Millersport 4-0 after 48 straight losses

[NYBuckeye96]

http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/st ... %271%27%5D

Millersport football success energizes community

Jeff Barron, jbarron@lancastereaglegazette.com 7:38 p.m. EDT September 22, 2014

MILLERSPORT – It’s a new era in Millersport football.

After enduring 48 straight losses, the Lakers are now 4-0 after beating Worthington Christian, 32-21, Friday. They snapped a 48-game losing streak that started in 2009 when they beat Bellaire St. John, 32-29, earlier this month.

The village has noticed.

“I think that’s awesome,” Patty Mowry said at Sammy J’s Deli. “We haven’t seen that in a long time and I think they’re going to go really far this year.”

She said customers are talking about the success the team is enjoying and she is surprised at the success.

“But they’re all in it and they’re all playing well together,” she said.

Head coach Terry Holbert said he’s not surprised, however.

“I’ve said many times how we have high expectations and we’ve talked about how important is to get off to a good start,” he said.

Holbert said solid senior leadership and a few tweaks in the team’s training program are major reasons for the undefeated record.

Could the Lakers run the table and finish the regular season with a perfect record? Don’t ask Holbert because he said he’s not thinking that far ahead.

“We’re only focused on Berne Union this week,” he said. “They are going to be a great challenge for us and we are playing at their place. That’s going to be a difficult challenge and I want to make sure we’re just thinking about that.”

Holbert said anything could happen with six weeks left in the season.

“So we’re just going to take it one week at a time,” he said.

But senior tackle Troy McClung said he has thought about making the playoffs even at this early date.

“Yeah,” he said “I want to get there. I’d love to get there, actually. It’s what I want to get.”

Holbert said the winning record has been good for the school and the community.

“The atmosphere here is good,” Holbert said. “There’s been an outpouring from the community and morale at the school is high.”

He said the players are relaxed and are playing with confidence and do not feel pressure with being undefeated.

“This is much better than what we experienced before,” Holbert said.

Like Mowry, Sharon Knapp said her customers at Millersport Hardware are also talking about the Lakers.

“Everybody’s so excited,” she said. “Millersport’s a small school so we don’t have a lot of wins. So when we do, everybody’s always talking about it.”

Greg Johnson was tending bar at Cruisers Monday and said his customers are also talking about the football team. He said many of them are Millersport alumni who are enjoying the football season.

“It’s a big deal,” he said. “A very big deal. My prediction is at this point, that they will do extremely well.”

[NYBuckeye96]

Millersport 2014 Football - Fairfield County - Division 7, Region 25

8/29 H St John Central (3-1) [7:25] W 32-29
9/5 A Green (1-3) [7:25] W 47-0
9/12 A Miller (0-4) [7:25] W 7-6
9/19 H Worthington Christian (0-4) [6:21] W 32-21
9/26 A Berne Union (0-4) [6:21]
10/3 A Harvest Prep (3-1) [7:25]
10/10 H Fisher Catholic (0-4) [7:25]
10/17 A Grove City Christian (2-2) [7:25]
10/24 H Fairfield Christian Academy (0-4) [7:25]
10/31 A Grandview Heights (3-1) [6:21]

[chiefs]

The good thing about this is that it is giving a lot of people reason to be happy and it is increasing morale, plus its great for the kids that have been on the team for four years now and hadn't experienced a win, let alone a winning streak, let alone even being undefeated.

The sad thing about this is there are a lot of high school sports fans that know better while there's a lot of people in that town that generally don't follow Ohio high school football on the scale that many of us message board folk do, and thus hold some unrealistic expectations. They are not going to go undefeated. Their out of conference is notoriously weak, but reasonably competitive for that team. Harvest Prep and Grandview will be too much for them, and GCC & Fisher will be tough goes.

Their best win is Bellaire St John, whom they almost lost to and was a team with a new coach coming off an 0-10 season that made the long bus ride to Millersport. Any of their league opponents would've gone 4-0 with that schedule.

They're supposed to be a little bit stronger and have a decently good runningback, but for the most part they don't have a great defense. They may go 5-0 to start, but they are going to Harvest Prep @ HP which will be a loss and will have a dangerous Fisher team for their homecoming game.

EDIT: And I'm not here to dog on them, I'd love to see them do very well and run the table. However, we've seen scripts like this before. They have a really good coach who makes winners, but the "expectations" energy in Millersport is going to get interesting. How they will handle adversity and bouncing back from a loss will determine if they end up 5-5 or 8-2. They were down @ half last week 18-21 to a first-year team that hadn't previously scored a varsity point against an actual school's team (Worthington Christian). Everything I've heard and read indicates they are a team that can get the stupid personal fouls and turn the ball over. Their one RB has four fumbles on the year. They are definitely not a team to take lightly, but they are a team that can be beat.

[OICU812]

This really is an incredible story! :122246

I've been paying some attention to Millersport so far this season and they actually seem to be a good team! New coach this year! They do have some talent on their roster! I'm happy for this school, they've gone so long without a win, and they start the season undefeated, and in my opinion, they could have an undefeated regular season with the two challenges of beating Harvest Prep and Grandview Heights.

[chiefs]

Their head coach was the QB that led Trimble to a couple playoff appearances in the early 2000's.

[NYBuckeye96]

Their head coach was the QB that led Trimble to a couple playoff appearances in the early 2000's.

That's where I heard that name before. I knew that name was familiar, I just couldn't place who he was.

[OICU812]

FC Fan,

I agree with you completely, when they are playing well, they're gonna be tough for anybody on their schedule to beat! A lot of people have already written FC off but I've seen them play, tougher team than the record shows! I'm not just a Logan guy, I'm an FCA guy as well, and I don't wanna see them go down to Millersport, but it'll probably happen this year!

It truely is a great feel-good story, but you're right, we will see what kind of team they are, especially if they lose at Harvest Prep. We'll see how well this new coach can motivate the players to get back out there.

[chiefs]

FC Fan,

I agree with you completely, when they are playing well, they're gonna be tough for anybody on their schedule to beat! A lot of people have already written FC off but I've seen them play, tougher team than the record shows! I'm not just a Logan guy, I'm an FCA guy as well, and I don't wanna see them go down to Millersport, but it'll probably happen this year!

It truely is a great feel-good story, but you're right, we will see what kind of team they are, especially if they lose at Harvest Prep. We'll see how well this new coach can motivate the players to get back out there.

The other good news is they have a quasi-JV team that beat Miller. I know that "its Miller", but those young guys need a taste of the sugar too.

They have a middle school team that also has a couple wins under their belt, which is awesome. Good luck Lakers!

[Region 15]

Their best win is Bellaire St John, whom they almost lost to and was a team with a new coach coming off an 0-10 season that made the long bus ride to Millersport. Any of their league opponents would've gone 4-0 with that schedule.

BSJ was and did play nervously in that loss, since then they have played well and won by large margins. Their most difficult regular season comes this week against Clay -Batelle WV. Week six brings 5-6 eligible players to BSJ, and several of them are impact players that transferred from Bellaire and Martins Ferry.

I would really love to see these two play again, unfortunately I doubt that will happen if either make the playoffs it will prob. be a Shadyside, Trimble or Caldwell matchup.

[The Enforcer]

Im rooting for Milleraport pretty hard this season , I really want coach Holbert to do well this year

[Tjhtygeverve]

rock on Millersport... Grreat job. Is that Millersport West Holmes? If Not, I apologize in advance.. It just rings a bell!!!

[moonshine]

rock on Millersport... Grreat job. Is that Millersport West Holmes? If Not, I apologize in advance.. It just rings a bell!!!

Your bell has been rung too many times! That's Millersport on Buckeye Lake in Fairfield Co.

[teach1coach2]

Millersburg West Holmes is a different school. D3 in Holmes county.

[teach1coach2]

Millersport beat Berne Union 14-6 to post a 5-0 record.
The Lakers next play Harvest Prep (4-1) and the winning streak likely comes to an end.

Port has beat three 0-5 team and still have two 0-5 teams later on their schedule. Should finish 7-3 or 8-2 this year.

[For the Kids]

The port must be excited, but they do have some tough games coming up.

[athens78]

With a program like they've had it doesn't matter how many 0-5 teams they play. At this point it's just win and bring back the excitement to the school and community.

[seoconstruction]

Agree w Athens
Also fc fan hit the spot w his first response

[nadc1030]

I am glad to see the kids hard work, getting benefits, Good luck this week and the rest of the season.