Sports

Franklin’s big win over Mansfield vaults them to No. 7, drops Hornets from rankings

DEDHAM, Mass. — The Franklin High School Panthers entered Friday’s game against then-No. 6 Mansfield unranked and looking to earn a rare win over the Hornets. They ended the day with a 28-10 win, helping launch them to No. 7 in the state in this week’s Boston 25 High School Football Top 10 Poll.

With the loss, Mansfield dropped out of the rankings, though the Hornets did receive votes this week.

>>>LAST WEEK’S POLL: Marshfield joins rankings as top four hold firm in Boston 25 High School Football Top 10 Poll

The top five teams in the commonwealth remained the same with four of the five earning big wins. The CM Knights nearly doubled up Bishop Hendricken in their 55-28 victory; the St. John’s Prep Eagles rolled to a 40-14 win over Bridgewater-Raynham; Lincoln-Sudbury cruised to a win over Fitchburg in a contest marred by a fireworks controversy; and the Xaverian Hawks crushed Lawrence, 42-6.

The lone top-five team to not earn a victory was the Everett Crimson Tide, who were out of action this week. They’ll return to play this coming weekend.

A pair of top-10 teams earned shutouts this weekend with the No. 6 Central Catholic Raiders - formerly ranked No. 1 three weeks ago before a big loss to No. 3 Prep - blanking rival Andover, 56-0, and the No. 8 Reading Rockets shutting out Belmont, 34-0.

On the North Shore, No. 9 Marblehead downed nearby Peabody, 35-14. Down south, No. 10 Marshfield defeated La Salle Academy of Rhode Island by a score of 36-21.

Milford, Dartmouth and Abington joined Mansfield in receiving votes this week.