SETTING THE SCENE: Coming off a dramatic 3-0 win at Winton Woods and up to a season-best fifth in the Ohio Division I rankings, Milford returns home to host rival West Clermont. With a win, the Eagles can clinch at least a share of the ECC title which would be the program’s first since 2017. The Eagles’ high-octane offense has been complemented by a steadily improving defense as they enter the WC contest having yielded just 14 points in the last 14 quarters of play, including a pair of shutouts. Milford has already claimed one of the top-four seeds in D1, Region 4 and will look to solidify the top spot its held much of the season with a win.

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The match-up by the numbers

A look at the Milford-West Clermont match-up by the numbers (per game averages & conference team rankings):

• Milford scoring offense (2^nd-37.0) vs. West Clermont scoring defense (4^th-20.1)

• Milford total offense (2^nd-361.6) vs. West Clermont total defense (4^th-171.3)

• Milford rushing offense (5^th-122.8) vs. West Clermont rushing defense (5^th-93.9)

• Milford passing offense (3^rd-238.9) vs. West Clermont passing defense (3^rd-171.3)
• West Clermont scoring offense (7^th-20.3) vs. Milford scoring defense (2^nd-16.5)

• West Clermont total offense (9^th-224.1) vs. Milford total defense (5^th-288.3)

• West Clermont rushing offense (1^st-164.8) vs. Milford rushing defense (2^nd-73.0)

• West Clermont passing offense (10^th-59.4) vs. Milford passing defense (7^th-215.3)

Inside the numbers
A look at Milford’s statistical leaders:
Rushing Yards: Nathan Webster (777, 12 TDs)
Passing Yards: Luke Brand (1911, 12 TDs)
Receiving Yards: Reece Davis (652, 5 TDs)
Tackles: Andrew Littrell (75)
Sacks: Hunter Gulaskey/Andrew Littrell/Tofa Luani (3.5)
Interceptions: Robby Mickler (3)
Kicking Points: Mason Cooper (42)
Punting Average: Jacob Luecke (39.5)
Kickoff Return Yards: Reece Davis (167, 0 TDs)
Punt Return Yards: Reece Davis (192, 1 TD)

A look at West Clermont’s statistical leaders:
Rushing Yards: Bo Rickman (487, 5 TDs)
Passing Yards: Bo Rickman (417, 3 TDs)
Receiving Yards: Hayden Jones (141, 1 TD)
Tackles: Caillou Robinson (51)
Sacks: Caillou Robinson (4.0)
Interceptions: Caiden Burt/Aidan Turner (2)
Kicking Points: Isaac Cooper (28)
Punting Average: Zander Hauck (36.5)
Kickoff Return Yards: Hayden Jones (180)
Punt Return Yards: Hayden Jones (34)

Notable 2023 Performances

• Newcomer Nathan Webster made an immediate impact in his Milford debut in Week 1 vs. Edgewood. The senior transfer from the Atlanta-area and younger brother of former Eagle RB Natwan Webster rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns in his debut.
• Senior Max Hardoerfer had the biggest play of his Milford career late in the Edgewood contest as he scooped up a fumble forced by Daniel Walker and rumbled 72 yards for a touchdown.
• Senior Reece Davis was a dual threat in a big way in Milford's wild win over Lebanon. He opened the game with an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown, then hauled in a receiving TD late in the first quarter. He capped the night with the game-winning TD reception with 34 seconds remaining. Reece finished the night with nine catches for 130 yards, along with 175 yards in returns.
• In just his second start at QB, junior Luke Brand had a big night at Lebanon, connecting on three TD passes. He finished the night 20 of 37 for 240 yards passing.
• Junior LB Christian Felix made his first big impact play of the season on defense against Lebanon with a sack/forced fumble that set up an Eagles' touchdown. He finished with three tackles on top of the strip sack.
• Luke Brand had a record-setting performance in the Eagles' big win over rival Loveland. For the night, Brand set a Milford school record with 423 passing yards, connecting on 34-of-46 passes and a pair of touchdowns. He also added a pair of rushing touchdowns.
• Senior K Mason Cooper connected on all seven of his extra point attempts, as well as his first career field goal, a 31-yard try against Loveland. He also kicked off a total of eight times with four resulting in touchbacks.
• Reeve Davis topped 100 yards receiving for the second straight game against Loveland, hauling in 10 passes for a career-high 172 yards.
• Nathan Webster continued to make his presence felt in the Loveland win, totaling 127 yards for his second 100-yard plus game of the year.
• In a big win over Anderson and its high-powered offense, the foursome of Andrew Littrell, Tofa Luani, Cole Miller and Nathan Webster all played starring roles. The Eagles' linebacker threesome of Littrell (17), Miller (17) and Luani (14) combined for 48 tackles on the night as the Milford defense withstood 108 offensive snaps by Anderson. Littrell also had a sack and forced a pick-six interception return with a fierce rush of the quarterback. Luani tagged on 1.5 tackles for loss, blocked a punt, and scored three rushing touchdowns on offense. Webster matched Luani with three rushing scores, while finishing with 170 yards on the ground.
• Two under the radar seniors and Milford's rapidly improving junior quarterback played key pieces in helping the Eagles improve to 5-0 with a win over Kings. Pressed into service as the main running back, Ashton Warther finished with 172 all-purpose yards, made up of 86 rushing, 61 receiving, and 25 in kick return yards. He also scored his first TD of the season. Senior WR J.P. Naylor was QB Luke Brand’s favorite target on the night, catching eight passes for 133 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Brand was phenomenal under center once again for the Eagles, completing 22-of-28 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns.
• A pair of seniors came up with key performances in helping Milford improve to 6-0 with a win over Little Miami. Robby Mickler came up with a pair of interceptions from his safety position and was part of a defensive effort which allowed a then season-low 219 yards and recorded its first shutout since last season's playoff opener. Nathan Webster topped 100 yards rushing for the third time in the five games he's played this season, finishing with 142 against the Panthers. He also scored three rushing touchdowns.
• QB Luke Brand and junior WR Ethan Melgard, both played key roles in Milford's Homecoming win over Walnut Hills. Brand was outstanding once again, completing an efficient 14-of-19 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding a rushing touchdown. Melgard finished with a career-best 70 receiving yards on three catches, including a 33-yard touchdown.
• Milford's huge ECC win over Winton Woods had many key performances, but those by Mason Cooper, Tofa and Toto Luani, and Nathan Webster rose to the top. In a pressure-packed situation, Cooper connected on the only points of the night, a game-winning 22-yard field goal with just over two minutes to play. Tofa Luani, had 1.5 sacks, including a forced fumble on a strip, along with eight total tackles and a quarterback hurry. Toto Luani, a senior DB, led all Milford players with 10 tackles, including 1.5 for loss. Webster grinded out 98 yards on 22 carries against the ECC's top-ranked defense, the most by an opposing back against Winton Woods this season.