Independence @ Millington

[BARTLETTHSGRAD04]

From the Commercial Appeal

 

 

 

Trojans run over Spartans

Millington tallies 470 rushing yards in convincing romp into semifinal round

 

By Jason Smith (Contact)

Saturday, November 24, 2007

 

The 1993 team may have had more chemistry, and the 1997 team, with future NFL players Tyrone Calico and Ahmad Galloway, may have had more talent.

As White Station's Derrion Sanders loses the ball, Millington's Darius Ayers (22) is right there to make the recovery for the Trojans.

 

Dale L. Anderson/Special to The Commercial Appeal

 

As White Station's Derrion Sanders loses the ball, Millington's Darius Ayers (22) is right there to make the recovery for the Trojans.

 

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But the the 2007 Millington Trojans can brag they were the school's best when it counted most, as Millington advanced to its first TSSAA Class 5A state semifinal with a convincing 45-16 quarterfinal win over visiting White Station on Friday.

 

Trojan senior running backs Eric Knowlton and Travis Simpson combined to rush for 351 yards and three touchdowns to help Millington cruise to a 21-point halftime lead over a White Station team that had outscored its previous two playoff opponents, 90-29.

 

Junior running backs Tyshaun Holmes and Eddie Robinson each added touchdown runs for a Trojan bunch that tallied a whopping 470 rushing yards.

 

"We came out tonight and got after them from the get-go," Millington coach Hank Hawkins said. "We were able to contain a very good offensive team in White Station, let me tell you.

 

"And hat's off to the offensive line. We told 'em the offensive line and defensive line would determine who won this football game tonight, and definitely, that's what happened."

 

White Station (12-1) took a 3-0 lead early after recovering its own onside kick to open the game, but from there, it was all Millington, which improved to 13-0.

 

Knowlton, a 5-foot-6, 160-pound speedster, scored from 78 yards out on Millington's first play of the game to help make it 7-3.

 

A possession later, Simpson broke off a 49-yard scoring run to make it 14-3 with the extra point.

 

Millington would go on to score on five of its six first-half possessions, and Knowlton's 83-yard touchdown run with 7:56 left in the second quarter helped give the Trojans a 31-10 advantage by the break.

 

"We knew if we executed, we could beat them pretty big, but we weren't expecting this," said Knowlton, who finished with 219 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries.

 

"The (offensive line) just played great tonight. They played with passion and heart."

 

Early in the third quarter, White Station drove the ball to the Millington 23 before senior quarterback Jeff Link, a Mr. Football finalist, was sacked on fourth-and-2.

 

Millington would stretch its lead to 28 points on its ensuing possession, when senior quarterback Randon Fryerson found Robinson for a 46-yard touchdown reception.

 

That would be Freyerson's only completion on the night, while Link finished 26-of-48 for 339 yards, two TDs and one interception.

 

"We played a better football team, first and foremost," White Station coach Major Wright said. "If we were to beat that team, we would've had to play a mistake-free football game.

 

"They were more physical than we were. We had a heckuva season and I'm proud of our kids, but if you're honest about it, we just played a better team."

 

-- Jason Smith: 529-5804

[FlyRealColors09]

Stuman, do you need to catch your breath? Sounds like you're still reeling from what you saw tonight.

 

Like I said, I've never seen Millington play so anything I say about Independence or about football teams in general doesn't mean that it's a knock on the Trojans. I'm not in a position to knock them.

 

But you have to understand what this Indy team has been through. These seniors have played together since middle school. The team's head coach (Jason Eubanks) coached them at Heritage Middle, as the defensive coordinator during the IHS program's first three years, and now as their head coach.

 

These kids were freshmen when the program started. They had to take a bus to practice every day because the football field wasn't ready. During the first season (a JV-only campaign), they played much more than any group of freshmen could imagine. The next season was extremely trying...with just juniors, the Eagles just couldn't compete in a region that featured defending class 5A runners up Franklin, perennial powerhouse Brentwood, and eventual state champ Ravenwood. To make things worse, fellow teammate Tommy Johnson was killed in an automobile accident on September 15, 2005. The team finished 1-9, earning a victory in its final game of the season.

 

They opened their junior season 6-0 before losing three straight games (34-27 to Dickson, 31-0 at Ravenwood, 17-14 at Brentwood) and missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. They had to watch as the seniors they admired cried after their senior night because they wouldn't be playing another game.

 

On January 9, the only head coach the program had ever known resigned abruptly to take the job at Science Hill, leaving the boys stunned and hurt. After two LONG months of waiting, Coach Eubanks was promoted to head coach.

 

There was a lot of hype around this team. They didn't live up to it early. BA throttled them in week 0. To make things more complicated, our (supposed) stud quarterback dropped out of school and left the team before week 1. We struggled at the position through losses against MBA and Franklin and even ugly wins against Centennial and Memphis East.

 

And then this team just turned it on and has been playing lights out ever since. So forgive me if I've grown a little fond of these 27 seniors (correct me if the number is wrong). I don't believe there's anything that they can't accomplish together and so that's why I have so much faith in my team.

 

don i love this because its so true, since the memphis east game this team has been "lights out" and nobody can say ohterwise. i dont know much about millington and from what ive heard on this thread they are pretty good, but at this point i dont know how indy will be stopped.

And to whoever said something about the many runningbacks...franklin has many good runningbacks that were shut down by the indy defense. just pointing that out.

[Rob_M]

The Independence team has obviously improved tremendously throughout the year. To avenge such a lopsided loss to Franklin is illustration of that. I am already looking forward to the game next Friday night. I encourage all MEMPHIS HighSchool Football fans to come out and Support these MILLINGTON TROJANS. We need to bring home a STATE CHAMPIONSHIP for Memphis and West Tennessee. To do that, we need to take advatage of Home Field Advantage with an INCREDIBLE Crowd for this Semi Final Game.White Station Fans...... Ya'll showed up tonight.... GREAT Support for your Spartans....We would love to see ya'll come out next week and support our Trojans!!..... We are truly NOW Truly MEMPHIS's team. (The only AAAAA from Memphis left) Come Early, Wear Black and Cheer for the TROJANS!!!

don i love this because its so true, since the memphis east game this team has been "lights out" and nobody can say ohterwise. i dont know much about millington and from what ive heard on this thread they are pretty good, but at this point i dont know how indy will be stopped.And to whoever said something about the many runningbacks...franklin has many good runningbacks that were shut down by the indy defense. just pointing that out.

As you will see......, the RB's that you will see Next Friday Night, are a tad different than the Franklin RB's.......

[notsoinnocentbystander]

I don't want to ruin the party for you IHS guys but luck will not get you thru next week at Millington. You're about to run up against the fastest, hardest hitting kids you're gonna see all year. I was at the Millington/White Station game tonight and, to be honest, WS never had a chance. WS is a great team but they were clearly overwhelmed with the speed and toughness of the Trojans. From Millington's first possession it was obvious that WS was not prepared for what was about to happen. It was 21-3 at the end of the first quarter and only got worse. Some questionable penalties against Millington are the only thing that kept if from getting ugly before halftime (well, I guess 31-10 is still kinda ugly). I say all of this with complete respect for the WS team. They were just in over their heads. I guess their coaching staff knew it before the game considering they successfully executed an onside kick to start the game but everyone else had to have expected a closer game than this.

 

Millington finished with almost 500 yards rushing which is unbelievable but more importantly they held WS to 16 pts. WS had been averaging over 40 in their last few games and maybe close to that all year. But, they hadn't faced a team like Millington since week 2 or 3 when they beat Whitehaven 17-14. (By the way, I believe Whitehaven would've won the rematch!) In the end, Millington was just simply the better team and, as you know, the better team almost always wins.

 

If you plan on winning next week in Millington, you better pack up some really big boys on the defensive line and get some thorougbreds to chase down the studs in the Millington stable. If not, it's gonna get ugly.

[donathan5507]

As you will see on Friday Night, the RB's that you will see Next Friday Night, are a tad different than the Franklin RB's.......

 

 

I think that's a safe assumption to make.

[FlyRealColors09]

The Independence team has obviously improved tremendously throughout the year. To avenge such a lopsided loss to Franklin is illustration of that. I am already looking forward to the game next Friday night. I encourage all MEMPHIS HighSchool Football fans to come out and Support these MILLINGTON TROJANS. We need to bring home a STATE CHAMPIONSHIP for Memphis and West Tennessee. To do that, we need to take advatage of Home Field Advantage with an INCREDIBLE Crowd for this Semi Final Game.White Station Fans...... Ya'll showed up tonight.... GREAT Support for your Spartans....We would love to see ya'll come out next week and support our Trojans!!..... We are truly NOW Truly MEMPHIS's team. (The only AAAAA from Memphis left) Come Early, Wear Black and Cheer for the TROJANS!!! As you will see on Friday Night, the RB's that you will see Next Friday Night, are a tad different than the Franklin RB's.......

 

Same goes for all INDY fans, were reppin region 6 at the semi's for the __ (dont know the number) year in a row. At this point i dont know if its a white out again but i expect so were 3-0 doin it so you can expect another one. Please everyone from williamson county needs to be at this game. Anyone from IHS that needs a ride you can get on the bus for 3$. GO IHS!!

[shook27]

don i love this because its so true, since the memphis east game this team has been "lights out" and nobody can say ohterwise. i dont know much about millington and from what ive heard on this thread they are pretty good, but at this point i dont know how indy will be stopped.

And to whoever said something about the many runningbacks...franklin has many good runningbacks that were shut down by the indy defense. just pointing that out.

 

 

i hate to say it because i dont want to rain on your parade, but you just seem too stubborn to acknowledge what you are going up against. i havnt read one thing so far that has convinced me that indy is a good team. now dont get me wrong. im not say that they are not good. i dont know. and im not knocking on franklin and their running backs. tonight at millington, against ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS IN THE STATE, we had 470 yards rushing.

[donathan5507]

REGION 6 IN THE POSTSEASON SINCE 2002

 

2002--Brentwood W 24-14 @ Germantown, W 10-7 vs. Riverdale in the title game

2003--Franklin L 17-10 vs. Germantown

2004--Franklin W 30-10 @ Germantown, L 35-7 vs. Riverdale in title game

2005--Ravenwood W 28-10 vs. Ridgeway, W 14-7 vs. Oak Ridge in title game

2006--Ravenwood W 35-28 vs. White Station, L 35-14 vs. Smyrna in title game

2007--Independence gets a chance to write its own chapter.

[Bigdogroxx]

Just keep underestimating this IHS team... keep on... just ask every other team who has this year also... Not taking anything away from millington but you will meet some hard hitting linebackers next friday. We have rode this stout D so far and they just have not broken...... If we need to pack a big D line as you said, then yall need to pack the heart, b/c we will surely bring that!

[donathan5507]

i hate to say it because i dont want to rain on your parade, but you just seem too stubborn to acknowledge what you are going up against. i havnt read one thing so far that has convinced me that indy is a good team. now dont get me wrong. im not say that they are not good. i dont know. and im not knocking on franklin and their running backs. tonight at millington, against ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS IN THE STATE, we had 470 yards rushing.

 

 

I don't think it's our job to convince you that we're a good team. In fact, we'd prefer you view us as just another speed bump along your road to Murfreesboro. We play better that way.

[gpl2xc]

don i love this because its so true, since the memphis east game this team has been "lights out" and nobody can say ohterwise. i dont know much about millington and from what ive heard on this thread they are pretty good, but at this point i dont know how indy will be stopped.

And to whoever said something about the many runningbacks...franklin has many good runningbacks that were shut down by the indy defense. just pointing that out.

 

 

I have a feeling that comparing Franklin's running backs to Millington's may be an insult. Just a hunch...

[shook27]

i dont want to get ahead of myself, but millington has outscored opponents 433-84. if im not mistaken, your D has allowed a whopping 190! and if my 6th grade math is still good, thats more than double what we have allowed. the only teams to score more than one td were bolton (it was a rough night in the rain), and the 3 teams in the post season--collierville (14 pts), whitehaven (14 pts) and whit station (16 pts). defense wins games.