El Paso Coronado takes on El Paso Franklin in the Great American Rivalry Series

[caption id="attachment_19615" align="alignright" width="300"]Photo by Maria Concha Photo by Maria Concha[/caption] In the westernmost tip of Texas you’ll find a city rich in history and culture. El Paso has developed into one of the largest and most unique cities in the state, and football might have something to do with it. The rivalry between the Coronado Thunderbirds and Franklin Cougars has become one of Texas high school football’s best. The District 1-6A matchup known as the West Side Bowl often features intense games that help or hurt a team’s district championship campaign. On Thursday night, these two teams will face off in the 21^st edition of the West Side Bowl at the Sun Bowl Stadium.  Franklin won last season and leads the all-time series, 14-6. The Cougars (3-4, 2-1) have played well this season behind their extremely efficient offense. Their offensive line is stout and creates a lot of opportunities for quarterback Brandon Mueller and running back Michael Faimalo. Franklin’s defense is solid as well and will need to have a good game to stop Coronado’s running game.  The Thunderbirds are led offensively by running back Jonathan Millan and quarterback Angelo Donatelli. Millan has impressed this season, but Coronado’s offense has been plagued by mistakes that keep it from winning games. The Thunderbirds (2-6, 1-3) have had a disappointing run thus far but could find the ultimate redemption with a win over Franklin. They’re experienced defensively and will rely on that maturity to stop the Cougar offense. Franklin is coming off a tough loss last week whereas Coronado has some momentum after notching its first district win. With just one game left on their schedule, the Thunderbirds are seemingly out of district contention. The Cougars, however, could put themselves in a tight race for the district title with a win. Franklin comes into this game as the favorite, but that doesn’t matter much in a rivalry game. Pride and bragging rights are on the line, so expect these two teams to come out and defend their respective side of town intensely.