-Madison holds off Bulldogs 40-31
By Brett Barnes
In the words of the immortal Jack Buck, “I can’t believe what I just saw! In a game featuring the power of the Milton-Union Bulldogs and the speed of the Madison Mohawks, it was speed that would prevail on this night, but just barely. Final score: 40-31.
The Bulldogs opened the football game with the football and held it for over 5:30 minutes with a 17 play smash-mouth, in your face drive that ended with an Alec Newman field goal, and a 3-0 lead.
Fourteen of the plays were running plays, and the M-U game plan was plain for all to see. After Madison failed on its first drive (fumble recovered by Matt Bracci), M-U began to march again, but after one first down, had to punt. That’s when speed took over. It took one play for Madison to score. Tre Owens took the football and dodged and weaved 78 yards for the Mohawk touchdown, and a 7-3 lead.
The Bulldogs next drive wasn’t as good as the first one. This one only went 16 plays! It culminated after 6:32 later in the end zone when London Cowan hit Holden Kimmel with a perfect 10 yard slant. The Bulldogs led 10-7. Amazingly after that drive, M-U had run 38 plays from scrimmage to just 4 plays for Madison.
However, Madison scored in just 1:18 when Stephen Melton took a perfect counter inside handoff and scored untouched to make the score 14-10. M-U could not counter, and Madison scored right before the half when Owens struck again. The half time score: 21-10.
Madison would receive the kickoff with a chance to extend the lead. On the kick, Owens touched the ball about the ten yard line. It rolled back toward the goal line, and when he tried to pick it up, he kicked the ball into the end zone. By the time he finally did pick it up, he was surrounded by Bulldogs, who tackled him in the end zone for an apparent safety. Indeed two officials did signal safety, and the Bulldog sideline erupted. However after a long conference, the officials decided it was not a safety, but a touchback and awarded the ball back to the Mohawks.
After two scoreless possessions, the Mowhawks’ Melton scored again on the same exact counter play. The extra point was wide, and Madison led 27-10. M-U would fight back. A 12 play, 75-yd drive ended with Brad Stine thundering 5 yards into the end zone, and after the PAT the lead was trimmed to 27-17.
Madison answered with frightening speed. Owens scored in 14 seconds from 65 yards. The 5’7”, 140 pound senior back finished the night with 168 yards rushing. But once again, the extra point missed wide, and the lead was still inside two scores at 33-17.
The Bulldogs drove 72-yds on 14 plays. All 14 plays were runs, and Kenton Dickison was the main feature. The senior carried the ball eight consecutive plays before Cowan finally sneaked in from one yard out to make the score 33-23. The two point conversion was crucial, and Dickison waltzed in to cut the lead to eight 33-25.
M-U had to stop the Mohawks to have a chance, and they did. Madison had to punt, and the Bulldogs had the football with 5:16 seconds left in the football game with an improbable chance to tie.
Run after run netted yard after yard, and with 1:13 left in the football game, Dickison scored again this time from 4 yards away. The senior back finished with 166 yards on the night, and it was 33-31. The two point conversion loomed, but this time the Mohawks stood tough and held the Bulldogs out of the end zone.
The onside kick failed, and Madison looked to run out the clock. They did better than that. Three plays netted 50 yards and a final touchdown for Melton. Final score: 40-31.
Milton-Union ran 60 more plays from scrimmage than Madison, but the Mohawks had more yards 406-368.
M-U returns to action next week for homecoming. Their current record stands at 0-5.
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