Plum quarterback Franzi will benefit from having most of last season’s offense back

By: Jerin Steele
Monday, August 21, 2023 | 5:11 PM

Plum coach Matt Morgan called Sean Franzi one of most underrated players in the WPIAL.

A combination of athletic ability and intangibles is what Morgan believes sets his senior quarterback apart, and he is looking forward to seeing him showcase those traits.

For Franzi, the belief from his coach is meaningful as he enters his second full season as the Mustangs quarterback and third overall.

“It gives me a lot of confidence that my coach feels that I’m the dude,” Franzi said. “It’s nice knowing he trusts me with the ball in my hands that I can make a special play.”

Franzi made the move to quarterback midway through his sophomore season. He had limited experience at the position and was learning on the fly.

“I was pretty nervous,” Franzi said. “I went from being a wide receiver to pretty much getting thrown in at quarterback. It took a little to adjust, but after a while I got used to it and I’ve loved it ever since.”

Last year he passed for 687 yards and six touchdowns and helped guide the Mustangs to a 5-5 record. He also is the team’s punter and a three-sport athlete. He plays basketball and baseball.

Plum narrowly missed the playoffs, and the total points that separated them from going undefeated was 19.

It wasn’t the outcome Franzi hoped for, but with only a handful of seniors on the roster, it was a step in the right direction and something upon which to build.

“We went from being 3-8 to 5-5 and went up a class,” Franzi said. “That’s big. Last year, we didn’t think we were going to be good, but we proved ourselves wrong. We just have to come together as a team, and I think we can become one of the most unstoppable teams in the WPIAL.”

Franzi will have almost the entire offense back this season, except Eryck Moore, who broke the school record for career rushing yards last year. Nicholas Odom is in line to take over as the lead running back.

All his main receivers return, including junior Darian Nelson, who had 30 receptions last season, Zach Napierkowski and Cameron Wilson.

They already know each other quite well but spent a lot of time on the field in the offseason continuing to build the rapport.

“I came up here with all the receivers all summer and got some work in with them,” Franzi said. “I’ve been grinding for a while and working with my boys.”

Franzi nearly led Plum to an upset playoff win in 2021. The Mustangs were the No. 14 seed and ended up losing by only one, 14-13, to No. 3 Hampton. He was a freshman and didn’t play during the 2020 season when the Mustangs won a conference title and made the Class 4A semifinals.

In his final year at Plum, he would love to bookend his career with another conference title and a playoff run.

“I get one more year with these boys,” Franzi said. “I feel like it’s the most prepared we’ve been. We’ve been here the last few months working our tails off.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

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