Franklin's Town likes the way the ball bounces

DEMETRIUS Town, star defensive tackle for Ben Franklin High, has been talking all football season about wanting to score a touchdown.

"He has forced a lot of fumbles, and he had some chances to run one back," said longtime assistant Al Hill. "But he never quite made it happen."

Then came yesterday . . .

As the Electrons thumped Southern, 39-14, in a nonleague game at 29th Street Stadium, Town, a 6-3, 285-pound stalwart, scored the first touchdown by catching a punt. On one bounce. In the end zone.

The line of scrimmage was the 4. Sandy Little punted from the east end zone and Town scored in the south part.

"The guy kind of slipped as he punted," Town said. "The kick flew way up in the sky. Higher than the goalposts. It came almost straight down. I saw it bounce and I jetted right to it. It was a weird bounce. Came right to me. Right into my arms.

"When I saw it coming down, I was saying, 'Let this bounce right to me. I need six of them things [points].' Then it did! Everybody was going crazy."

Town predicted a score for himself before the game.

"My buddies were saying they thought I'd get one, too," he said. "I was telling them, 'You do?' Didn't know if they were playing with me."

Incredibly, Town is the second Electron to score a TD on a 0-yard punt "return." Bryant Jennings did so in 2001 vs. Thomas Edison. In 1992, Jules Mastbaum Tech's Forrest Pearson did likewise vs. Edison.