#3 Gilbert Christian Holds Off #8 Ben Franklin in Top 10 3A Tilt

The Gilbert Christian Knights were able to hold off the Benjamin Franklin Chargers 10-7 in a low-scoring affair.

The first half really set the precedent for how the game would go.

Both defenses had multiple stops and were even able to cause some turnovers. 

In the first quarter, Gilbert Christian junior defensive back Meredith Johnson came away with an interception to prevent Benjamin Franklin's offense from scoring. 

In the second quarter, Benjamin Franklin's defense played great as they came away with two interceptions. 

The first one was by junior defensive back Amari Zincke.

Freshman rusher Ellie Garay made the second interception, and it took the game into halftime. 

The score was tied 0-0 at halftime. 

Needing to get their offense going, Gilbert Christian’s head coach Corey Enman told his team to have fun, and the success will follow. 

“They were playing pretty tense in the first half,” Enman said. “Second half, I just said let's have fun, don’t worry about making mistakes. That loosened them up, and they played totally different in the second half.” 

The Knights looked like a different team in the second half.

Midway through the third quarter, they put together their best drive of the game. 

It was methodical, and they were able to keep moving the chains.

The drive was capped off by sophomore running back Adriana Vranicic, who was able to score a 17-yard touchdown. 

Gilbert Christian was able to put the first points of the game on the board, and Vranicic knew they could get the offense going. 

“I was like we got this,” Vranicic said. “When we know that we can do it, we just feel so relaxed. Let’s go out there, let's fight for our team.” 

Late in the fourth quarter, the Knights were able to get another solid drive going and add onto their lead. 

This drive was led by freshman athlete Alexa Enman. She had multiple big-time rushing plays and catches to set her team up in field goal range. 

They settled for a field goal, and it was made by Johnson from 27 yards out. 

The Chargers weren’t going down without a fight, though. 

With around three minutes left in the game, they got a much-needed interception. The interception was grabbed by freshman linebacker Chloe Rohner. 

With urgency, they got down the field, and junior quarterback Adlee Trujillo connected with freshman wide receiver Ashlyn Hough for a 26-yard gain.

A few plays later, they got their first points of the game as Trujillo found senior center Emmalee Davis for a 4-yard touchdown. 

With one last chance, Benjamin Franklin opted to go for a “Keep the ball” attempt. 

However, just like they did all game, Gilbert Christian got a game-winning stop and got the ball back.

The Knights' defense has been one of the best in 3A this season, and Johnson is a part of the great Gilbert Christian defense and is proud of how they played against Benjamin Franklin.

“I’m really proud of our whole defense,” Johnson said. “I’m really proud of all the improvements we’ve made in our plays. I can always trust my defense.” 

Gilbert Christian is 7-1 on the season now, but they aren’t satisfied just yet.

“It’s preparation, it’s watching film, it’s execution,” Enman said on how his team keeps their momentum going. “It’s making sure we are learning from the mistakes we made tonight and continue to get better every day.” 

Next up: 7-1 Glbert Christian will face 1-6 ALA Ironwood. 4-4 Benjamin Franklin will face off against 1-4 Leading Edge Academy.