Milton Junior Wildcats Advance to Conference Superbowl

Earlier this week, the Milton Junior Wildcats 5th grade football team advanced to the Bay State Conference Superbowl with a 14-12 win over the Wellesley Raiders at Memorial Field in Needham. The Junior Wildcats will play at 11 a.m. Sunday in Framingham for the Bay State Conference Championship. The winner will advance to the American Youth Football New England Regionals, playing for the Massachusetts championship. 

In wet and windy conditions, the game was scoreless throughout much of the first half before Kalel Mullings broke through the line for a five-yard touchdown run.  Wellesley returned a fumble for a touchdown early in the seconnd half to close the gap to 7-6.  The Junior Wildcats’ quarterback Luke Botsford marshaled an epic eight-minute scoring drive behind the solid running of Mullings, tailback Carter Rice and wingback Jackson MacMillan and the strong blocking of  an aggressive offensive line. 

It ended with a 1-yard plunge into the endzone for Mullings second touchdown of the game.  After Wellesley came right back to score early in the fourth quarter, the offense ran the clock down and the defense stiffened to preserve the win.

Since entering the Bay State Conference of the American Youth Football three years ago after many years as a Pop Warner program, this is the first time a Milton team has advanced to the conference championship.

"To win this game is a great accomplishment for the kids," said head coach Jamie Rice.  "But it is even more amazing considering how far they come this year both as players, teammates and young men.  This is a very competitive league, and we compete against towns that are perennial football powerhouses, such as Walpole, Weymouth, Needham and Natick.  So to come this far is very gratifying."

The success of the Milton Junior Wildcats program is not just on the field.  The A, B and C cheerleading squads all won first or second place in the Bay State Conference Cheer Competition last weekend at the Tsongas Center in Lowell.

The Milton Junior Wildcats Football and Cheer program is the largest Football/Cheer program in Milton, with nearly 200 participants in teams from 2nd to 8th grade. They are members of the Bay State Conference of American Youth Football, the largest youth football program in the world.  Their website is miltonjrwildcats.org.

The above release was submitted by Paul Scannell.