Big second half propels Franklinton past Rayne

FRANKLINTON – There was a reason the Franklinton Demons earned the No 3 seed in the Class 4A state playoffs.
And although that reason wasn’t vividly clear in the first half of their second-round game against the Rayne Wolves, it certainly was obvious in the secondwhen the Demons exploded for 28 points and rolled to a 36-14 victory.
They had led only 8-0 after the first two quarters.
“The biggest thing was that when they decided to be patient and get behind their linemen, because they are big, really big, it is difficult to stop that because we just don’t have the size,” said Rayne coach Ware, whose 14-seeded Wolves finished the 2014 season with a 9-3 record.
The heavily-favored Demons were held in check in the first half by a tenacious Rayne defense that limited the hosts to just 33 yards on the ground and one score  over the first 24 minutes.
Unfortunately, that all changed in the second half.
The Demons (11-1) broke a 60-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second half and erupted for three more touchdowns after that to pull away and earn a quarterfinal-round berth this week against No. 6 seed Landry-Walker on Friday.
“In the first half, they (Franklinton) were trying more zone schemes and stuff and we were slanting and we were able to get to the backs,” said  Ware. “In the second half, they decided to go more foot-to-foot and just kind of power us and they were just knocking us off the ball.”
The Demons capitalized on their size advantage up front in the second half with running backs Renaz Wilson and Azende Magee taking advantage of holes that opened behind an offensive line that totaled more than 1,300 pounds.
The Wolves also had success running the football, especially in the first half where they posted 96 yards on the ground. They actually had a chance to get on the board first when they mounted a drive on the first possession of the game and marched down the field on the legs of sophomore Deontrey Wilridge and senior John Michael Besse.
Starting at their own 35-yard line, the Wolves reeled off 11 plays and got just outside the red zone before the drive stalled with an incompletion of fourth down at the FHS 25.
That was as close as the Wolves would get to the end zone in the first half.
Franklinton’s ensuing drive looked promising following two big completions to Magee and Chandler Davis. But one play later, Rayne’s Jaquan Cormier picked off a Michael Wilson pass at the Wolves’ 13-yard line to end the threat.
The Demons crossed midfield once again on their next possession, but Hunter Keely’s pass breakup near the goal line was followed by a short pass and an incompletion on third down resulting in a punt.
The Demons finally got on the board midway through the second quarter when FHS quarterback Michael Wilson hit a wide open Ryche Jenkins over the middle for a 41-yard scoring strike. Following an offsides penalty on Rayne on the extra point attempt, Franklinton elected to go for two and Renaz Wilson rushed in for the conversion.
“We could have easily been in the half nothing, nothing,” said Ware. “We gave up one big play. We played hard and we played fast on defense.
“Heck, we could have been up 7-0 at the half, too. We were moving the ball well, but then they made some adjustments, put an extra guy in the box, and kind of forced us to throw the ball a little bit.”
The Demons took control in the second half.
After a 20-yard kickoff return to start the third quarter, the Demons took over at their own 40-yard line. Just 16 seconds and one play later, Magee broke off a highlight reel run on a sweep to the right.
He picked up 20 yards before stopping on the sideline, where he cut back to the middle of the field and raced the remaining 40 yards for a touchdown. Conner Ackerman was true on the extra point, pushing the lead to 15-0 with 11:37 remaining in the frame.
It was a devastating blow, but the Wolves had an answer.
Starting their next series at their own 35-yard line, the Wolves handed off to Wilridge four times for 29 yards and Jaylon Reed hit Besse twice for 26 yards before a face mask penalty on the Demons gave the Wolves a first-and-goal situation at the 6-yard line. On the next play, Reed hit Besse again in the flat and he raced in for a touchdown.
“When they broke that speed play on the first play of the second half and went up two scores, that made it tough,” said Ware. “But we responded and scored on the next drive so we were still alright.”
Temporarily, as it turned out.
After another big return, the Demons completed a 19-yard pass before going to the ground three straight times, the third being an 11-yard touchdown run by Renaz Wilson.
From there, it was mostly downhill for the Wolves.
After going three-and-out on their next possession, the Demons struck again on a 4-yard touchdown run by Magee that was set up by a 29-yard pass to Deandre Allen.
Following another three-and-out, the Demons took over at their own 24 yard line.
Again, it didn’t take long for things to go south.
Renaz Wilson took a handoff on the first play and raced 74 yards before capping the drive with a 2-yard touchdown one play later.
The Wolves mounted a drive on their next possession and marched down to the FHS 25-yard line. Unfortunately, another incompletion on fourth down gave the ball right back to the Demons.
The Wolves’ second and final score of the game was a 4-yard touchdown run by Besse late in the fourth quarter.
In all, Franklinton racked up 392 total yards of offense, 256 on the ground. Wilson led the charge with 18 carries for 172 yards and two touchdowns while Magee picked up 75 yards and two touchdowns on just three carries.
Michael Wilson completed nine of 13 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. He hit Allen three times for 61 yards and Jenkins once for 41 yards. Davis was the recipient of two passes for 22 yards and  Tahj Magee had three catches for 12 yards.
“They just decided they were going to run right at us and that gave us trouble,” said Ware. “They just really don’t have what you would call a weakness. Their quarterback throws the ball well, they have good receivers on the outside and they have speed. That’s a good team.”
Rayne tallied 269 yards in the loss.
Wilridge did most of the damage on the ground by picking up 134 yards on 23 carries.
Besse added nine carries for 37 yards and Reed had six carries for nine yards.
Besse also had seven receptions for 77 yards and Devonte Robinson hauled in one pass for 17 yards.
For the Wolves, the loss was heartbreaking, but Ware had nothing but praise for his squad following the contest.
“It’s hard to feel good about anything right now as a player,” said Ware. “But there’s only one team that will finish the season with a win, so it’s tough. I feel like we played well against a really good football team - I’m talking a possible state championship football team.
“I’m very proud of the way our guys came out and played tonight.”