Former teammates meet as foes Saturday in Linfield-PLU season closer

Two former teammates meet as foes — friendly foes, perhaps — Saturday in Puyallup. Quarterback Cole Franklin and the Linfield College Wildcats meet linebacker Tim Cumming and the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes on Saturday, 1:30 p.m., at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.

Two former teammates meet as foes — friendly foes, perhaps — Saturday in Puyallup.

Quarterback Cole Franklin and the Linfield College Wildcats meet linebacker Tim Cumming and the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes on Saturday, 1:30 p.m., at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.

The Wildcats are 5-3 overall and 4-1 Northwest Conference. The Lutes are 3-5 overall, 3-2 Northwest Conference. The matchup is the teams’ final game of the season.

Franklin and Cumming were teammates on the Friday Harbor Wolverines. Franklin lettered eight times in football and baseball at Friday Harbor, was an honorable mention All-State selection in each of his final two seasons, was voted the Wolverines’ most valuable and most dedicated player, and helped lead Friday Harbor to the 1A state semifinals as a senior. At Friday Harbor, Cumming was first team All-League or All-State in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

At Linfield, Franklin, a 6-2, 205-pound sophomore, is described in his team biography as having “Big-play potential … best runner among the quarterbacks … good command of the offense.” In six games, Franklin had a pass-completion percentage of 62.9 percent for 694 yards and three touchdowns. His longest pass completion was 47 yards. He rushed for 340 yards and four touchdowns.

At PLU, Cumming, a 6-0, 200-pound junior, is a third-year member of Lute football. This season, he played in seven games and had eight tackles, 10 assists and one forced fumble.