On the eastern, or 11-man football side, of the Grand River Conference, three new teams will battle against five holdovers in the 2016 season, as the Trenton Bulldogs come from the three-decade long land of independence, but, further to the east, the rival Putnam County Midgets and Milan Wildcats made the difficult decision to leave the now defunct Tri-Rivers Conference for the security of the GRC.
The Milan football program had been the class of the Tri-Rivers in recent years, before graduation losses and youthful up-and-downs led the Wildcats to the lower half of the conference in 2015, and an overall record that sat near the .500 mark.
That season could be just a blip on an extended run of Milan excellence, as Coach John Dabney boasts a group of 38 players that has a burgeoning group of 9th and 10th graders, buoyed by the confidence of great success in junior high.
Coach Dabney, in previewing 2016, looked back at a 2015 season that, while frustrating, should provide building blocks for the future:
As it pertains to Milan’s new conference, the Wildcats have past varsity experience in playing Princeton and Putnam County, and some knowledge from lower levels against the likes of Trenton and South Harrison:
The expected senior starting quarterback for Milan is likely lost to the season with an injury, leaving that marquee position to a battle for a sophomore and freshman:
Milan opens the regular season in tough fashion, playing at Mark Twain on August 19th before hosting Class 2 power South Callaway the following week. Milan’s first ever GRC game will be September 2nd, hosting the Princeton Tigers at Cal Hubbard Field. Milan will be Trenton’s homecoming opponent at C.F. Russell Stadium on September 16th.
