Milan knocks out South Side

There have been tough moment for Milan football in 2015, notably the blowout losses in September to Liberty and Huntingdon.

Considering that, Bulldog fans ought to feel pretty good about their team’s position heading into the final week of the regular season.

Milan extended its winning streak to five games Friday with a 38-12 win at South Side.

“I wish I had three less losses, but we’re getting better,” Milan coach Jeff Morris said. “That’s five [wins] in a row. We’re seeing our team get better, playing better.”

South Side was eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.

According to Morris, Milan’s win and South Gibson’s loss to Dyersburg secured a home playoff game for the Bulldogs. Milan won three playoff games last year before a loss in the state semifinals.

Sophomore back Anthony Ballard ran for nine-, 12- and 32-yard touchdowns.

“We’ve just been kicking it in. We’re trying to make it to the playoffs, trying to make it to state,” Ballard said. “We knew we were going to be good at the start, but we just had to get that switch clicked on. We’ve been practicing really hard and, yeah, we’re picking it up.”

Asked what triggered the “switch,” Ballard’s answer was simple.

“We don’t like losing. I mean, we’re Milan football,” Ballard said. “We got beat by Huntingdon pretty badly. We [had] to step it up, and we did.”

A blocked punt gave Milan a quick 2-0 lead, and Landon Walker rolled out to find JP Porter for a 27-yard gain to set up Ballard’s first score and a 9-0 advantage.

Later in the game, Walker rolled left to find Lamartez Brooks for a nine-yard touchdown. Walker also ran for a 54-yard score in the third quarter, faking the handoff and running down the sideline with the ball.

South Side reserve quarterback Ricky Beard threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Cordea Kinnie in the first half. In the second half, he avoided pressure to complete a tough throw downfield and also ran for a 50-yard gain.

“Pretty good. For a kid that hadn’t played quarterback in a couple years, I thought he did fairly well,” South Side coach Brian Moore said. “ ... He looks good for the future, for the most part.”

The Hawks’ Tariq Robinson scored on a three-yard touchdown late.

An ambulance came onto the field in the fourth quarter for South Side’s Timothy McGowan, who dislocated his elbow.