Milan @ Airport

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• from AnnArbor.com:

  The Milan High School football team took one more step toward its undefeated regular season Friday night, and it was a forceful one.

  The Big Reds jumped out to a three-touchdown lead by halftime and topped Carleton Airport, 41-0.

  With the win, Milan takes its first outright Huron League title since joining the league in 2000.

  It also improved to 8-0 on the year, and will go for its first undefeated season since 1997 next week at Lincoln.

  The Big Reds gained more than 500 yards of offense -- they scored on six of eight drives, with the other two coming at the end of the first and second halves.

  They also earned their first shutout of the year on defense. Milan had given up one touchdown in two other wins this year.

  “It was a big point of emphasis that when some reserves get in that they hold the rope, they do their job and tonight we got the shutout," Milan coach Jesse Hoskins said.

  Milan opened with a 16-play, 80 yard drive that took up more than seven minutes on the clock. It ended with a 13-yard pass from Justin Aceves to Gage Smith.

  After the Big Reds defense forced a three-and out, Milan went 58 yards on five yards, capped by a 19-yard Arthur Dukes rushing touchdown.

  Milan ran for 172 yards in the first half alone, and Aceves threw for 94 yards.

  He finished the game with a season-high 180 yards on 11-for-15 passing with two touchdowns.

  “Justin’s been sharp all year," Hoskins said. "He’s a very efficient passer.”

  His favorite target was Smith, who caught seven passes for 122 yards and a score.

  On the ground, Dukes saw his streak of three straight 200-yard games come to an end, finishing with 115, but only because his teammates stepped up. Robert Kanitz ran for 146 yards and two scores, and Torrin Collier ran for 60 yards.

  Aceves said players backing each other up has been the biggest part of Milan's success this season -- their motto is "hold the rope."

  “It’s simple," Aceves said. "Hard work, and holding the rope.”

  Milan's Charles Duffiney recorded an interception on the third play of the second half, and Milan drove 71 yards for a score -- a 25-yard touchdown pass from Aceves to Devin Miller.

  The Big Reds increased their lead late in the third when Kanitz ran the ball in from one yard out, and again on a touchdown from Dylan Brant with seven minutes left.

  Milan will go for its unbeaten regular season against one of its classic opponents in Lincoln. The two teams haven't met since 2006, but before that met every year for three decades as Southeastern Conference rivals.

  “Lincoln is such a great old school rivalry, and I think the community is going to be very excited about it," Hoskins said.

• Love. Congrats.

• Congrats to Milan. You earned it. Good Luck in the playoffs.

• Show some love for your 2012 UNDEFEATED HURON LEAGUE CHAMPION MILAN BIG REDS!

• 41-0 Milan final

• GO MILAN !!
  Glad to see somebody new up there.
  Hopefully it will continue. Nice new school, tons of talent, good coaching. Sounds like a winner to me
  MILAN 35- AIRPORT 14

• Anyone remember the Milan airport game from 2 years ago? Milan contained Mays. Dunn played well. Young qbs. Airport wins by a missed pat. Too bad someone had to loose that one. Repeat tonight? Have fun boys.

• You people are forgetting how BAD airport is. 20 point win minimum.

• I thought that Milan might not be as motivated last week because only Homecoming was on the line. I'm glad I was wrong. This week, history is on the line. Again, Milan has never won the HL outright since rejoining the league. I'm sure that's been mentioned by coaches and alumns a few times this week.

  Don't take us homers' word for how impressive Milan has been this season. Ask a fan of another school that has already played Milan. Ask them what they have seen. No team is unbeatable, but Milan is doing a lot of things well these days.

• I think the game will be closer than everyone thinks. Too much on the line. Milan will probably pull away in the second half. That seems to be the norm.