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Tigers Host Milton

MUHS look to stay on track against Yellow Jackets in Non League clash at Doc Collins.

photo by Chris Thayer MUHS Tigers Head Coach Peter Brakeley plans some final minutes strategy with the Tiger offensive unit in a game against Rutland on 9-29-06. The Tigers won 20-18 to go 5-0 on the year.

Tuesday October 10, 2006

By Mike Cameron

    All of the talk and speculation about the 06 MUHS Varsity football team being too young, too inexperienced, and too few in numbers, isn’t going to fly anymore.  

The Tigers have a record of 6-0, have proven that they can come back in difficult ball games and they have talent, lots of talent, especially in the backfield.  

The defense has begun to jell, especially in the secondary.  But for those who need a reminder and a reality check Rutland’s Derrick Webb ran around, across and through the Tigers for large numbers at Rutland. Webb’s numbers just weren’t large enough that night.

The Tiger defense had a lot to do with that because in the Red Zone, Middlebury’s defense has gotten the job done all year long.  

The Tigers seem to have developed the  team chemistry necessary to win close ball games. Everyone seems to be on the same page and this makes it difficult to coach  or scout against them.

Middlebury’s philosophy for 06 seems to be ‘you will have to work twice as hard as us to beat us because we are not going to beat ourselves.’

This week the Division-3 Milton Yellow Jackets were in town, a team with nothing to loose and everything to gain by beating the Tigers.  A win over Middlebury would be an even bigger historic moment than the Tigers win over Rutland the week before.

Tigers-Jacks Battle Under Full Moon/Visitors See Orange

Middlebury was glad to be back in the friendly confines of Doc Collins Field for Homecoming 2006 and they responded with a convincing 48-19 win over Division III Milton in a non-league encounter before a big partisan crowd.

The Tigers looked fresh and ready to go right from the start.  Fear of a let down after the big win at Rutland the week before was put to rest as Middlebury’s first offensive unit unleashed a ground assault that must have given scouts from Brattleboro, Essex and Hartford plenty to keep track of.

Milton hung tough in the first quarter and answered two quick Tiger TD’s, one by Ethan Raymond and one by J.J. Mackey with a 59-yard TD run by Pat Grenier.

The Tigers converted both PAT’s via Mackey’s boots.  The Yellow Jackets had their’s blocked by Ben Almquist who would supply more fireworks as the game progressed.

With 2:57 still left to play in the first quarter Jeremy Peterson broke off a dazzling 53-yard touchdown run off a reverse that caught Milton flat-footed and he was gone down the sideline.  J.J. was automatic on the point after and the Tigers had Milton in tow 21-6.

Poor field position was a nemesis for Milton in this one and the Tigers took advantage at every turn especially in the first half.  Ben Almquist made a eight yard dash for more pay dirt and then electrified the crown with a 43-yard with a 43-yard interception of Jacket QB Jared Reed pass for another TD as he dodged 5-defenders, breaking three tackles inside the 20-yard line before going in for the score.  J.J. hit the PAT perfect and the Tigers roared 35-6 with almost the entire second quarter still to play.

Mackey added a keeper after a sustained drive inside Milton territory to close out the first half scoring but not before Robbie Harrison attempted to drop-kick the extra point.  It had plenty of legs but missed wide right.  

As both teams headed to the locker room for intermission the Tigers were up 41-6 with most of that damage applied in the first quarter.

Coach Peter Brakeley went with as  many underclassmen and less experienced players as he could for the third quarter and they responded well.  

Milton would not fold or hang their heads.  Tailback Pat Grenier had a super ball game as he amassed 206-yards rushing and two TD’s.  The Milton defense made some great plays in the second half but the die was cast way back in the furious first quarter by th Tigers.  Middlebury rolled for 301-yards rushing on 36 carries according to statistician Dave Sears.  

The final burst of Tiger scoring was provided by Lance Robinson as he picked off Reed deep in Tiger territory and out ran the entire Milton team for a 49-yard scoring scamper.Final score 48-19 and the Tigers move to 6-0 on the year.  

Essex, Brattleboro, and Hartford remain before the play-offs.  The Tigers are for real.

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