High Hopes for Milton Football

By HUBERT KING ‘21

This past Saturday, on Stokinger Field, Milton’s Varsity Football team had a big 34-21 victory against St. Sebastian’s. The victory was an extremely emotional one, flashbacks of a crushing 21-0 home shutout erased, by the end of the game.

This year, Milton fielded big, veteran offensive and defensive lines. These lines included Garrett Doherty ‘21 (6’3, 255), Duncan MacDonald ‘21 (6’5, 275), Nate Stewart ‘21 (6’1, 270), Middlebury-bound Patrick O’Neill ‘20 (6’4, 290), and Wake Forest-bound Zach Vaughan ‘20 (6’6, 265). Notable linemen recruits this year included Jack Wilson ‘22 (affectionately known as “J. Willy”) and Nate Sicard ‘21. Standing at 6’4 and 285 pounds, Wilson will undoubtedly provide a massive boost of strength and size at the guard position. Sicard, from Norton, Massachusetts, is extremely versatile, set to play as linebacker, half-back, punter, and tackle. In addition, Ben Goddard ‘20, who is playing his first year of football at defensive end, hopes to take advantage of his speed and strength to make an impact as a pass rusher.

On Saturday, the line played superbly, giving Brown University quarterback commit, Jake Wilcox ‘20, time in the pocket to pass to notable receiver, Mitchell Gonser ‘20 and newcomers Jonothan Oriaki ‘21 and Michael O’Keefe ‘22. Wilcox, new to Milton last year after leading an undefeated team back home at Everett High, was on full display against St. Sebastions. Despite losing O’Neill to a knee injury, the line consistently performed well throughout the game, allowing Michigan-bound Kalel Mullings ‘20, Kyle Santiago ‘20, and new recruit Luke Thorbahn ‘22 from Xaverian Brothers High to make numerous touchdown runs. Coach Kevin MacDonald remarked, “it’s a bigger line now, and they’re almost all veterans. The starters are very good, and we’ve got three tremendous running backs we can rotate, which is very positive.” With three talented backs and this strong veteran line, the possibilities are endless, especially with Coach Mac’s storied, 38-year career of 221 wins, 99 losses, and five ties.

Unfortunately, depth remains an issue. Last year’s Mustangs went 4-4, having lost Mullings and Santiago to season-ending injuries early in the season, and Wilcox to chronic back issues. The first injury this year was O’Neill’s knee which, while minor, is hard to compensate for on the line. In such a talented league, in which athletes play both sides of the ball, injuries can build up towards the end of a season and severely hinder the team’s potential.

For players and coaches, this victory was only the tip of the iceberg that is the team’s potential. If the team can remain healthy, this mustang team has the talent to continue to win—even this year’s ISL

Mark PangOctober 5, 2019