A 25-yard field goal with 1:48 left in the game proved to be the winning score for the Milbank Bulldogs as they defeated the West Central Trojans 22-21 in Hartford on Friday, October 17th.
The Trojans put the first points on the board in the first quarter. Carter Gross had a 24-yard touchdown run with 3:43 to play in the opening quarter. John Goehring made the extra point giving West Central a 7-0 lead. The score remained 7-0 the remainder of the quarter.
Milbank got the lone score of the second quarter. The Bulldogs scored with 7:56 to play in the half on a 10-yard touchdown pass. The scoring drive was kept alive by a tough fourth down catch. The extra point was made to tie the score 7-7. The score remained 7-7 to halftime.
The Bulldogs took the lead in the third quarter. With 7:55 to play, they had a five-yard touchdown run. The extra point was no good, and Milbank led 13-7. Gross connected with Boche Knight at the 2:35 mark with a nine-yard touchdown pass. Goehring made the extra point to put West Central back in front 14-13. The Trojans would then recover a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to get the ball right back. Hayden Whiting scored moments laster on a 20-yard run. Another Goehring extra point pushed the lead to 21-13 going into the fourth quarter.
Milbank would score on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs connected with a 40-yard touchdown pass with 11:52 to play in the game. Their two-point conversion attempt failed keeping West Central in front 21-19. The score remained 21-19 until the final two minutes. The Bulldogs made a 25-yard field goal with 1:48 to take a 22-21 lead. West Central was able to get the ball to the Milbank 32-yard line with a minute to go in the game, but they couldn’t get much closer. A fourth-down pass attempt went incomplete with :35 remaining. Milbank took the ball back and was able to run the clock to zero for the win.
West Central will travel to Vermillion to play the Tanagers for the final game of the regular season on Thursday, October 23rd.
