For three quarters, an Andress team that looked like a bullet train in its first two games looked to be derailed against a Franklin team playing brilliant complimentary football.
Then just as the Eagles looked beaten, they got back on the track, put up a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns and survived Franklin’s upset big, 20-17.
Andress clinched it when Calvin Hutchings intercepted a Robert Torres with 1:28 left, making a winner of Andress clutch offense.
He’s by quarterback Jamari Milton and tailback Julian Guzman, the Eagles went on drives of 75 and 88 yards to rescue the game. Milton rushed for a 17-yard touchdown on fourth and 4, then Guzman took the team downfield on the winning drive that he ended with a 7-yard touchdown.
Andress leads 7-3 at half
Andress converted
its only successful drive of the first half into a long touchdown while Franklin's long drive gave way to an Eagle goal-line stand, giving Andress a 7-3 lead at intermission.
The Cougar's first possession was a 16-play epic where every single play stayed in bounds and kept the clock running, as they chewed up 9:31 while moving 60 yards. Franklin went from first-and-goal on the 4 to second-and-goal on the 1 to third-and-goal from inches away before Andress stuffed a run for a two-yard loss and forced a 19-yard Nicholas Magallanes chip shot.
Andress took the lead 1:06 later when Jamari Milton found Aavant Clayton 10 yards downfield before Clayton broke a tackle and outran the Cougar defense for a 52-yard catch-and-run score.
Franklin later drove the ball to the Andress 25 but lost yardage, stalled and turned it over on downs as Andress led at the half despite being outgained 141-113.
Up next
Andress hosts its arch-rival Chapin at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18. On the same night at the same time, Franklin hosts Parkland.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Andress escapes Franklin upset bid with two late touchdowns
