FC football wraps up spring drills vs. Provine Rams

by Sean Dunlap

WESSON — Despite an almost two-hour weather delay, Franklin County finally got its opportunity to take the field on Friday, May 12 against Provine High School in a spring jamboree played at H.L. Stone Stadium on the Copiah-Lincoln Community College campus.

The showdown between the Bulldogs and Rams capped Franklin County’s spring workouts with the team scheduled to begin reporting to the weight room later this month for traditional summer conditioning and football camps.

In a regulation varsity quarter to start the contest, Provine’s offense held the ball for roughly six minutes thanks to a 13-play, 70-yard scoring drive that was capped by a three-yard rushing touchdown.

With 5:54 showing on the clock, FC’s offense got its first chance to possess the football with running back Xavier Rankin seeing back-to-back totes in gaining 10 yards.

With a first-and-10 scenario from the Bulldogs’ 40, Franklin County coughed up the football and Provine went back to work in scoring another touchdown on a four-play drive wrapped up with a three-yard scamper to the end zone.

FC had two more offensive opportunities — the first of which came with less than four minutes to play in the quarter.

In that series, Rankin picked up three yards on a first-down carry and a follow-up pass attempt by Bulldogs’ quarterback Quez Rancifer fell incomplete.

The drive quickly ended when FC fumbled the football again and Provine returned it to near the Bulldogs’ 2 yard line.

Provine failed to capitalize on the turnover as the Rams were called on back-to-back false starts and lost 11 yards on a fumble in the drive.

Franklin County got the ball again with 1:18 to play in the stanza near the Provine 22 yard line.

This particular drive started with an incomplete pass from Rancifer and a false start on second down.

Facing second-and-15, the Bulldogs’ Keyundre Felton took a handoff forward for six yards and Rancifer was dropped for a one-yard loss on the subsequent third-down snap before opting for a virtual punt — as no actual kicking was part of the scrimmage.

With six seconds remaining in the frame, Provine mustered one snap and gained 12 yards as the horn sounded.

The second varsity quarter of play saw a turn of fortunes for the Bulldogs as Franklin County scored twice in the 12-minute cycle.

On its first series, FC went 40 yards in three plays with Rancifer hitting Jevonte Walker for a six-yard aerial gain and then the quarterback picked up a yard on a scamper.

With a third-and-three at the 33, Rancifer connected with Jaques Anderson on a scoring strike.

The Dawgs’ second touchdown was the result of a nine-play, 40-yard drive that included five rushes and four pass attempts.

Felton saw a 12-yard pickup in the series and Rancifer hit Reshon Baker for a seven-yard completion through the airways.

Rancifer also called his own number on three of the rushing plays and gained 21 yards, including a six-yard run into the end zone.

Rancifer would ultimately suffer an unspecified leg injury below the knee on the scoring play and would not return to the scrimmage the rest of the way.

FC quarterback Zorian O’Quinn captained the Bulldogs in a third offensive series before time expired. He had a completion to Walker and a short gain on a running play.

Provine’s offense had the football twice in the quarter — with one series ending in a four-and-out while the other included a 31-yard scoring pass to cap a four-play drive.

In a 10-snap varsity B-team series, O’Quinn along with teammates Jailon Brown, Jakory Brown and Broderick Shannon all saw touches of the football.

The B-team was able to move the ball as deep as the Provine 6 yard line, but could not find the end zone.

Two of the biggest gains offensively in the series came on the ground and involved Brown, who scampered for a 19-yard pickup on the fifth play of the series and a 12-yard gain on the seventh snap.

In the end, Brown picked up a total of 39 yards on four carries, which was second most for any back in the Bulldogs’ lineup.

Shannon took three handoffs for a total of three yards.

Provine’s varsity B-team was able to score one touchdown in its 10-play offensive series against FC.

Near the end of the event, FC’s junior varsity — with Detrick Starks as quarterback — got in some playing time as the offense had seven total running plays.

The JV Dawgs scored a 27-yard rushing touchdown on the fifth play of the drive.

Rankin finished as FC’s top rusher in the spring contest with 41 yards on five totes while Rancifer carried five times for 21 yards and Felton had two touches for 20 yards.

In the receiving department, Anderson led the Dawgs with two snares for 41 yards while Baker and Walker both had single catches for seven yards each.

Rancifer went 3-7-0 passing while O’Quinn was 1-4-0 and Starks was 0-1-0.

Jaiden Hunt led the way defensively for Franklin County with six tackles while Josh Smith, Remontaie Cameron and Baker recorded five apiece.

SPRING GAME VS. PROVINE

H.L. STONE STADIUM AT COPIAH-LINCOLN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

FC VARSITY AND JV INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING

Xavier Rankin, 5-41; Jakory Brown, 4-39; Quez Rancifer, 5-21; Keyundre Felton, 2-20; Broderick Shannon, 3-3; Zorian O’Quinn, 3-1; Detrick Starks, 5-(-4); E.J. Dyer, 2-(-5).

PASSING

Quez Rancifer, 3-7-0; Zorian O’Quinn, 1-4-0; Detrick Starks, 0-1-0.

RECEIVING

Jaques Anderson, 2-41; Reshon Baker, 1-5; Jevonte Walker, 1-5.

TACKLES

Jaiden Hunt, 6; Josh Smith, 4; Remontaie Cameron, 4; Reshon Baker 4; Peyton Touchstone, 3; Zorian O’Quinn, 3; Keyundre Felton, 2; Jamahl Flowers, 2; Broderick Shannon, 2; Jaden Watson, 2; Xavier Rankin, 1, E.J. Dyer, 1; Zai Cole, 1; Jevonte Walker, 1; Quay Humphries, 1; C.J. Brown, 1; Ethan Wallace, 1; Deallen Howard, 1; and Albert Hunt, 1.



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