As much as last year has passed, Franklin-Simpson is applying lessons from 2016 to now.

The Wildcats rode a 14-0 record into last year’s state final against Johnson Central and were shell-shocked in a 48-0 loss. The Wildcats had just 18 yards of offense and were held to one first down.

Looking back, the Wildcats believe the goal of reaching the state final didn’t prepare them for winning the actual game.

Now it’s about getting that championship that’s been absent from Franklin since 1980, and they’ll do it against the team that embarrassed them a year ago.

Franklin-Simpson (11-3) kicks off against Johnson Central (12-2) in a rematch of last year’s final in the Class 4A state championship game at University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CT.

“Last year, it felt like we were so focused on getting to the state championship game that when we finally made it there, everything seemed complicated and this time we went in not wanting to think too much and play physical with them,” junior defensive end Collin Preston said. “Last year, we might’ve overprepared and worn ourselves out. This year we’ve simplified some things and gone up to Western for two days to practice on a turf field and I think it’s really helped us out.”

Getting acclimated with a turf field at WKU – the site of the state finals since 2009 before the KHSAA announced the move to Lexington for at least two years – wasn’t the only thing Franklin-Simpson changed about its preparation for the school’s ninth appearance in the state final.

Coach Doug Preston learned it’s impossible to prepare for Johnson Central’s size in one week, so the Wildcats will have to use experience from their schedule this season as a substitute.

Franklin-Simpson started 2-3 with losses to 5A South Warren and 6A Meade County, both teams the coaches and players say brought a tough challenge physically.

Then came the 20-point comeback victory over Hopkinsville in the region final and another physically grinding 42-38 win over Collins in the semifinal.

“You have to draw on your schedule and hopefully you face some big kids and our kids have gotten used to some of that,” coach Preston said. “When you get to this point, it is about the other team, but it’s also a lot about trying to accomplish that goal of winning this championship. That’s more of our focus than maybe getting back at them.”

Franklin-Simpson has won nine straight behind a ground and pound style similar to that of Johnson Central. For the first time in school history, the Wildcats sport three running backs with more than 1,000 yards in the same season between Tre Bass (1,361 yards, 12 TDs), Carlos McKinney (1,092, 14) and Saul Brady (1,052, 11). James Baker has emerged this postseason as a fourth punch to that backfield with seven rushing touchdowns on 442 yards.

Johnson Central has been without last year’s championship game MVP Joe Jackson, whose season ended with a knee injury in the opener, but the Golden Eagles still average 351 rushing yards per game.

Blake Gamble has stepped up to rush for 1,883 yards and 24 touchdowns in his place. Quarterback Riley Preece has 15 rushing touchdowns on 666 rushing yards and Devin Johnson has 726 yards and 12 scores.

Preece has been efficient in the pass game with a 56 percent completion rate for 14 touchdowns on 1,104 yards.

Johnson Central, playing in its third straight 4A championship game, lost its last two regular season games to Ashland Blazer and Belfry, but bounced back in the postseason to win every game by an average of 34.3 points.

Golden Eagles coach Joe Matney isn’t assuming his team will dominate Franklin-Simpson like last year.

“It is kind of unique in certain ways,” Matney told the Daily News in a phone interview. “I think last year was last year. We don’t look at it like that’s what’s going to happen this year at all. We graduated a lot of players and they graduated a lot of players. We just look at it as totally different. They’ve got a great coach and I know they’ve got some great athletes and you combine those together and they’re pretty tough.”

Senior defensive lineman Dion Pearson remembers that having a depleted Wildcats roster with injuries didn’t help with Johnson Central dominating the line of scrimmage. A healthy line and two days getting used to balance on a turf field this week, Pearson said, gives the Wildcats a much better idea of how to control the game up front Saturday.

“Our main concern is setting the line of scrimmage, so that’s what we’re focusing on,” Pearson said. “If we don’t, it’ll be like last year. We’ve got to come off, hit them in the mouth and everything will take its course.

“We want to come back and redeem ourselves from last year and everybody is ready to play. We want to come out and beat them because they made us look really bad last year. We want to redeem ourselves and really bring back a W for our community.”{&end}