“It’s going to be won in the trenches, and I feel good about our fronts matching up and competing play in and play out. I look for it to be a great high school environment. Our kids are excited about it.”
Childers’ Wildcats have outscored their first four opponents 162-48, while Bob Skidmore’s Spartans have outpointed their first four opponents 149-59. Franklin is ranked sixth in the state in Division III — Valley View is ranked third in D-IV.
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A standing-room-only crowd is expected for the Spartans’ homecoming at Barker Field.
“Going into the season, we had really high expectations,” Skidmore said. “But if you had said in Week 4 that our best running back had hardly played, I don’t know that I would’ve thought that we’d be 4-0.”
That running back is senior Collin Genslinger, who’s been dealing with knee and ankle issues. He’s rushed 18 times for 222 yards and a touchdown.
Genslinger has been playing some safety, but he hasn’t carried the ball since Week 2. His offensive status for Friday’s game is unknown.
“Every week we try to get him in there and it comes down to Friday and whether he feels good enough or not,” Skidmore said. “He actually got hurt in the Springfield Shawnee scrimmage, and he’s just been slow to heal. He’s been able to play defense because he can control the contact.”
Senior quarteback Collin Wood has been strong for Valley View, completing 35 of 56 passes for 683 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception. Junior fullback Max Shuey (24 carries, 148 carries) has scored four times.
“You’ve got to bring it every play against Franklin because they’re very physical and very disciplined,” Skidmore said. “I think we’re pretty good, but right now I think they’re better, and it showed last year. We’ve got to see if we can improve on last year.”
The Wildcats romped to a 41-8 victory over the Spartans in 2016, and Childers said his defense is better this year.
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Everybody knows about senior tailback Ryan Montgomery (60 carries, 659 yards, 12 TDs) and the job that sophomore quarterback Braden Woods (21 of 30, 292 yards, three TDs, no interceptions) has done since Braden White went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 3. But it’s the Franklin defense that has risen up in 2017.
“They’ve got a new intensity over there and have really tuned things up,” Childers said. “We didn’t make major changes. We’ve moved some guys around. We mix and match our schemes and when we’re bringing pressure.”
Junior linebacker Matt Centers is averaging double-digit tackles and has nine tackles for loss, four sacks and a fumble recovery.
“The kid’s all over the football,” Childers said. “He’s our leader. He sets our fronts. When he goes, we go.”
Childers said senior Nate Glossip, junior David Figliola and senior T.J. Kepler have been impressive up front on defense, along with senior linebacker Ryan Knipper.
“We get after it,” Centers said. “We like to just set the tone. Our D-line is incredible … our secondary is awesome.”
Individually, he wants to get 15 tackles per game and become the program’s all-time leading tackler.
“I work hard in practice. I just practice like I play,” Centers said. “I think that carries over to Friday night. Our defensive line gets hands on guys, so that makes me able to make plays. I couldn’t do it without them.”
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Skidmore likes the way his lines have played, but said the Wildcats have a size advantage. Senior linebacker Logan Hannah keys the Spartans’ defense.
“Franklin looks really fast, especially on defense, and then they’ve probably got the best player in the league on offense,” Skidmore said. “I just hope our combination of everybody can pull together and make something happen. It seems like one week the defense plays well and one week the offense plays well. We haven’t been real consistent with everybody playing well together.”
Franklin has won five of the last six meetings in this series.
Friday’s game
What: Franklin (4-0, 1-0 SWBL Southwestern) at Valley View (4-0, 0-0 SWBL Southwestern), 7 p.m.
Where: Barker Field, 110 Comstock St., Germantown
Last year: Franklin won 41-8
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