No. 15 Franklin played six frustrating quarters to start the 2011 football season.

Reggie Ellis and Corbin McClary made sure it wasn't eight.

The host Indians used a 59-yard pass from quarterback Jackson Thornton to Ellis and a 39-yard interception return by Corbin McClary in the third quarter to overcome a lackluster first half in and beat Eastern Tech, 13-2, in a key Class 3A North game.

"We just wanted to come out [after the half] and keep working," Franklin coach Anthony Burgos said. "I always tell them to keep fighting and give it their all. They did that tonight."

Franklin (1-1, 1-0) found itself trailing 2-0 after giving up a safety on a botched punt with four minutes left in the second quarter. As the half ended, the frustration was obvious on the faces of the Indians.

After the break, they capitalized on their first possession. On a third-and-13 from their own 41, Thornton found Ellis streaking down the left hash and hit him with a perfect pass at the Eastern 20, which he took the rest of the way into the end zone.

Eastern Tech (0-1, 0-1) got the ball back, and on the third play of the ensuing drive quarterback Kyle Bosserman scrambled for 27 yards to the Eastern 40-yard line.

But then disaster struck for the Mavericks.

Following an eight-yard loss on a sack, Bosserman faded back to pass and found himself under pressure again. In desperation, he threw the ball downfield and was intercepted by McClary. The senior returned it 39 yards for the final score with 6:24 left in the third qurter.

"He was trying to roll to my side, so I scraped over," McClary said. "I saw him throw, and I just stepped in front of it and took it in [to the end zone]."

Ellis, a junior, said the strong quarter will hopefully only be the beginning for Franklin, which was the Class 3A state runner-up last year.

"It's the start of a new chapter for us," Ellis said. "The first half was a wake-up call for us, but we overcame all of that. We started playing as a team in the second half, and — if we keep doing that — the sky is the limit for us."

No. 15 Franklin 13, Eastern Tech 2

ET        0 2  0 0 – 2

FR        0 0 13 0 – 13

ET – Safety

FR – Ellis 59 pass from Thornton (Myers kick)

FR – Clary 39 interception return (pass failed)