MILTIA TAME THE GATORS

Militia players run on to the field against the Gators, pictured above

DANBURY, CT-With nearly 400 yards of offense and an opportunistic defense, the Militia revenge their only loss as they defeat the Gators 21-13 in the GAME OF THE WEEK. &ldquot;Our goal was to keep the ball on the ground&rdquot; said offensive lineman Mike Swartz, &ldquot;we felt we could push them around tonight and we did just that.&rdquot; Limited running the ball in their week one meeting, the Militia gained 168 yards on the ground including a 112 yard, two score performance from Lionel Assie.

Set up by a 66 yard punt return by Akeem Wright, the Gators Dino Mancenelli connected with tight end Anthony Jubles in their second possession for a quick 24 yard touchdown pass.  The next possession saw the Militia construct an 87 yard drive culminating in a scoring plunge by Assie. Focusing on a zone read running game; both Assie and Kevin Oberg (41 yards rushing) ran behind their overpowering offensive line for a drive that took nine minutes off the clock. The score tied the game at 7-7 as the first half expired.

The second half saw the Militia continue to run the ball at the undersized Gators defenders. A 7 play drive leads to another score by Assie and a 14-7 lead. Late in the third quarter receiver Ron Christy caught a 57 yard bomb to set the Gators up deep in Militia territory.  A four yard scoring run by Aaron Taylor puts the Gators in position to tie the game. A failed extra point attempt preserves the Militia one point lead heading into the final quarter.

After a few possession exchanges, the crowd in Militia Valley Stadium could see the effects of Western CT's running game on the Gators.  After converting two first downs on the ground, Oberg threw a well-placed fade pattern on the sideline to the speedy Will Andrews for a 57 yard catch and run to seal the game. &ldquot;They are a great team; we did what we need to do tonight to win&rdquot; said Jason Davis. Similar to week one, this game was decided by one score. &ldquot;Don't be surprised if we see each other again in the playoffs.&rdquot;

The win does place the Militia in a favorable position in the post season nearly securing home field advantage if they win out. &ldquot;Being in Danbury for the playoffs is very important to us&rdquot; said Davis. After a 5-0 start, the loss is the second consecutive one for the Gators. With programs like the Western Mass Warriors and the Tri State Bulldogs on their schedule, they know they have to get themselves turned around.

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BOXSCORE

WESTERN CT MILITIA

BRIDGEPORT GATORS

TOTAL OFFENSE

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