn to go with interest from Texas Tech, Michigan, Ole Miss and Iowa State, ground out 76 yards on eight carries before retiring from the field before halftime. By then he had scored twice, once from 12 yards out and another on an 81-yard kickoff return.

Lanoris Footman completed 7-of-9 passes for 69 yards and one touchdown, a 23-yard high archer to his brother, and connected on 5-of-8 extra points.

Alphonso Footman finished with two receptions on the night and ran back a punt for a 63-yard score. Rounding out the offensive production was Robinson, who ran four times for 46 yards and three touchdowns, the second one coming on a 26-yard burst up the middle before the end of the first quarter. Junior Terrell Oliver rushed three times for 29 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown.

The Seahawks’ lone score came on the opening play of the second quarter, when senior running back Dalin Modican looked to be dropped in the backfield, before squirting away for a 55-yard sprint to the end zone. Sophomore Elton Olvera’s extra point was blocked.

Freshman quarterback Dwayne Griggs showed flashes of brilliance on offense, but he and fullback sophomore Cole Lee, kept running smack into a Tiger brick wall.