First, undersized Milano, which has only two players that weigh more than 200 pounds on its roster, finished 7-3 overall, took second place in District 27-A and earned its second playoff berth in three years.
Second, Milano defeated Thorndale on Oct. 5 for its first victory against the Bulldogs in 72 years.
Now, Milano seeks its first 11-man playoff victory when they face Leakey (5-5) at 7:30 tonight at Texan Stadium in a Class A Division II bi-district playoff game.
“Everybody is real excited,” first-year Milano coach Brad Jones said. “They’re asking a bunch of questions. They kind of have a new life about them. They kind of have a rebirth and are excited to start a new season.”
The winner between Milano and Leakey (2-2 in 28-A) will face seventh-ranked Bremond (8-2), which received a bye.
So how much are Jones and his Eagles talking about making school history?
“None,” Jones said. “We don’t want to put so much emphasis on one game. We’re trying to win the game instead of play the game.
“Against Thorndale, we didn’t talk about it beforehand. We said, ‘Just go play the game and make plays and let the score take care of itself.’”
Leakey will be gearing up to stop Milano's Chad Burgess, who has accounted for 77 percent of the Eagles’ offense, but Jones said its the play of the entire team that has made the offense successful.
“Our receivers, those guys block,” Jones said. “We have the best set of blocking receivers we've ever had. There has been a lot of unselfishness on our offensive part.”
The Eagles’ defense has taken care of its part.
Despite being undersized, Milano has allowed just 179.9 yards per game, the area’s second-ranked defense. The Eagles have recorded four shutouts and have allowed only 40 passing yards per game.
“They play hard,” Jones said. “Every opposing team’s coach always says, ‘Your guys just play hard.’ That’s the key. They bought in to what we want to do and they get after it. We’re not big or fast, but it’s just a matter of effort.”
Milano will need that tenacity to stop Leakey’s offensive attack, led by quarterback James Fletcher. Leakey, making its first playoff appearance since 1999, averages nearly 260 rushing yards per game but just 60 through the air.
Jones said the biggest problem for his team is the unfamiliarity of Leakey’s Wing-T attack.
“It’s kind of an unknown,” Jones said, adding that Riesel also ran the Wing-T against Milano. “They run the Wing-T and run a lot of traps. We haven’t seen anyone run it like them. It’s been a different week of preparation and a whole new matchup for us.”
Leakey’s offensive line averages 222 pounds per player. Third-year Leakey coach Jimmy Holt said his players know what it’s like to play against a smaller, quicker team, having defeated Center Point in the regular-season finale.
“We’re going to have to use our weight advantage and control the clock,” Holt said. “They try to finesse you and get you out of position. We have to limit their big plays.”
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
