It’s another Battle of the Bulldogs Friday night when Milbank Area travels to Madison for football semi-final action in Class 11A. The winner plays... Football Preview: Bulldogs Shoot for the Dome

It’s another Battle of the Bulldogs Friday night when Milbank Area travels to Madison for football semi-final action in Class 11A. The winner plays in the State Championship game in the DakotaDome in Vermillion on Saturday, November 11, at 1 p.m.

“Our guys are very focused and excited for this game,” says Jeremy Torstenson, Milbank Area head coach. “Being one game away from the dome, our goal is to be 1-0 this week, just like every other week of the season.”

The last two years, Milbank Area has faced Madison in the last game of the regular season and immediately played them again in the opening round of the playoffs. Things worked out differently this year. The two teams fought it out in the first game of the season in August. (Because of a severe thunderstorm, the game took two nights to complete.) After Milbank Area secured a 6-3 record during the regular season, the Dawgs were seeded fifth in the class, therefore avoiding the No.1 seed Madison in the first round. “We have a much better situation this year,” says Tostenson. “We played them pretty well the first time, so I’m looking forward to a battle tomorrow night.”

Madison takes a 9-0 record into the matchup and a history of playing in the championship game. They are the current two-time defending state champ, and were also the runner-up in 2013 and 2014.

Madison’s Janke twins, seniors Jadon and Jaxon, are the forces Milbank Area needs to contain. “Our focus is to control the football on offense, win the turnover battle, and limit the big plays with our aggressive defense,” says Tostenson.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. Keep up with The Valley Express Sports on Twitter for all the live action.

Staff Writer

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