QB’s leadership makes difference for Millers
Savage directs Milford Mill to Class 3A state title game
With a week before the season officially began, Milford Mill coach Reggie White ordered Brandon Savage into his office. The Millers coaching staff had been notified at the beginning of August that an expected transfer had fell through, and their Plan B at under center wasn’t panning out. This left White’s quarterback situation in a state of uncertainty as game week approached. That’s when White told Savage to take a seat.
“He said, ‘Savage, I need you to lead the team,’ ” the senior recalled. “I said, ‘I got you, coach.’ ”
Savage, thrown into the fire as a wiry 5-foot-11, two-way player who last played quarterback in an eighth grade rec league, seized the opportunity without a qualm. There were no quarterback camps, passing leagues or individual coaching. His debut under center was far from memorable – a 24-point walkover by Tuscarora at home.
But on Saturday afternoon, Savage and his teammates dumped large coolers of ice water over their jubilant coaching staff, celebrating a 33-6 win over Long Reach that launches them into their first state title game since 1987.
Savage finished the afternoon with 210 total yards, two passing touchdowns and a timely interception on defense.
No. 9 Milford Mill (12-1) will face Frederick County’s Linganore for the 3A state title Thursday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
“Brandon accepted it and ran with it,” White said. “He took us here. That’s where we are right now. … Nothing beats hard work.”
Savage took the Millers to the Lightning 23-yard line on the game’s opening possession. But on fourth-and-long, he tried to force something into the back left corner of the end zone and was intercepted by Long Reach’s Luis Gooden Jr. Like he had this season, though, Savage redeemed himself on the next drive and found fellow receiver Ugo Obasi on fourth-and-8 for a 10-yard score.
The Millers’ defense set up the opening salvo with its stingy defense, backing Long Reach deep into its own zone and forcing a poor punt, which gave the hosts a drive three yards outside the red zone. For the day, Milford Mill allowed just 14 yards on 18 carries and forced six turnovers (two interceptions, four on downs).
Since Week 1, the Millers switched from a 3-3-5 defense to a 4-2-5 scheme, which focuses on stopping the run.
“They’re resilient,” White said. “The academics part, they’re smart. The team has over a 3.0 [grade-point] average with 48 kids. That’s awesome. These kids are smart, hungry and take the coaching.”
In the early minutes of the second, after the defense forced one of many three-andouts, Savage marched the Millers down the field with pass plays of 13, 11 and 16 yards that ended in an 84-yard scoring drive and 10-yard run by tailback Troy Scott (81 yards on 11 carries). That made it 14-0, and roughly 10 minutes later, Desmond Shell jumped a route he anticipated off film study and took an interception 40 yards for a score.
Long Reach, which turned the ball over on downs inside the 5-yard-line on its opening drive of the second half, scored when Tyler Moore (13-for-35 passing, 136 yards) ran on a 4-yard keeper. After it was 21-6 going into the fourth quarter, Savage responded with a 51-yard scoring pass to freshman Rishon Holmes. Five minutes later, Scott crossed the plane once more to swell the lead to 27.
Long Reach (8-4) struggled to move the ball. It wasn’t until the 10:46 mark of the second quarter that it produced the first play for positive yardage. But in the postgame huddle, Lightning coach Jamie Willis extolled his team’s ability to win the program’s first regional title.
“When they came in, they said they wanted to be great, and they did,” Willis said. “They won the JV championship their sophomore year and made history their senior year, being regional champions. That’s invaluable. They set this program in the right direction.”
In the end, it was White who basked in a scene 30 years in the making. The coach was a senior standout on the 1987 Milford Mill championship team, and Thursday he will lead his Millers to Annapolis gunning for the school’s second football title.
“It means everything,” White said. “It just means everything. This school means so much to me; being an alumni, being able to coach my son and to have us in this position. … I’ve been waiting 30 years to say this: We’re going to states.”
GWYNN PARK 16, HARFORD TECH 9: The greatest season in the history of Harford Tech football came to an end in the Class 2A state semifinals. Gwynn Park (11-1) used extremely good field position to produce more than half its points.
Gwynn Park’s Kamari Brown passed 11 yards to Kelvon Brooks for the go-ahead score with 7:12 remaining.
The Cobras finished 12-1.