“It’s going crazy,” senior quarterback/safety Chad Burgess said about the atmosphere at Milano High School. “It makes high school that much more fun.”
Added Jantzen Robinson: “They’re happy that we’re the first team to make it past the first game in the playoffs and make history for Milano. I’m pretty proud of that.”
Picked to finish in fourth place in District 27-A, the Eagles surprised several teams with a runner-up result while earning their second playoff appearance in three seasons. Last week, Milano made school history by recording its first 11-man playoff victory.
Milano (8-3) looks to advance deeper into the playoffs when it faces No. 7-ranked Bremond (8-2) at 7:30 tonight in a Class A Division II area-round playoff game at Cameron’s Yoe Field.
The winner will battle the D’Hanis-Louise victor next week in a Region IV semifinal.
The Tigers, who seek to add to their already-rich playoff history, are carrying some momentum into tonight’s matchup.
Bremond lost its first two games of the season to 2A playoff teams Lexington and Franklin by a combined eight points. The Tigers rebounded in a big way, shutting out their next six opponents and winning their final eight games in earning the 25-A championship.
“We were still learning a bit,” said Bremond coach Jerry Hamrick, whose team received a first-round playoff bye. “We went from a 4-2-5 to an odd-man front (on defense). Our kids were still learning it and we were still finding out how to do things.
“As we’ve grown into it we got to know where we are supposed to be. We have extremely quick kids and that’s made a big difference.”
Quarterback LiDarral Bailey makes plays with his arm and his legs. He leads an offense that averages 34.9 points per game, including seven straight games of more than 35 points.
Bailey has thrown for more than 1,000 yards, giving Hamrick his best passing attack during his 11-year Bremond coaching tenure.
Jeremy Baker is Bailey’s main target and Rickie Williams has rushed for more than 1,000 yards.
All five Bremond offensive linemen weigh more than 215 pounds, something Milano’s undersized defense has grown accustomed to facing all season.
“They do a good job of dictating what they are going to do because they don’t have a tendency,” Milano coach Brad Jones said. “They’re bigger and faster than we are. We have to play total team defense.”
Added Milano’s Paul Adrian: “It’s pursuit chasing after the ball. We have to read our keys and go where we’re supposed to go.”
That’s what Milano’s defense has done for the first 11 games.
The Eagles have allowed an average of only 165.3 yards per game and have recorded five shutouts. They allowed 19 total yards and one first down in last week’s 42-0 bi-district win against Leakey.
The two teams shared two common opponents this season. Bremond defeated Thorndale 24-0 and Normangee 48-41. Milano beat Thorndale 14-7 but lost to Normangee 28-0 in the second week of the season.
“We know they’re going to make plays, but we are just going to make their great plays 8- and 10-yard plays,” Jones said. “We have to make them go 8, 10 or 12 plays before they get in the end zone and just play field position.”
