SETTING THE SCENE: Coming off its first victory of the season and an explosion by the team’s offense, the Milford High School football squad opens Eastern Cincinnati Conference play this week with the tall task of traveling to Turpin. The Eagles finished off Norwood in a shootout last Friday night by a 52-48 score and will next take a shot at one-half of last season’s conference champs, the Spartans of Turpin. The Eagles will bring a 1-2 record into Friday night’s 7 p.m. kickoff, while the Spartans are a perfect 3-0 on the year.
A LOOK BACK: Sept. 9 vs. Norwood: On a night that featured exactly 100 points and over 1,000 yards of total offense, the Milford High School football team came out on top, winning a wild 52-48 contest over Norwood on Sept. 9. Senior Chase Witte had an unbelievable performance in just his second start at quarterback as he totaled 281 yards on the ground and four touchdowns, while also adding a pair of scores through the air. His performance was part of a 449 rushing yards performance for the Eagles.
While Witte was nearly unstoppable, fellow Milford (1-2) senior Dawson Slone was also outstanding, finishing the night with 168 yards of his own, along with one touchdown. Norwood (2-1) quarterback Matt Goodman also put up big numbers, completing 14 of 26 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 191 yards and four touchdowns.
The night started off with a scare for the Eagles as they fumbled the opening kickoff and promptly watched as Goodman connected with Jihad Key for a 35-yard score on the game’s second snap. But Milford refused to be rattled as they moved right down the field to tie the game on a Witte eight-yard scamper. The first touchdown seemingly opened the floodgates for the Milford offense as they rattled off 28 consecutive points. Witte had a hand in all four of the scores with TD passes to Dax Creager and Max Brewer sandwiched around the fleet-footed senior’s second rushing score.
While it appeared the Eagles were in control up by 21, the momentum then swung the way of the Indians as they ripped off back-to-back touchdowns to claw right back into the contest. First, Casey Ragle recovered his own fumble in the end zone, before Goodman got loose on a 63-yard quarterback keeper to draw Norwood within 28-21. Milford fired the final shot of the half with under a minute to go on Dillon Colerman’s 28-yard field goal.
The second half was full of more points and offensive fireworks with long quarterback runs by each squad’s signal callers accounting for all the third quarter points. Witte found the end zone first, racing 58 yards for his third score, but Goodman countered just over five minutes later when he jaunted 70 yards to paydirt.
The Eagles seemed to put themselves in a comfortable position early in the fourth as they went up 45-28 on Witte’s fourth TD run, this one from three yards out. But all of the sudden, Norwood repeated its first half script, scoring two quick touchdowns to once again make it a one score game. Goodman found a wide-open Ollohjowon Wellington for a 62-yard bomb for the first score and then bolted in from three yards out following an interception to trim the deficit to 45-42.
Needing one final drive to close the game out, the Eagles collectively showed the heart of a champion as they took 5:42 off the clock with a 10-play, 65-yard drive that ended with just 39 seconds on the clock. Riding the legs of Witte and Slone all the way down the field, the Eagles threw the final haymaker with Slone bulling in from three yards out for the score. Goodman closed out the night’s scoring with an 18-yard rush as time expired.
Milford finished the track meet of a game with a slight 518-501 advantage in total offense, doing most of its damage with the 449 rushing yards. Norwood achieved a near perfect rush-pass balance, rushing for 227 yards and passing for 274.
Click here for the final Milford-Norwood game stats.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENT: A look at Turpin, Milford’s 2016 Week 4 opponent:
- Friday, Sept. 16 at Turpin, 7:00 p.m.
- 2016 Record: 3-0. 0-0 ECC (3rd Division II area coaches’ weekly poll)
- Top Offensive Player: Senior RB Nathan Hooper (308 yards rushing, 34 yards receiving, 2 total TDs)
- Top Defensive Player: Junior Will Hausfeld (2 INTs)
- Last Meeting: 2015; Turpin 28, Milford 16
- Capsule look at the Spartans: Turpin has won 14 of its last 15 regular season games dating back to Week 10 of the of the 2014 campaign. The Spartans are off to another strong start this year, having outscored their opponents 111-33.
THE MATCH-UP: A look at the Milford-Turpin match-up by the numbers (per game averages with conference team rankings):
- Milford scoring offense (5th-26.3) vs. Turpin scoring defense (1st-11.0)
- Milford total offense (5th-319.0) vs. Turpin total defense (2nd-221.3)
- Milford rushing offense (2nd-259.3) vs. Turpin rushing defense (2nd-116.0)
- Milford passing offense (6th-59.0) vs. Turpin passing defense (1st-105.3)
- Turpin scoring offense (2nd-37.0) vs. Milford scoring defense (5th-31.0)
- Turpin total offense (3rd-373.3) vs. Milford total defense (5th-438.7)
- Turpin rushing offense (4th-216.3) vs. Milford rushing defense (7th-269.7)
- Turpin passing offense (3rd-157.0) vs. Milford passing defense (5th-169.0)
INSIDE THE ECC: Two teams conclude non-conference play at 3-0 as both Turpin and surprising Walnut Hills are currently unbeaten. Previously unbeaten Kings was knocked off by Hamilton last week, Milford’s Week 1 opponent.
The Week 4 ECC schedule includes: Milford at Turpin, Anderson at Kings, Walnut Hills at Glen Este and Withrow at Loveland.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: A look at Milford’s statistical leaders:
Rushing Yards: Chase Witte (438)
Passing Yards: Chase Witte (166)
Receiving Yards: Max Brewer (97)
Tackles: Eric Richey (30)
Sacks: Bryce Dugan/Eric Richey (0.5)
Interceptions: None
Kickoff Return Yards: Chase Witte (49)
Punting Average: Chase Witte (42.3)
Punt Return Yards: Sam Pickett (76)
POLL WATCH: The Eagles’ big win over Norwood moved the Eagles within a single point of the top-10 in the weekly Division I area coaches’ poll sponsored by the Cincinnati Enquirer and released on Sept. 10. Colerain once again earned all six No. 1 votes and leads a top-five comprised of Moeller, Mason, Elder and St. Xavier. In the Division II rankings, the ECC is well represented especially at the top where Kings (second), Turpin (third) and Anderson and Walnut Hills (tied for fifth) are all in the top-five. Loveland and Withrow are also receiving votes in the polls. The coaches’ poll is released every Monday at Noon at preps.cincinnati.com/coachespolls.
ON THE TUBE: Local cable access channel ICRC-TV will broadcast a pair of Milford home contests involving this fall for tape-delayed replay. The first of the two scheduled games was against Turpin on Sept. 9 and the cameras will return for the Oct. 21 match-up vs. Anderson.
TICKET TALK: Once again this season, pre-sale tickets for all ages are available for all home and ECC away games only in the Milford High School Athletic Office for a cost of $5. Please note tickets for all ages at the gate are priced at $7 each. Come out and support the Eagles and save by purchasing your tickets in advance!