Cast into new role, Sam Milligan contributes for Strath Haven

NETHER PROVIDENCE — Sam Milligan is a quarterback, and he misses playing the position. There’s just no getting around the angst of being unable to take each snap for Strath Haven.

But Milligan got an opportunity to touch the ball again Friday, and he responded with three explosive scoring runs to spark the Panthers to a 41-14 win over Springfield at George King Field.

Playing with a huge, padded cast on his right hand, Milligan contributed a two-yard touchdown run following Anthony Crawford’s three-yard scoring plunge to give the Panthers a 14-0 lead. In the second half, he tallied touchdowns from 24 and 28 yards out on his way to 120 yards on six rushes.

“I had surgery last week,” Milligan said. “I was super excited. There’s something about playing quarterback, whether you run first or pass first that’s fun. But I mean I haven’t had fun like that tonight playing football in a while. That was awesome. I haven’t played running back since my first year of football in seventh grade.”

Milligan played safety, too, for a Panthers team that got stops when it absolutely had to have them. Seven Strath Haven starters go both ways, and that means a little longer recovery time.

Of course, the aches don’t feel as bad when you’re undefeated. The Panthers are 4-0 overall, including 2-0 in the Central League.

Ben Fooskas had 12 rushes for 100 yards and one touchdown, Crawford 20 carries for 88 yards and Austin Conner eight runs for 83 yards before exiting with cramps.

For the Cougars (2-2, 0-2), Jake Rama threw touchdown passes to Brad Barber and Aiden Kreydt, and Barber ran for a two-point conversion. Rama contributed 90 yards passing while Barber rushed for 76 yards on 14 carries.

There were several momentum shifts in the game, including James Fisher’s 94-yard touchdown on a kickoff return after the Cougars got within 14-7. When the Cougars cut the Panther lead to 21-14 in the third quarter, they got their hosts in third-and-6 at midfield. But the Cougars jumped offside, the Panthers picked up the first down and Milligan capped the series with a backbreaking 24-yard touchdown run.

“It was just a momentum ****** really,” Springfield linebacker Ethan Marshall said. “We could have had them stopped a couple of times on third down but we just couldn’t get it done. They’re a tough team and the coaches preached all week that it would be a battle coming in. We just wanted to stick together and try to tough out a win. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way.”

Click HERE to read the full article.

Strath Haven defensive back Sam Milligan grabs an interception in the second quarter against Conestoga last week. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)