Saturday Football: Milton nabs first win, Pine Forest makes quick work of Pensacola

A recap of the two area high school football games that were played on Saturday, Sept. 10.

Milton 47, Booker T. Washington 31

The circumstances behind Kelly Gillis' first win as Panthers head coach probably weren't how he drew it up.

The moment was halted by numerous delays while the scene at Haywood Hanna Stadium lacked the pageantry of bands, cheerleaders and a full crowd.

But at the end of the day, or two days to be exact, he'll take it.

In a game that began 24 hours earlier, Milton emerged with its first victory of the season after outlasting the Wildcats on Saturday. Booker T. Washington led 28-26 at halftime before the game was suspended Friday due to inclement weather.

"It feels great, we've put in so much hard work with the kids, the coaches and the community in trying to change things. This has been a long time coming," Gillis said. "We've had some crazy obstacles. I've never had a game suspended where it was completed on the second day. ... I just love these kids, they do whatever we ask. The credit all goes to them and their efforts."

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As different as the scene was on the field, the scene in the Panthers locker room was an emotional one. Gillis was given the game ball and was personally congratulated by numerous players and coaches showing their appreciation for a man that's been a part of the program more than two decades.

"They were as hungry for that first win as I am. Maybe even more hungry," Gillis said. "They understand the expectations and know how good they can be. And they just needed to get over the hump and win this first game like this. We're just hoping this propels us to better things."

Several games on Friday experienced weather delays, but Booker T. Washington/Milton was the only game that was suspended to Saturday. The visitors were outscored 21-3 once the teams returned to the field.

Wildcats head coach Ryan Onkka voiced his displeasure with the officiating after the game, but knows a chance to win on the road just slipped away.

"I thought we got screwed on a bunch of stuff, honestly. We probably had nine late-hit, 15-yard penalties, but that's kind of the way football goes sometimes though," he said. "We just didn't execute. We had opportunities."

Here are three takeaways from the Panthers first win of 2022.

'We got to get it'

The home team showed little ill effects to playing twice in as many days, as it motored down the field on all of its possessions. And while the Panthers didn't convert on every scoring chance, they did make clutch plays when it matter.

Milton took a 34-28 lead early in the third quarter after taking advantage of a Wildcats blitz. With the road team sending pressure to his left, senior quarterback Emory Williams found his hot route and connected with senior wide receiver Randy Lackey, who raced into the end zone on a 55-yard completion.

The Panthers remained in front throughout the second half, but Booker T. Washington, who trimmed its deficit to 34-31, and was in position to tie it late. That is until a future Georgia Bulldog saved the day

Screaming off the edge, Milton senior Raymond Cottrell blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt from junior kicker Ricky Bucco with less than two minutes left in regulation. Junior Ricky Lewis recovered the ball and returned it deep inside Wildcats territory.

"Basically, one of our linebackers Kaden French was like, "Listen, the game is on the line, we got to get it,'" Cottrell recalled. "So I took a deep breath, waited for the ball, timed it perfectly, dove down and get it."

Stopping the clock by using their timeouts, the visitors had a chance to get the ball back. However, with Milton facing a fourth-and-goal from the Booker T. 1-yard line, Williams took the snap under center and bulled forward for the touchdown.

The Panthers failed to score on their previous two trips to the red zone, but the third time was the charm.

"It's amazing, there's no other feeling like it, scoring with the game on the line," Williams said. "You execute and get the result you wanted. It's awesome, especially running behind an offensive line, who a lot of them are my friends."

On the final play of the night, Milton senior defensive back Matthew Farrar picked off junior quarterback Davis Sherman and took it to the house for a 92-yard interception return touchdown.

'Bent, don't break'

The scoreboard may not indicate it, but Booker T. Washington was resilient on defense.

Twice with their backs to the goal line, the Wildcats forced turnovers while the Panthers possessed the ball inside the BTW 10. First, senior linebacker Jaylen Lewis scooped up a mishandled reverse. Then, senior linebacker Patrick O'Hara jarred the ball out Williams' hands on a sack fumble, which was also recovered by Lewis.

"The 'bend, don't break mentality is there on the defense," Onkka said. "Obviously, we have to get some stuff cleaned up to stop the run, but it's there. It's close. The final score looks worse than what it is, but we just have to be better."

Climbing out of a hole

Having dropped its opening two games, Milton avoided what would've been a disastrous start to the season. The team fell at home to Andalusia (Ala.) and Pensacola Catholic in contests that weren't decided until late in the fourth quarter.

Now, the Panthers can shift their focus to their District 1-4S opener. They play at 7 p.m. Friday at Gulf Breeze. Last season, the Dolphins rallied to defeat Milton 28-21.

"We preached the last few weeks that we're so close, we just got to get out of our own way sometimes," Gillis said. "We needed to win a game that was close and we had to fight for. I think this shows them that if you just do your job, stay the course, play for each other, encourage one another, and when adversity hits, don't be surprised by it. Embrace it, fight through it and good things are going to happen. And that finally happened tonight and I hope it propels us now down the road."

Booker T. Washington saw its record dip to 1-2 after its second-straight defeat. Unlike the Panthers, the Wildcats won't have to deal with a short week as they host LeFlore (Ala.) a week from Friday.

Still, Onkka wishes there was a greater period between the first half last night and the game's resumption.

"It's not fair to the kids in my opinion. I thought we should've waited till Monday or Tuesday," he said. "I know that screws (Milton) with a short week, but to play two games in back-to-back days is tough; the physicality of it, the brutality of it. But that's not an excuse, because (Milton) did it, too. ... You can't really prep for this, you just hope your kids rest, eat, and recover well and lock back in. It's hard to recreate that Friday night vibe without the bands here and stuff like that, but you live for opportunities and try to make the best of them."

Pine Forest 41, Pensacola 8

It doesn't matter the day.

Whether it's been a Thursday night, a Friday night or a Saturday morning, the Pine Forest football team has shown up with its A game, dismissing anyone in its path this season.

The Eagles' latest victory came in a homecoming blowout over Pensacola High on a humid Saturday morning from Lon R. Wise Stadium. The home team entered halftime with a 41-0 advantage before the final 24 minutes on the field were played under a running clock.

"Different circumstances and a different situation, but I thought the kids did a good job and did what we had to do," Pine Forest head coach Ronnie Douglas said. "PHS is getting better, they're improving, but I was really proud of our kids and how they came out and played. Got here this morning under a different time schedule, but I'm just proud of everybody that's part of this day."

A scary scene developed on the Tigers sideline during the third quarter when head coach Cantrell Tyson collapsed due to a heat-related illness.

Tyson, who is in his first season with Pensacola, was taken off on a stretcher to an ambulance parked just off the field of play. According to a nearby medical official, Tyson exhibited signs of confusion prior to his collapse, but he regained consciousness in the ambulance and was feeling better by the game's conclusion.

At 3:21 p.m. Saturday, a family member sent out a message from the head coach's personal Twitter account an update on his condition. Tyson had suffered a stroke and was taken to Sacred Heart Intensive Care Unit.

The Tigers, whose record dropped to 0-3, got their lone score on a long run from senior quarterback Devonsha O'Neal.

Here are three takeaways from Saturday's game from Pine Forest High School.

Eagles scoring spree

The Eagles turned the ball over on their first drive of the game. They more than made up for it during the rest of the first half.

Pine Forest scored on its next five possessions while mixing in a punt return touchdown from senior cornerback Tyrese Thomas.

The hosts got the ball rolling on a pair of rushing scores in the first quarter. Senior quarterback Tierra Wilson put his team ahead 7-0 on a 20-yard keeper. Junior running back Miequle Brock followed that with a 45-yard touchdown scamper.

In the second quarter, Wilson connected with Donielle Hayes on a pair of deep touchdown passes. The senior wide receiver leaped over a defender in the end zone for a 25-yard grab before getting open behind the defense for an easy 45-yard score.

Kobe Johnson concluded the scoring with a 30-yard run.

Situational football

Even with a commanding lead, Pine Forest elected to keep its starters on the field to close out the first half. The home team also played its first-team defense and most of its first-team offense at the start of the second half before reserves finished the game.

The contest was well in control, but like any great team with its eyes on a greater prize, Douglas and his coaching staff wanted to maximize any opportunity to simulate various game situations.

"Making sure you are keeping your composure and always do your job," Douglas said was the message directed to his players. "We are trying to work for some stuff, like the two-minute (drill) right before the half and things of that nature. We're not trying to run up the score, we're just trying to work on us and get better as a football team."

'Get ready for Choctaw'

Through three superb performance this season, Pine Forest has outscored its opponents by a combined margin of 114-17. Now, the Eagles turn their attention to district play as they play host to Choctaw at 7 p.m. Friday.

Every game matters, of course, but Pine Forest's march to another district title begins this week.

"With district play, we just have to get healthy. We got some guys banged up with little things," Douglas said. "We just have to keep working on just getting better. We still got some young guys in some areas that are trying to improve, but we'll get to practice on Monday and get ready for Choctaw."

Pensacola is off during Week 4. The Tigers are host to Gulf Breeze at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at (850) 503-3828, on Twitter @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com. 

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Football: Milton outlasts Booker T. Washington, Pine Forest improves to 3-0