WEST MILTON — A few too many mistakes proved costly for Preble Shawnee’s football team during its Division V, Region 20 quarterfinal playoff game at No. 2 seed Milton-Union on Friday, Nov. 4.
The tenth-seeded Arrows fumbled on the third play of the game which resulted in a 19-yard scoop and score for the home team and set the tone for the game as Shawnee’s season came to an end with a 42-7 setback.
“Milton is a great team. You can’t make mistakes and expect to be in a position to win against a team that good,” Shawnee coach Dave Maddox said. “We had too many penalties and too many turnovers. Milton capitalized on our mistakes, and we weren’t able to recover. I am proud of how our guys battled the entire game. They never quit and that takes a lot of heart.”
Shawnee was held to just 151 yards of offense on the night.
Milton built a 21-0 halftime lead on the fumble return and a pair of touchdown passes.
The Bulldogs added two touchdown runs in the third quarter for a 35-0 lead.
Senior Brayden Doran had the Arrows lone score with a 20-yard run in the third to make it 35-7.
Milton closed out the scoring returning the ensuing kickoff 86-yards for a score.
Maddox, whose team finished the season with an 8-3 record set its sights on duplicating what they accomplished last season – a league title and deep playoff run.
“We came into the season with the goal of winning the conference and making a run in the playoffs. We were not able to achieve those goals, but it was not due to a lack of effort,” he said.
Maddox said his team fought through injuries most of the season, but still had a successful campaign.
“Our team faced a lot of adversity this year due to injuries, but they battled through that adversity and continued to work hard each and every day,” he said. “They showed a lot of heart, grit, and perseverance. We had some young players step up and fill some big roles. We were still in contention for the conference title at the end of the season, but came up a little short.”
Maddox said his players will be able to look back on the season and be proud of what the accomplished.
“Regardless, our team should be proud of the season they had and what they were able to accomplish,” he said. “This was a season that we should be able to build upon and continue to grow as a program.”
