BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — For the Milford Mill Academy Millers this entire high school football season has been about one thing - finishing the job. On Friday they get their chance.
"The little stuff, we’ve been fixing all of that," said senior defensive tackle Emmanuel Gee. "Every time you are in a close game in the fourth quarter you just think about what happened last year."
"Getting back was not our goal. To win it is our goal and we won’t be satisfied until that’s done," added head coach Reggie White.
The Millers take on Kent Island Friday at 4:00 p.m., at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, for the Maryland 2A state championship. It’s their second straight trip to the state title game. They lost last year's to Douglass of P.G. County.
"The taste of defeat is worse than the taste of victory. We’ve had that taste for I guess it’s almost 365 days," said White. "It’s been eating at our soul."
Milford Mill is an undefeated 13-0 on the season and they have dominated they’re opponents, outscoring them a combined 610-95. They’re led by junior quarterback Deshawn Purdie and senior running back Sean Williams Jr. Both came over this year from Mount St. Joseph High School.
Williams has dismantled defenses all season, rushing for a school record 1,928 yards and 36 touchdowns. In the state semifinal against Decatur he went for a school record 310 yards and four touchdowns. He said he is the “missing puzzle piece” for his team.
"I’m what they are looking for in a back and I’m here to complete what they needed to be done, which is to win. I’m going to score 18 times if I have to. If they need me to I can do it."
The Millers aren’t only trying to bring home this state title for themselves, their families and their community. They said they are also doing it for the parent of a former player.
Mike Savage, a former longtime Baltimore County football coach living with ALS, is the father of former Millers quarterback Brandon Savage, who led the school to the state title game in 2017. Mike came to practice to speak to the team a couple weeks ago.
"It motivated us a lot. The people he did know, I could see the hurt in their eyes to see him like that," said Williams Jr. "They want to do it for him and I’m going to make sure, in all my power, that we will do it for him. We will win."
Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerWMAR and Facebook
