THE PANTHERS hope to get Shevvy Franklin’s motor running Friday night against Burbank in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

Benicia High’s red-hot football team will “host” the Burbank Titans tonight at Vallejo’s Corbus Field in the opening round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs.

It’s the third time this season the Panthers (6-4) will play at Corbus Field, their home away from home while their own stadium is being renovated. Benicia beat Vallejo, 35-6, and Bethel, 69-38, at Corbus earlier this year.

Benicia head coach Craig Holden was a little surprised to earn a No. 6 seed, the team’s highest since 2009. It’s the eighth straight playoff appearance for the Panthers, who have won in the opening round three times in the past four years. Benicia is looking for its first football Section championship since 1982.

“I think playing 10 games on the road and winning our last four really helped,” Holden said. “They realized we came on really strong at the end of the season and we’ve won our past two first-round playoff games. We’re starting to get a little respect.”

No. 11 seeded Burbank of Sacramento (6-4) won six of its past seven games and finished second in the Metropolitan League. The Titans are averaging 39.5 points per game behind an option offense that likes to keep things on the ground. Sophomore fullback Taniela Fisilau (jersey No. 5) has rushed for 924 yards and 10 touchdowns on 121 carries. Teammates Levelle Bailey, Jaeman Hickman and Kevin Decker have combined for another 1,588 rushing yards for a Titans team averaging 333.5 rushing yards per game. Bailey, a sophomore quarterback, averages only seven pass attempts per game but has a 64.8 percent completion percentage and 11 TD throws.

“They have some really good athletes and a lot of speed,” Holden said of Burbank. “They run it at you and run it at you and then try to get you over the top. We have to tackle. If we do that, I think we’ll be alright.”

Benicia’s four-game winning streak started with the emergence of senior running back Shevvy Franklin, who came on strong at the end of the season to earn the Solano County Athletic Conference Back of the Year award. Franklin rushed for 211 yards last week against Fairfield, becoming the first Panther to rush for 200-plus yards since Austin Carr ran for 290 against Vanden on Oct. 28, 2011. Franklin has averaged 176 yards rushing over the past three games.

“He’s running with a purpose and has bulled his way through tacklers,” Holden said. “That allows us to open up our passing game. Early on, teams were blitzing us all the time and now they can’t because they know we can run.”

Burbank’s defensive strength is in a front four anchored by senior defensive end Deonte (D.J.) Johnson, who will play for the University of Miami after graduation. Johnson has a team-high 68 tackles and 13 sacks.

“They have a nice defensive line and they’ll get after you,” Holden said. “They try to beat you up front and drop their linebackers to cover passes.”

The Panthers should acclimate well to the playoff pressure since they had to win all of their final four games just to make the postseason and grab a share of the SCAC championship. Benicia also hopes to have center Brian McRae return from an injury that has kept him out the past two weeks.

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