The huge rivalry showdown between Cambridge and Milton kicked off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 1st.
The game started out very slowly. The ball moved up and down the field, but neither team broke through to score any points. Finally, Milton snuck in a field goal with 4:41 remaining in the second quarter. They surprised Cambridge with an onside kick right after the field goal to get the ball once again. Just two plays later, Milton found pay dirt with a 12-yard pass to extend their lead to 10-0 at the half. Milton brought their lead out yet again in the middle of the third quarter with a one-yard touchdown run to make the lead 17-0. Cambridge did not reach the end zone until the end of the third quarter. This proved to be the Bears only touchdown as Milton cruised in the fourth quarter to a 24-6 victory.
Despite only six points, the Bears offense moved the ball decently well and tallied up 232 total yards. Every long drive just seemed to go wrong in Milton territory. Senior quarterback Hogan Dykes, who went 15/29 for 166 yards, threw two interceptions that cost Cambridge the opportunity for points. Another fumble added to the turnovers. Milton played a clean game with no turnovers that helped to prevent chances for a Cambridge comeback. Coach Bennett said of the offense, "We had a few chances here and there to keep drives alive and missed some plays, but overall I am very proud of our offense". Senior running back Matt McCree found little room to run through Milton's strong defensive line and only posted 63 rushing yards on 22 carries. On the receiving end, senior Christian Lail led the Bears with 6 catches for 66 yards, including a 15-yard snag on Cambridge's lone touchdown drive. "McCree did a tremendous job mentally, emotionally, and physically, and Lail was a great leader on the field," said Bennett on the two.
The Bears defense stepped up in a big way after their lackluster performance against Creekview. Although Milton held a massive size advantage and posted 361 yards of offense, the Cambridge defense was there when it counted. The defense came up with multiple stops in the red zone throughout the game. Senior defensive end Matthew Briesemeister even came up with a huge field goal block in the first quarter. These stops kept the game within reach for a long period of time. Senior cornerback Zach Furr and senior linebacker James Poinsette led the team with 9 tackles apiece.
The second-ever meeting between the two teams did not come down to the wire, but the atmosphere, physicality, and competitiveness were all you could ask for in such a rivalry game. "I want our guys to know they can play with really good teams, and I am proud of the way they competed Friday night," said Bennett.
Cambridge will travel to Chattahoochee for their first region contest of the year on Friday, September 8th. Chattahoochee is coming off a painful 36-0 loss to Pickens County and will look to bounce back in their first region game as well.
Coach Bennett always emphasizes the next game as the most important. This week is no different. "It is the most important game to us right now, so it is very important to play well against a very good Chattahoochee team," said Bennett. "We just need to be the best we can be and take care of ourselves first and foremost".
The game will kickoff at 7:30 p.m.
Go Bears!
article by Jack Sadighian
