Milton Academy blanks Noble and Greenough

DEDHAM – While Milton Academy’s regular season was about to end, Noble & Greenough will have to wait 24 hours to see if the postseason is in their future.

The Mustangs (4-4) edged Noble & Greenough, 7-0, in a defensive Independent School League scrum that produced a total of 243 total yards combined for both teams through the game. The victory was the third in a row for Milton Academy, while Noble & Greenough dropped to 6-2.

Milton Academy, beset by injuries including Division 1 hopeful junior quarterback Qur’an McNeill for the season with an elbow injury, was able to do just enough to end the season on a high note.

Owen West scored on a two-yard run on the game’s opening drive to finish off a 62-yard, eight-play series and it was just enough with Deacon Evriviades taking care of business on the defensive side with two interceptions.

“We lost our starting quarterback, our starting running back, we lost everyone. But kids hung together, and we had a couple of tough games in the middle of the season, but I’m really happy and proud of all my guys,” said Milton Academy head coach Michael Mason. “They did some stunting after we scored, and we had a tough time picking it up. We are really young up front and the whole line is a bunch of sophomores, but Nobles did a really good job and used their quickness and were tough on us.”

The Bulldogs struggled in the first half with 31 yards of offense but moved the ball well in the second half behind quarterback Colin Kenney and the dynamic play of Braylen Jenkins breaking tackles against Milton, who had a significant size advantage on defense.

Noble & Greenough had their opportunities in the second half, but Evriviades’ first pick came at midfield on the Bulldogs second series.

The key defensive stand for the Mustangs came early in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs were forced to punt to open the final quarter, but Mark Bianchi recovered a Milton fumble on the punt to give the ball back to Nobles across midfield at the 40-yard line.

Kenney drove the team inside the 22-yard line; on a fourth-and-one, the Bulldogs picked up the first down only to give fumble on the 19-yard line.

With the game in hand, the Mustangs fumbled away another opportunity with 45 seconds left in the game, but Evriviades ended all speculation of a comeback with his second pick to end the game and possibly the NEPSAC bowl hopes for the Bulldogs as they await the ISL committee decision on bowl game matchups.

“The kids played hard and we truly didn’t expect to be in this position as this is a school that is built out of multi-sport athletes, but it’s great to compete and line up against a team that has a bunch of talented teams and is well coached,” said Nobles head coach, Mike Curran. “We are a gritty bunch and it’s been that way since pre-season showing up every day working hard, day in, and day out. We are a unique program where we have eighth graders lining up against 12th graders, but they are all equally valuable.”

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