HOWARD – This week’s Knox Pages Game of the Week features the only undefeated team left in Knox County squaring off against a team it took overtime to beat last season.
It’s East Knox (2-0) vs. Strasburg-Franklin (1-1) on Friday night, the home opener for the Bulldogs at Chet Looney Stadium. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m.
East Knox beat Strasburg-Franklin in an overtime thriller last season, 34-28. That result followed the trend for these schools’ last three matchups, which have all been decided by a touchdown; Strasburg-Franklin won 34-26 in 2015, while East Knox won 26-19 in 2016.
East Knox is coming off of two dominant road performances to start the 2018 season – a 55-2 win over West Muskingum and a 51-10 win over Utica. The Bulldogs outscored opponents 106-12 in those games, and they jumped on their opponents early, outscoring them 82-10 in the first half.
The Bulldogs have done it with a balanced offensive attack and an airtight defense, leaning on playmakers like senior running back Kasson Krownapple, who rushed for 128 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s win.
Meanwhile, the Tigers will be battling back from a 61-0 home loss to Rootstown last week, where Strasburg-Franklin fell behind 36-0 in the first quarter and never recovered. The Tigers did win in Week 1, however, as they topped Conotton Valley, 26-8.
Strasburg-Franklin features a run-heavy offense, led by dual-threat quarterback Kape Schupbach, who accounted for two touchdowns (one passing, one running) in the Tigers’ win over Conotton Valley.
While East Knox comes into Friday night’s game with a better record, it’s important to note that Strasburg-Franklin has had a slightly tougher schedule so far. The two teams East Knox has defeated this season won just one game combined in 2017, while Strasburg-Franklin’s loss came to a Rootstown program that went 12-1 last season.
Friday night’s game will be the final non-conference matchup for East Knox this season, as the Bulldogs will kick off KMAC play with Mount Gilead next week.
