MHS Football Win Brings NEC Record to 4-0

The Bulldogs headed to Sisseton to take on their fourth and final gridiron opponent in the Northeastern Conference on Friday, October 12. Milbank had obliterated three conference rivals – Redfield/Doland, Roncalli, and Groton – and were looking for their last win to clinch the title of NEC champs.

Both teams started slow and ended the first quarter scoreless. Milbank heated up in the second when Senior Jacob Karges carried three in a row into the end zone for the Bulldogs. Kicker Carlos Ramirez topped off each touchdown with three perfect kicks through the uprights.

Senior Jake Sandvig brought in the last score of the second quarter when he caught a 12-yard pass from Kaden Krause. The halftime score rested at 28-0; Bulldogs were in the lead!

In the third quarter, Karges found his way into the end zone, but this time it was Jacob’s younger brother, freshman Mikey Karges. He made a 15-yard run for a touchdown to begin the second half. Before the end of the third quarter, senior Nolan Hanson also completed a one-yard run in for another Milbank TD. This brought the score to 41-0.

The Bulldogs didn’t let up any steam, though. Mikey Karges poured it on for one last touchdown. The Bulldogs defeated the Redmen and took the NEC Championship title.

Coach Adolph Shepardson said, “Those boys played hard and overcame a slow start in the first quarter. I thought we played very well on defense – pitching a shut-out and holding them to 10 total yards of offense. I really liked how we ran the ball in the second and third quarters – we controlled the line of scrimmage on offense.”

A high-scoring game for the Bulldogs meant great numbers for many the players, especially for the defense. Jacob Karges totaled 79 rushing rushing, followed by Sandvig at 62, and Mikey Karges at 34. Max McCulloch led in receiving yards at 47. Freshman Layten Raffety led the defense with five tackles. Dillon Schneck had four tackles and Toby Schneck four tackles and two sacks. Jacob Karges and Lars Andersen added three tackles each.

The MHS Bulldogs play their final regular-season game this week when they travel to Tri-Valley on Thursday, October 18. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.