Plainfield pulls away from Franklin for 48–14 victory

Quakers turn six-point first-quarter lead into decisive win behind Sebanc’s passing and Ellis’ 200-yard performance

FRANKLIN — Plainfield held a modest lead after one quarter Friday night. By halftime, the Quakers had taken command, and Franklin Community never recovered.

A 20-point second quarter provided the separation as Plainfield defeated the Grizzly Cubs 48–14 in a Mid-State Conference football game. The Quakers improved to 5–2, while Franklin fell to 4–3.

Quarterback Bryce Sebanc threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns, and Ethan Ellis produced 200 yards from scrimmage to lead a Plainfield offense that finished with 467 total yards.

The opening quarter left Franklin within striking distance. Plainfield scored six points while keeping the Grizzly Cubs off the scoreboard, taking a 6–0 advantage into the second period.

That narrow margin did not last.

The Quakers scored 20 points in the second quarter, expanding their offensive production while Franklin managed its first seven points. What had been a one-score game became a 26–7 Plainfield lead by halftime, putting the Grizzly Cubs in position to need a substantial second-half response.

Plainfield instead extended its control after the break. The Quakers added a third-quarter touchdown and held Franklin scoreless in the period, stretching the margin to 32–7.

The Grizzly Cubs entered the fourth quarter trailing by 25 points. They added seven more, but Plainfield answered the final period with its highest-scoring quarter of the second half, putting up 16 to complete the 34-point victory.

Sebanc gave the Quakers a productive passing game throughout the night, completing 13 of 24 attempts without an interception. His completions averaged 20.8 yards, helping Plainfield generate substantial gains through the air.

Ellis was his most productive target, catching four passes for 109 yards. The senior also led the Quakers on the ground with 91 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, averaging 8.3 yards per rush.

Davontae Thomas added 52 rushing yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. Together, Ellis and Thomas accounted for all four of Plainfield’s rushing scores.

Gaeton Groninger caught two passes for 60 yards and a touchdown, while Zander Nattam finished with four receptions for 55 yards and another score. Coen Vanderbush added two catches for 33 yards.

Franklin found its strongest offensive production in the running game. Cori Tonte carried 28 times for 189 yards, including a 58-yard gain, and Micah Tonte added 37 yards on six attempts. The Grizzly Cubs finished with 224 rushing yards.

That ground production, however, did not translate into enough points to keep pace.

Franklin quarterback Vaughn Wyatt completed 11 of 16 passes for 137 yards but was intercepted twice. Andrew Wertz led the Grizzly Cubs’ receivers with three catches for 60 yards.

Vanderbush and freshman Carter Johnson supplied Plainfield’s interceptions, returning them 78 and 28 yards, respectively. Jackson Nagy and Kaiden Hall each recorded eight tackles, while Dylan Rowe added seven.

Plainfield’s combination of passing production, four rushing touchdowns and takeaways proved too much for Franklin. After the competitive opening quarter, the Quakers outscored the Grizzly Cubs 42–14 over the final three periods.

Scoring by quarter

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Plainfield	6	20	6	16	48
Franklin Community	0	7	0	7	14