Unsung Milford team ready to make noise
MILFORD — As he flung the ball to receivers during practice on Wednesday, Brady Olson looked every bit the tall, strong-armed, Division 1 quarterback he has grown into. However, that was not always the case. Olson’s uncle and head coach at Milford, Dale, said that 14 months ago, his 6-foot-4 nephew was only 6 feet tall.
In a way, that spurt is emblematic of the whole Milford program. Brady will continue his career at UMass along with fellow senior Scarlet Hawks Dominic Schofield and Carter Scudo, as this has quickly become a team to grab attention across the Hockomock League and beyond.
Olson, who transferred to Milford from Bishop Feehan, in part came to Milford in order to play for his uncles Dale and Dana, who is the offensive coordinator. And family was a big reason why Olson picked UMass over offers from teams in other parts of the country.
“If I’m all the way in Colorado, (my grandfather Carl Olson) can’t get to me,” Brady said. “(Transferring to Milford) was definitely a big decision. (Dale and Dana have) been coaching me since I was young. It just made sense for me to come over my senior year and finish it out with them.”
Brady Olson considers himself someone who relishes the mental aspect of the game, and Dale Olson said that was always going to be the case.
“He’s definitely a student of the game,” Dale Olson said. “I think he had no choice in that fact growing up in our family. He knows the game really well. He’s real poised in the pocket. He can make all the throws on the field, which made him a pretty recruitable kid.”
Schofield is, as well, and the 6-foot-3, 230-pounder was courted by Elon and Georgetown before he selected UMass. Versatility is part of Schofield’s allure to coaches at the next level. He plays outside linebacker and defensive end, and in 2019 he also played some offensive tackle. This season, Dana Olson is excited to get the ball in Schofield’s hands as a running back. In Milford’s spread offense, if teams worry too much about Brady Olson throwing the ball, Schofield is going to run people over.
“I think (at UMass) Dom will play a little outside linebacker, a kid who comes off the edge,” Dale Olson said. “But I think he’ll end up being an edge pass-rusher at the next level, for sure.”
“It helps me to be versatile,” Schofield said. “Offense helps with my defense. Defense helps with my offense. That’s why I like playing both sides. It really gets me going.”
Scudo is another player who can do a lot of things well. He started at defensive back as a sophomore. In 2019, he lined up as a wide receiver at times in the slot, others out wide. He even played quarterback. Dale Olson reports that the 5-11, 190-pound Scudo has shaved his 40-yard dash time near the sub-4.5-second range.
“I think any other year if we played back in the fall I think Carter would have had opportunities to be a scholarship kid,” Dale Olson said of Scudo, who will be a preferred walk-on at UMass. “I think just because of Covid things are different. There’s no film on Carter. Thirtyseven other states played football this past fall and Mass. didn’t so I think it hurt his recruitment a little bit in that area. But I think he will play himself into a full scholarship at UMass.”
Scudo enjoys being able to fill multiple roles.
“Yeah, I love it. It’s one of my favorite parts about my game,” Scudo said. “Coach Olson does a great job of spreading me out everywhere, and I can’t wait for all the opportunities to come.”
Normally a part of the Hockomock League’s smaller Davenport division, the Scarlet Hawks — who went 4-7 in 2019 — will compete this Fall II in the larger Kelley-Rex. That means state powers like Mansfield and King Philip rotate onto the slate. The Scarlet Hawks are eager to prove they belong.
“Just make a statement,” Schofield said of the message he and his teammates want to send. “People think we’re not all that good, but it’s on us at the end of the day. We’ve got to prove to them, the haters and all that, that we’re Milford and we’re coming.”