SOUTH CENTRE TWP – Having entered the Week 7 game on a five-game losing streak after winning its season opener back in August, Central Columbia could have easily folded at a few different times during Friday’s game against Milton, which was close throughout.
In particular, the Bluejays could have folded after starting running back Ty Regan left the game due to injury on the first play of the fourth quarter after running for 108 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 14 carries.
Or when a 22-yard field goal attempt on the final play of regulation that was high and long enough sailed barely wide right.
Or even after Milton’s Chris Doyle scored a touchdown and two-point conversion on Milton’s first play of overtime and Central nearly had the game end on a fumble that was barely recovered on its first overtime possession.
Instead, the Bluejays kept battling and in the end, stopped the Black Panthers in the second overtime after they had scored on the first play of their second overtime drive, and Central came up with a much-needed win, 42-36, in double overtime.
“My team finally started playing with some heart,” said Central coach EJ Smith. “We didn’t give up, we kept fighting, even through some adversity. I hope they learned a good life lesson and just keep working. I can’t tell you how good it feels. I just wish we weren’t as banged up as we are, but we all needed this win.”
In a game that was very even, with Central holding just a 324-315 advantage in total yards, it was up front that the Bluejays got their slight advantage that gave them the win. The Bluejays had 277 yards on the ground to just 127 for Milton, and it was a 10-yard run by Josh Worthington on the first play of Central’s second overtime possession that gave Central the 42-36 lead after the successful two-point conversion.
Central then stopped Doyle for a one-yard gain on the first down play of Milton’s second overtime possession after Doyle had scored on a 10-yard touchdown run on the first play of the Black Panthers’ first overtime possession. That stop forced the Black Panthers to throw the ball on their next three plays of the second overtime, and Central successfully defended each one to clinch the hard-fought win.
“We were able to move the ball and put some points on the board and we’ve been struggling to do that but we continue to lose that battle up front, especially over our center and guards,” said Milton coach Matthew Wilson. “Teams are beating us up there. We’re down a lot of players on the line but a lot of teams are, so we’re not making excuses. We just have to do a better job of blocking up front. Defensively, we were in position, but guys just didn’t make the plays.”
Central took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Backed up inside their own 1-yard line following a 47-yard punt, Milton fumbled in the end zone on the second play of their first drive of the game, and the fumble was recovered in the end zone by Dylan Shultz for a Bluejay touchdown.
The Bluejays stopped the Black Panthers on downs near midfield on Milton’s subsequent drive, and Central then put together a six-play, 54-yard drive capped by Regan’s three-yard touchdown run.
But the Black Panthers answered back with a 66-yard touchdown reception by Lucas Ditty, who hauled in a short pass, shedded both Central defenders at the point of the catch, then turned around and found no one between him and the end zone.
Milton tied it on a five-yard touchdown run by Doyle and successful two-point conversion just before halftime, which capped a 16-play, 90-yard drive that took 5:26.
Central went back up by a score on Regan’s 31-yard touchdown run on the Bluejays’ first drive of the second half, but the PAT was not successful.
Milton answered right back with another long scoring drive of 12 plays and 57 yards, capped by Ditty’s second touchdown catch of the game from six yards out, but their PAT was blocked.
The teams then traded single-play scoring drives to open the fourth quarter. Ditty hauled in a short screen pass and then tight-roped the sideline for a 59-yard touchdown at the 10:55 mark, but the two-point conversion failed.
The Bluejays answered back with a 52-yard touchdown run by Parker Day on a quarterback draw at the 10:45 mark, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following the touchdown pushed Central back 15 yards for the try, and the two-point conversion failed.
Near the end of regulation, the Bluejays had Milton backed up deep in their own end on their own 10-yard line, and Aiden Huntington returned a punt 32 yards all the way back to the Milton 10 with :16 remaining. They elected to attempt a 27-yard field goal with :03 left, which became a 22-yard field goal after an offside penalty. Despite being high and long enough, the kick was just wide right, sending the game to overtime.
After Doyle’s touchdown on Milton’ first overtime possession, Central gained eight yards on first down of theirs, but Milton kept Central out of the end zone on the next two plays, including a fumble that Central barely recovered. But Day punched it int the end zone on fourth down for the touchdown, capping his night with 108 rushing yards of his own and the pair of touchdowns, and he then found Alex Zeisloft for the two-point conversion to send it to the second overtime.
Central Columbia 42, Milton 36, 2OT
Milton (2-5) 6 8 6 6 8 0 – 36
Central Columbia (2-5) 14 0 6 6 8 8 – 42
First quarter
8:36 – (CC) Dylan Shultz fumble covered in end zone (Hegenstaller kick)
3:57 – (CC) Ty Regan 3-yard run (Hegenstaller kick), 6-54, 2:37
2:59 – (M) Lucas Ditty 66-yard pass from Isayah Minium (run failed), 3-73, :58
Second quarter
:36 – (M) Chris Doyle 5-yard run (Fisher run), 16-90, 5:26
Third quarter
7:49 – (CC) Ty Regan 31-yard run (kick failed), 6-54, 3:06
1:19 – (M) Lucas Ditty 6-yard pass from Izayah Minium (kick blocked), 12-57, 6:30
Fourth quarter
10:55 – (M) Lucas Ditty 59-yard pass from Izayah Minium (run failed), 1-59, :12
10:45 – (CC) Parker Day 52-yard run (pass failed), 1-52, :10
First overtime
(M) – Chris Doyle 10-yard run (Doyle run), 1-10
(CC) – Parker Day 1-yard run (Zeisloft pass from Day), 4-10
Second overtime
(CC) – Josh Worthington 10-yard run (Zeisloft pass from Day), 1-10
Statistics
M CC
First downs 16 16
Rushes-net yards 34-127 42-277
Passing yardage 188 47
Passing 14-26-3-0 4-11-0-1
Fumbles-lost 3-2 2-0
Penalties-yards 9-55 13-116
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Milton: Chris Doyle (15-71-2), Montgomery Fisher (9-47), Izayah Minium (8-0), Hayden Patterson (1-5), Lucas Ditty (1-4); Central Columbia: Ty Regan (14-108-2), Parker Day (12-108-2), Crue Chipeleski (6-32), Aidan Huntington (6-9), Josh Worthington (3-19-1), Tanner Regan (1-1)
PASSING: Milton: Izayah Minium (14-26-188-3-0); Central Columbia: Parker Day (4-11-47-0-1)
RECEIVING: Milton: Montgomery Fisher (8-45), Lucas Ditty (4-127-3), Chris Doyle (1-9), Dominic Lytle (1-7); Central Columbia: Jansen Sarisky (1-25), Ty Regan (1-11), Crue Chipeleski (1-8), Aidan Huntington (1-3)
