Franklin Struggles, Beats Marshall, 10-7

In recent years, a game against Marshall High meant an easy victory for the Franklin football team.

Franklin, the defending City Division 3-A champion, struggled to beat Marshall, 10-7, Friday in a Northern Conference opener at Marshall.

Under former Coach Armando Gonzalez, Franklin (2-2) won three City championships in the last four years while compiling a 44-5 record.

“I’m upset at the way we played today,” said Coach Ed Elias, a former Alhambra assistant who replaced Gonzalez this year. “We played a terrible second half and lost our intensity. This is a young team, and we’re making young mistakes.

“It has been frustrating this season because we’ve had so many injuries and academic ineligibilities. We’re playing with a completely makeshift defense.”

One key player missing was returning All-City linebacker Julius Rice, who is academically ineligible and watched from the sidelines Friday.

Although Elias seemed most concerned with the defense, the offense struggled against Marshall (1-3). After scoring 10 first-quarter points, the Panthers never threatened. They finished with 152 yards of total offense--46 on the ground--and seven first downs.

Running back John Flores scored Franklin’s only touchdown on a 13-yard run off left tackle. Five minutes later Julio Merino, who also starts at quarterback, kicked a 37-yard field goal to give the Panthers a 10-0 lead.

Marshall scored in the third quarter on Jose Rodriquez’s four-yard touchdown run that capped a 25-yard drive set up by a fumble.

The Barristers had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter but lost the ball on a fumble on the Franklin 27.