By Chuck Reherman, Sports Editor – CHOCTAW – Yukon wrapped up the pre-season with a scrimmage at Choctaw that included a mini game.
And, the Millers came away with a 7-6 win over the Yellowjackets.
The teams played two eight-minute halves. The Millers gave up a score on Choctaw’s first drive, nearly trailed by two scores, then pushed the ball across the goal line late in
the first half and played solid defense in the second to come away with the win.
YHS head coach Jeremy Reed liked the final outcome, but did have mixed feelings about the scrimmage.
“Inconsistent, just like I told the players, it was an example of our practice week,” Reed said. “We had some really good days, had some bad days and when you do that it shows up on the field. It is hard to get 14 to 18 year old kids to understand that unless they go through something. I hope tonight it showed, even though we came out on top, that we were inconsistent and it could have come out a lot different.
“That first drive, they put it to us, it was painful to watch,” he said. “But then our offense reacted back with a long touchdown drive. We ran about three plays and it was huge to see our kids bounce back through some adversity.”
Choctaw did score on their first possession, driving 75-yards in 10 plays to put the first score on the board. CHS did come up short on the extra point.
The Millers did dodge a disaster on the next possession. YHS lost the ball on a fumble and CHS recovered at the Miller 11-yard line.
But the defense stepped up. Denver Patterson batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage on a second and 10 play and on fourth down,. Owen Olsen deflected what would have been a touchdown pass away in the end zone.
The Millers put their only scoring drive together on the next possession and marched 89 yards in 12 plays, scoring with 24 seconds left in the half on a two-yard run by Parker Kenley.
Kenley had started the drive with a 10-yard run. Noah Davis picked up 11 yards on a second and nine play. Bryce Williams had a 20-yard run on an option play to the CHS 40-yard line and added a nine-yard run to the five five plays later.
With time running out, the Millers stayed with the option and Kenley took the pitch and scored.
In the second half, the Millers started to grind the ball, taking the opening possession and running eight play that took nearly four minutes off the clock.
The defense stepped up and shut down Choctaw and the Millers had a chance to put the game away. But, on a fourth down play, the Millers lost yards and Choctaw took over.
The ‘Jackets tried a pair of long passes, but the defense deflected one away and made a stop on the second as time ran out.
YHS finished the game with 133 yards rushing. Williams and Perry Olsen had 39 yards rushing, Davis 28 and Kenley 23.
“We had some bright spots in the scrimmage, the defense on the four and out wax huge for us.
“The biggest deal is we have to get more consistent in practice,” Reed said. “This team is talented enough and prepared enough to win some football games, but if we are inconsistent, we will struggle and it will be a long year.
“There is so little margin for error due to the quality of opponents we play,” he said. “We have to be on our game every week we play.
