By Brett Barnes
Dayton, OH – In a game filed with high emotion, the Milton-Union Bulldogs traveled to Oakwood on Friday night and dropped the Jacks to 0-2 on the season with an exciting 23-13 victory. The Bulldogs now stand 2-0 (both road victories) with Tipp week looming for these young, hungry Dogs.
Early in the first quarter Oakwood dominated play when they took the opening kickoff from their own twenty-two yard line to the Bulldog six
using sixteen plays and chewing up five minutes and two seconds of game time.  However, the drive stalled after a costly holding penalty, and a fourth down pass attempt fell to the turf as the Bulldog sideline erupted.
The Bulldog offense could only muster one first down, and after a Nick Fields’ punt, the Lumberjacks began a second drive deep in Bulldog
territory after a punt catch interference penalty. The drive lasted just four plays when on fourth and one the Jacks inexplicably went into shot gun formation and tried a quick pass that fell incomplete. Once again the Bulldogs had held, and despite being outgained eighty-five yards to
fifteen, the score stood 0-0.
MU again had to punt, but fortunes turned when Oakwood fumbled the punt, and David Karns recovered the muff at the Lumberjack twenty-four. Three plays netted just seven yards, but Nick Fields came in and blasted a thirty-four yard field goal. With just thirty-seven yards total
offense, the Bulldogs led 3-0 with 7:35 remaining in the half.
After the kickoff, Oakwood ran just three plays and had to punt. The punt was downed at the MU forty-five yard line, but an illegal formation penalty caused the Jacks to punt again, and Jacob Finfrock made them pay. An electrifying thirty-nine yard return placed the Bulldogs first and
ten at the Oakwood twenty-one. Six seconds later, Clay Minton took a draw untouched into the end zone and after the Fields’ PAT, the Bulldogs led 10-0.  Oakwood had outgained the Dogs 113 yards to 59, but the scoreboard showed all M-U.
Great coaches go with what works until it is stopped, and Coach Bret Pearce called on Clay Minton one more time midway through the third
quarter.  A methodical nine play drive sparked by a fake punt pass from Fields to Tyler Brown turned into a blitzkrieg, when Minton took the draw handoff and sprinted again untouched forty-two yards for the touchdown. Fields PAT was wide right, but the Bulldogs were in complete control at 16-0 with 6:15 left in the third quarter.
Great coaches strike when the iron is hot, and Coach Pearce fresh off a successful fake punt, caught the entire stadium by surprise and went for the jugular with an onside kick. The ball looked as if it was surrounded by Bulldogs, but when the pile unraveled, Oakwood had possession and a short field. Eight plays later, Jake Falter powered four yards for the Jacks’ first score of the night. The two point conversion failed, but the score had been trimmed to 16-6.
Momentum had swung and after a three and out by the Bulldogs, Oakwood took possession and marched seventy- eight yards in ten plays scoring on a Trent Jervis two yard run. The extra point was good, and with 10:12 left in the game, the score stood 16-13 Bulldogs.
Jake Finfrock took over.  His fifty-five yard kick off return set up the Bulldogs at the Oakwood thirty. One play later, Finfrock took the handoff and scampered twenty-nine yards for the touchdown. After the PAT, the Dogs led 23-13.
Game over…..Wrong. Oakwood marched thirteen plays to the Bulldog one. On third and goal from the one, Tyler Brown broke through and stuffed the Oakwood back for a two yard loss making it fourth and three with 2:55 left in the game. On fourth down, Jake Falter took the handoff
and powered within inches of the goal. Oakwood players signaled touchdown, but when the dust cleared, the officials ruled him just short, and M-U took over on their half yard line.
After a three and out, Oakwood had one last chance, but Minton finished off an all-around fantastic night with a physical hit and interception.  The Bulldogs went into victory formation, and on the snap the Oakwood line dove into the knees of the Bulldog line showing a lack of sportsmanship. A second snap resulted in more Oakwood dirty play, but the Bulldogs had prevailed not only on the scoreboard but also in behavior and discipline.
M-U ended the night with just 185 yards total offense while Oakwood had 286 yards.
Now it is time for Tipp City, and the Bulldogs begin to prepare for the home opener with an eye on moving 3-0 for the first time since 2007. Kickoff is set for 7:30.
###
