-West Milton, OH
The Milton-Union Bulldogs had just scored on a Tyler Brown one yard run to give the home team a 27-21 advantage. The Bulldogs sent steady Nick Fields to add the PAT and stretch the lead to seven. Fields had been perfect on the evening after Bulldog touchdowns, but this extra point try was tipped at the line and fell just short keeping the Bulldog lead at an ominous six instead of the comfortable seven.
That Tipp tipped ball made all the difference as the Devils were able to score late in the fourth and add the point after touchdown to defeat the Bulldogs 28-27 at Memorial Stadium on Friday night. With the victory Tipp now leads the all-time series 36-35 and have won three in a row.
Head Coach Bret Pearce preached throughout the week that Charlie Burgbacher’s teams at Tipp City are fundamentally sound, and they would
not beat themselves. “It looks like a typical Tipp team. They aren’t flashy, but they do what they do well.”
Two plays into the contest, Tipp did what they do very well with a 68 yard scoring drive in just 24 seconds. Jacob Hall’s 30 yard touchdown run and the successful extra point made the score 7-0 before many in the crowd had even reached their seats.
However on M-U’s first drive, the Bulldogs showed that this would be a street fight. Milton drove from its own 33-yd line all the way to the Tipp five, sparked by Jake Finfrock’s sixty-one yards rushing. Finfrock scored easily on his last five yard line, and the Nick Field’s PAT made the score 7-7 with 6:51 remaining in the first quarter.
The Tipp City offensive machine was loose again, and the Devils drove methodically from the 20-yd line all the way to the Milton 35. The MU defense continued to bend but it would not break, and David Karns ended the drive with a diving interception at the Bulldog 15.
The Bulldogs could do nothing with it, however, and Tipp regained position after a punt at the Bulldog 42-yd line. Six plays later, Hall added his second touchdown of the night and with 9:37 remaining in the quarter, Tipp led 14-7.
Jake Finfrock was gone. On the second play from scrimmage following the kickoff, #32 galloped 82 yards virtually untouched, and just like that, the game was tied 14-14. At this point in the contest, Finfrock already had 146 yards rushing with 8:40 remaining in the first half.
Following a Tipp City punt, the Bulldogs took over the football at their own 28-yd line. Tyler Brown ran for 16 yards and then it was all Jake Finfrock. Behind the stellar blocking of the O line (Jordan Poland, Jason Siler, Josh Simpson, Trey Overla, and Wes Martin), Finfrock ran the ball on eight consecutive plays for 66 yards taking the ball to the Tipp 1-yd line. Tyler Brown finished what he started with a one yard power run, and the half ended with the Bulldogs leading 21-14 and the ball to start the second half.
With a chance to take time off the clock and extend the lead, the Bulldog offense stalled, and the drive ended when Cody Hollon fumbled the football on a third and seven pass play. Tipp City recovered on the Bulldog 23-yd line. Seven plays later, the score was tied at 21 on a beautiful pass from Ben Hughes and the PAT.
The rest of the third quarter was uneventful with a Bulldog interception and a Devil punt, but to start the fourth quarter, Milton had established the drive that ended with the aforementioned Brown TD run and tipped extra point.
8:31 remained on the scoreboard, with the Bulldogs now leading 27-21. Tipp City could not move the football, and on fourth and eight, the Devil coaching staff decided to punt. That turned out to be the best decision of the ballgame as the Devil punt was downed at the 16-yd line. Add a holding penalty, and the Bulldogs were faced with first and ten on the 6-yd line and 4:59 on the clock.
Three plays netted just four yards, and Fields’ punt was returned to the Dogs’ 33-yd line with 3:14 to play. The first three runs of the drive gained just seven yards, and the Devils called time out facing a fourth and three with 1:54 to play. This was the ballgame…. Six seconds and 26 yards later the score was tied. Nick Fisher took a pitch and followed perfect blocking to tie the score at 27-27…. The PAT was perfect and Tipp had taken the lead 28-27.
M-U had one more chance, and after a kick off out of bounds, David Karns returned the second kick all the way to the 45-yd line with 1:42 left. The Bulldogs were able to get one first down, but after an incomplete and an intentional grounding, the Dogs final play fell short of the intended receiver, and the Devils had prevailed.
Milton ended the evening with 316 total yards led by Jake Finfrock’s 254 yards rushing. Tipp City finished with 268 total yards including 75 yards passing from Hughes.
M-U is home next Friday against Bellbrook High School.
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