New Head Coach Mick Thompson Takes a Look Ahead

The Bulldogs football team has one victory under their belts and is hungry for another win. They travel to Colton tonight to take on the Mustangs of Tri-Valley. Milbank’s new head coach, Mick Thompson, made winning look easy last week in Milbank’s first game of the 2024 season. The victory was also Thompson’s first game as the head coach at MHS. The Bulldogs dispatched Lakota Tech of Pine Ridge 55-zip.in just three quarters. Both the Dawgs’ defense and their offense  proved to be productive and efficient at getting the job done. Thompson believes that’s one of the team’s strengths this year, “We have a chance to be really tough at the point of attack on both sides of the ball.”

Thompson, who is starting his seventh season with the Bulldogs and his 16th year in coaching, says he expects intense competition ahead. “Dell Rapids and West Central  will be tough this year. Madison has a chance to bounce back from last year and be competitive again. Those are three solid 11A programs. Tri Valley is transitioning back to 11A after having success in 11B.” Rapid City Christian has also moved up to 11A from 11B and Beresford and Chamberlain dropped from 11A to join 11B this season. 

Tri-Valley comes into the game with the Bulldogs tonight with an early season record of 1-0, after they defeated Custer 20-13 last Friday. Thompson will have a lot of power behind him to meet the challenge. ”We have 54 players, including 11 seniors, two managers, and six water/ball boys. Every position has a few leaders, and we have seen more pop up every day,” he adds. “I expect our seniors to be leaders and help get our younger guys caught up. The team captains are Oliver Korth, Emmett Hanson, and Braylen Bowsher.”

The Bulldogs have a lot of returns this season, and Thompson notes, “We are experienced in the trenches, but are also getting our younger players up to speed in some of the skill positions. There are several young, talented players on the outside that need experience in these first few weeks to grow.” 

Overall he says, “We are most excited about seeing our players compete and show their growth on the field. They have put in a lot of time on and off the field to learn new schemes.” 

Thompson states, “Our goal this year is to be a playoff team and compete with the teams on our schedule because there are no weeks off in our class.” Although he is reserving his strategy for how to get to that level for the locker room, he says, “I believe the reason we have  high school football is for the players, and I am honored to be a part of this program and community. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and my wife and I feel blessed to be a part of Milbank School District. Go Dawgs!