Milan punches Final Four ticket

LINDSAY DEBOLT

Pictured: Milan quarterback Wyatt Marsh celebrates a touchdown run with No.77 Lukas Hensley and No. 64 Hunter Wickizer in Friday night’s regional championship. Marsh rushed for two touchdowns in the win. Now the team heads to Semi-State with a host of fans standing by them cheering them on to a victory there as well. The parade into town last Friday night was a spectacle as the Milan Volunteer Fire Department and police led the buses and multiple parent vehicles that took part in letting the athletes know they are proud of them!

The underdog role, the deck stacked against, whatever you want to call it, Milan football has embraced it and ran with it this postseason. That included Friday night when most counted out the Indians on the road against fourth-ranked Providence, the defending Class A state champions.

And yet again the fight of the underdog won out. Milan’s defense proved to be an absolute thorn and the run game continued its dominance and just like that the Indians are Class A regional champions for the first time since 1996, dominating the Pioneers 22-7 on their home field in Clarksville.
Milan, who fell to Providence in last year’s regional, is a regional champion for just the second time in program history. The last was November 8 of 1996 when the Indians defeated Wood Memorial 41-12. Current head coach Ryan Langferman was the quarterback for that game.

While Milan’s run game pieced together enough scores to put space between them and Providence on the scoreboard, the defense was majorly responsible for some incredible field position and setting up the offense. The Pioneers struggled mightily in terms of the pass game and tossed three interceptions, two of which went into the hands of Indian senior Micah Norman. Junior Grant Langferman notched the other pick for the Indians.
The Indians led 7-0 at the first stop and took a 14-7 lead into halftime. A touchdown and two-point conversion attempt added to the cause in the third period. Milan quarterback Wyatt Marsh rushed for two touchdowns and 125 yards on 18 carries. Freshman Beckett Langferman added 79 yards and a score on 19 carries.

Josh Pettit and Grant Langferman each added 46 rushing yards. Marsh threw just three passes, completing one to Langferman for 15 yards.

Grant Langferman and Marsh paced the tackles department with six stops each. Levi Pierce and JJ Mutz added five tackles apiece. Norman led with his two interceptions and four pass deflections. Junior Nick Voss was 2-for-2 on extra points, Noah Morgan had a two-point conversion reception and Jose Blanco booted three punts for a total of 123 yards.

Milan (7-4) will host the Class A South Semi-State Championship on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. with the winner advancing to next weekend’s IHSAA Class A State Championship. The Indians host No. 2 ranked South Putnam (11-2) in the first-ever matchup between the two schools.

The Eagles beat Sheridan 26-6 in last Friday’s regional round.