-Miami East 18-14
By Brett Barnes
When asked what the key to Friday night’s football game against Miami East would be, head coach Mark Lane didn’t hesitate. Offensively we need to possess the football and sustain drives. Defensively, Miami East has a wealth of skilled athletes. We will need to play sound defense to stop them.”
For one half of football Milton-Union did just that. M-U held the ball for over 6:00 minutes on its opening drive, a 13 play, 80-yard smash-mouth drive that ended with Brad Stine powering 11 yards for the touchdown. Alec Newman drilled the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Miami East had some luck moving the football on their first possession as well and closed the gap to 7-3 when Michael Fellers drilled a 27-yard field goal. That would be all the Viking scoring for the first half. Two promising drives ended in interceptions by corner backs Kodey Wolfe and Joey Swafford. The interception by Wolfe with 5:18 left in the half started the final Bulldog drive of the half, a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Chase Martens (178 yards) sprinting 17 yards around right end for another M-U touchdown. Newman again connected and at the half, the Bulldogs were in complete control 14-3.
It is a mystery of sport what happens at half time of games, but often it seems the teams trade uniforms, and on this night it played out just that way. The third and fourth quarters were dominated by Miami East. Everything that the Bulldogs were able to do in half number one was stopped by a swarming Miami East defense. However, Miami East still had trouble getting the ball into the end zone, and again had to settle for a Feller’s field goal that made the score 14-6 with 3:30 left in the third quarter.
Then it all unraveled for Milton-Union. A three-play drive ended in a punt, and it took East just two plays to score courtesy of senior running back Alex Brewer. Brewer ran for 40 yards on a jet sweep, and on the very next play scored virtually untouched from 10 yards to cut the lead to 14-12. The two point conversion was unsuccessful after an illegal substitution penalty, and the Bulldogs held on to that 14-12 lead.
Three plays later, Martens fumbled, and East recovered at the Bulldog 38 yard line. Colton McKinney capitalized on the turnover with a 19-yard touchdown run. Again the conversion failed, and the Vikings led 18-14.
M-U would possess the ball only twice more in the football game. The first series ended in a punt, and the second ended on downs. Three first downs later, the Vikings were in victory formation.
After totaling 214 yards in the first half, the Bulldogs were held to 75 yards in half number two for a total of 289. Miami East totaled 325 yards on the night with 202 of those coming in the second half.
M-U plays at Oakwood September 6. Game time is 7:30.
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