A year can be a long time to carry a bitter memory. That was just the case this Friday, as the 365th day of last season’s opening day 35-33 home loss to Conrad School of Science stewed in the memories of the Milford Buccaneers players and coaches. It was the first game of coach Rod Milstead’s Buc career. It wasn’t that Milford lost, it was how they lost. At the very top of the list was pre-snap and post-snap penalties, blown coverage and at times, just poor decision making.
On Friday afternoon, one year removed from that game, Buccaneer faithful were shown what a year’s worth of hard work and dedication can accomplish. The scoring started early and often for Milford as senior running back Andrew Sivels who took the second offensive snap of the game 65 yards for the Buccaneers opening score of the game. It would be the first of four touchdowns on the day for Sivels, who was honored as the game’s MVP.
“We were really ready for today’s game and ran the ball the way we knew we could against them. I had a really big day today, but it really isn’t about me, the whole team wanted this one. I’m thankful for this honor, but this is really about how the team dominated today.” Sivels said.
On Conrad’s opening series a pattern would emerge. The Milford defense was not going to make the same mistakes it had the previous year. There would be no complacency, no free-lancing, just sticking to the game plan. The three and out was an indication of what was in store for Conrad, who struggled to move the ball the entire game. The mistakes that plagued them a year ago were not to be seen. While no game is perfect, the Milford defense was mistake free when it came to penalties. There was only one called the entire game and that was due to a substitution confusion late in the game. When needed, the Bucs defense came up with a crucial stop on 4th and 1, inside their own territory.
“I was very happy with how well the defense played today. They played as a unit, that was important, it was doing the little things and following the game plan. The guys did their job today; we still have things that we need to work on but overall, I think this was a good start to the season,” Milstead stated.
It would be sophomore Romante Jones who got the start for Milford. While he may have suffered from some first start jitters, he kept his cool under pressure. It was evident the first play of the game, when he turned around to hand the ball off and nobody was there. He didn’t panic, he made the rational decision by heading to where the blocking was for a nine-yard gain.
“I watched him play for Milford Central Academy last season and you could see the potential. His body has grown into a more quarterback form and his decision making is solid, he was fun to watch today.” Milstead said.
Also seeing action behind center was junior Zachary Ruckle who had a solid game. His only mistake came towards the end of the first half as he was running the hurry-up offense and threw an interception deep in Conrad territory. When asked if both players will continue to see action, Milstead was quick to respond.
“These guys are both deserving starters at this point, the plan is that they will both see action and the only way that will change is if one player clearly separates themselves from the other,” he said.
Another player who stood out for the Buccaneers was senior Jayden Williams who had both a rushing and receiving touchdown in the game, while playing solid defense in the secondary. The offensive and defensive lines looked solid as well and still have room for improvement as it took a little while to settle down on the offensive side of the ball.
Milford will be off this upcoming week, before hosting Indian River on September 18th. This annual Hall of Fame night game is set for a 7 pm kick-off.
