Coach Marty Hingst described Milford’s 14-7 win over Malcolm Aug. 27 as “the perfect first game of the year.”
“First games are sometimes weird,” he said. “We had seven penalties, but Malcolm fumbled twice. Both quarterbacks were running backs before.
“Everyone was scratching their heads.”
The two teams were not strangers, having played at the Lincoln North Star football camp this summer.
It took Milford three possessions to get moving Friday night. On a first-down play, quarterback Jaxon Weyand connected with Ayden Shook for a 48-yard touchdown pass to put Milford on the board.
After Malcolm punted the ball back, the Eagles put together a drive that finished when Weyand found Seth Stutzman in the endzone for a 24-yard touchdown pass.
“It was a jump ball Seth won,” Hingst said.
Milford took a 12-0 lead into halftime. In the third quarter, the Eagles were able to move the ball to the five yardline where the drive stalled. Malcolm took over, and on its third play from scrimmage, saw Nelson Girmus sack Hayden Frank in the endzone for a safety.
Malcolm was able to put a drive together later in the third quarter that culminated with a one-yard run by Frank and point-after kick by Gavin Zoucha.
After trading punts again, the Eagles put together a four-minute drive in the fourth quarter, running 12 plays, but turned the ball over on downs.
Malcolm took over and ran a couple plays before Shook intercepted a pass and returned it to the one late in the fourth quarter.
Weyand finished the night completing six of 11 passes for 133 yards. Stutzman caught two, Shook one and Eli Vondra three. Weyand also led the rushing attack with 88 yards on 13 carries.
Sophomore inside linebacker Keenan Troyer was a force on defense, Hingst said, recording five solo tackles and five assists. Vondra made four solo tackles from his safety position.
The Eagles (1-0) are on the road Friday, Sept. 3, to play top-five Ashland-Greenwood. The Bluejays return a lot of starters from last season, Hingst said.
“They are a talented team,” he said.
