The Versailles
Republican Sports
August 20, 2009
Positive outlook for Milan Indian football
in pre-season scrimmage at Eastern (Pekin)
Gary Franklin, Sports
Writer
On Friday, August 7, Head Milan Indian Football Coach
Ryan Langferman and team traveled across the state to
play a pre-season scrimmage at Eastern (Pekin).
The format for the scrimmage began with the home Eastern
starters controlling the ball for the first 15 plays,
during which time they scored once on their opening drive.
In continuing, the Indians took possession for the next
15 plays, where they gained 189 yards and scored two Touch
Downs.
Next on the agenda, both squads had the ball on the goal
line for 10 plays each. Here, both the Indian offense
and defense shined. The tribe scored five times while
on offense with a tough Indian defense not only holding
Eastern out of the end zone, but driving them back for
loss of yardage.
In concluding the first segment of the scrimmage, each
team had the ball for an additional 12 plays.
The second segment of the scrimmage allowed the team's
JV players to take the field for two series of eight plays
each. Pekin and Milan JV teams each rallied to put one
score each on the board.
Coach Langferman stated, "One of the greatest highlights
of the scrimmage was that their were no injuries sustained
by the tribe's players. The team had a nice crowd follow
in support of them even though a good distance from home.
After allowing Pekin to drive the length of the field
for a score on their opening drive, the Indian defense
dug in and shut Pekin down rendering them unable to score
again until JV play." Langferman went on to say,
"Also on the positive side, stated Langferman, our
offensive efforts developed into eight scores on the evening."
Individual efforts noted included: Travis Pennington took
the first carry from scrimmage for the year 65 yds. for
a TD, Grayson Miller threw three TD passes with two caught
by Alex Layden and one by Cody Marsee and young Scott
Pennington scored an Indian TD during JV scrimmage off
a pass from Jacob White.
Along with positives, a scrimmage produces negatives,
noted Coach Langferman. "The two hour drive from
Milan to Pekin was an expected tiring one. The defensive
struggle on the Pekin opening drive, giving up a score
before settling in was a real low. A rash of fumbles during
the third session of the scrimmage by Milan's offense
must be addressed. And finally, we never want to surrender
points but we did in the opening drive of varsity action
and one more time during the JV portion", Langferman
concluded.
All these bits and pieces culminated from the scrimmage
will help to form building blocks to promote a more positive
season. The team will learn from those mistakes and the
positives and become stronger, wiser and become a better
prepared team come actual season play.
The Indian varsity football regular season opens, where
production really counts, at the newly rennovated home
football field against Northeastern on Friday, August
21, at 7 p.m. With fourteen seniors returning to the squad,
high expectations abound.