Nobles Varsity Football fell 38-9 to Milton on Saturday.
With Nobles-Milton day on the horizon, pressure and intensity were high on the team.
“[Nobles-Milton] signifies the last game of the season, so it’s a lot of emotions for the seniors and the team as well. That gives us a little bit more motivation to go out there and prove ourselves,” said Captain Ryan Murphy (Class I). “It’s not just for us. It’s for the coaches, the alumni, everyone that supported us so far.”
Linebacker Guierry Napoleon (Class I) said, “I feel like the connection that we have and just the overall team bond is pretty strong, regardless of our status on the team.”
Both teams started off strong, with impressive defensive play on both sides, though an early interception by cornerback Will Owens (Class III) allowed Nobles to score a 20-yard field goal by kicker Thomas Hall to bring the score up 0-3.
Shortly after, cornerback Nate Picardo (Class II) made another interception, securing a 35-yard touchdown to make it a 0-9 game at the end of the first quarter.
Despite Nobles’s early success, the Mustangs brought on a game they hadn’t shown to start. With a few minutes left in the second quarter, they began to bring the score back their way. Beginning with a rushing touchdown from quarterback Qur’an McNeill (Milton ’26), the Mustangs scored twice more in the quarter, making the score 21-9.
Throughout the first half, there were a series of tackles and pass breakups by slotback Ryan Taylor (Class II), Murphy, and Captain Mac Bianchi (Class I).
“I credit it all to my team; they put me in a position to make those,” Bianchi said.
Though Nobles’s defense had been strong, they were worn down by Milton’s linemen, allowing a touchdown in the third quarter.
Through this pushback from Milton, runs by wide receiver Braylen Jenkins (Class II) and running back Jonah Bazinet (Class III) gained ground for the Bulldawgs, and tackles by Taylor, Captain Matt Heyworth (Class I), and linebacker Beckett Newmarker (Class IV) held Milton back.
Milton scored one more touchdown and a field goal in the last quarter, ending the game at 38-9.
Despite an unfortunate result, the Dawgs left everything on the field.
Coach George Maley said, “These guys played hard. They fought all the way to the end, and that’s what we want to teach.”
“We had a great season. We still have a chance of playing that ninth game next week, so we’ll find that out soon. But if we don’t, I’m super proud of the team; it was a great season overall.”
As luck would have it, the Dawgs will get another opportunity to end their season on a win with a bowl game against the Berkshire School next Saturday.
