H.S. FOOTBALL: Bulldogs unable to tame Lions

MILAN – Jeff Morris won’t sugarcoat it.

“I thought we’d compete better than what we did,” said Milan’s head football coach. “That disappointed me to see the game get that out of hand.”

The football game between Milan High and Christ Presbyterian Academy wasn’t one his Bulldogs performed well in.

Milan fell to the No. 2-ranked team in Class 3A, 42-7 Thursday night.

“Everything we did wrong, I’d like to think CPA had a hand in because they’re an awfully good team,” Morris said. “Good blocking, good rushing with jet sweeps, quality receivers catching good passes -- their defense was all over the place.

“They are just a very good team, and we had a bad night against them.”

Milan got the ball first and went three-and-out deep in its own territory. The punt put the ball on CPA’s 39-yard line.

That’s where Zach Weatherly started his quarterback-keeper run. Milan’s defense didn’t pick up on it in time, and he ran 61 yards untouched to the end zone for a quick lead less than three-and-a-half minutes into the game.

The game went downhill from there for Milan as the Bulldogs had a hard time moving the ball.

At halftime Milan had as many first downs as CPA’s defense had interceptions: Three.

“Those weren’t all on him,” Morris said about junior quarterback Landon Walker, who was making his first start after Marshall Harrison suffered a season-ending broken leg last week. “CPA got back there and ran him down, and they were there to catch it.

“They were doing what they needed to do every play. Like I said, they’re a very good team.”

The Lions ran for three more touchdowns through the first half and threw for another in the final minute of the second quarter to have the clock running for the mercy rule when the third quarter started.

CPA scored another touchdown late in the third quarter, which gave the Lions some insurance to keep the clock running if they wanted to get on the bus for their drive back to Nashville after the game.

Milan took the next drive down the field and avoided the shutout when Isiah Ross went up the middle for a 20-yard touchdown. The drive in the fourth quarter marked Milan’s first pass reception, which came with 9:53 to go, and the first time for the Bulldogs’ offense to cross the 50-yard line.

“If there’s anything positive we can take away, it’s that I think we kept fighting, and that drive is the evidence for me,” Morris said. “Now we’ve got to get back, watch the film, see if there’s anything we could’ve done with corrections and get ready for the next one.”

The Bulldogs have a short trip next week to a bitter rival in South Gibson.

“We’ve got to put this one behind us and get ready for them,” Morris said. “Coaches will work [Friday] night breaking this one down and getting preparations started, and we’ll get to work.”

Brandon Shields, 425-9751