SETTING THE SCENE: The first of consecutive rivalry games, this one a road test at Loveland, greets Milford during Week 4 of the 2025 high school football season. Billed annually as the Battle for the Miami Township Bell, Milford will be seeking a 10th consecutive victory in the series. The Eagles enter with a 1-2 overall record and a 1-1 Eastern Cincinnati Conference mark after a 38-17 home loss to Winton Woods last week. Loveland, meanwhile is 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the ECC, following a 21-14 setback to Kings in Week 3.
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The match-up by the numbers
A look at the Milford-Loveland match-up by the numbers (per game averages & conference team rankings):
§ Milford scoring offense (7th-18.0) vs. Loveland scoring defense (7th-28.0)
§ Milford total offense (9th-190.0) vs. Loveland total defense (9th-363.0)
§ Milford rushing offense (9th-61.3) vs. Loveland rushing defense (8th-153.3)
§ Milford passing offense (7th-128.7) vs. Loveland passing defense (8th-209.7)
§ Loveland scoring offense (8th-17.7) vs. Milford scoring defense (6th-24.3)
§ Loveland total offense (10th-189.0) vs. Milford total defense (6th-321.7)
§ Loveland rushing offense (7th-102.3) vs. Milford rushing defense (9th-176.3)
Loveland passing offense (9th-86.7) vs. Milford passing defense (3rd-145.3)
A look at Milford’s statistical leaders:
Rushing Yards: Jayden Bodley (72, 2 TDs)
Passing Yards: Jayden Bodley (309, 3 TDs)
Receiving Yards: Joey Dahmer (151, 3 TDs)
Tackles: Jake Dixon (27)
Sacks: Parker Mott (1.5)
Interceptions: Chase Gale/Isaiah Smith (1)
Kicking Points: Tyler McQueen (12)
Punting Average: Tyler McQueen (37.1)
Kickoff Return Yards: Joey Dahmer (87, 0 TDs)
Punt Return Yards: Karson Long (2, 0 TDs)
A look at Loveland’s statistical leaders:
Rushing Yards: Chase Martin (146, 2 TDs)
Passing Yards: Sean Clore (244, 3 TDs)
Receiving Yards: Tyler McCaleb.(83, 1 TD)
Tackles: Eric Earl (18)
Sacks: Calvin Lorek (2.5)
Interceptions: None
Kicking Points: Brady Stidham (9)
Punting Average: Brady Stidham (34.5)
Kickoff Return Yards: Chase Martin (79, 0 TDs)
Punt Return Yards: Chase Martin (68, 1 TD)
Notable 2025 Performances
Week 1
· Senior P/K Tyler McQueen had a booming start to his senior year. In the Eagles' opener against Withrow, Tyler punted four times for an average of 49.8 yards per kick, including a career-best 59 yarder. He also placed his only kickoff of the night inside the 10-yard line.
Week 2
· In just his second varsity start, junior QB Jayden Bodley accounted for four touchdowns in leading the Milford offense to a 37-0 win. Jayden threw three touchdown passes, while rushing for a fourth. The junior finished with 130 yards passing and a team-high 45 more rushing. Junior DB Chase Gale came up big on defense, leading the Eagles with nine tackles, snagging his first career interception, and breaking up another pass.
Week 3
· Against a tough Winton Woods team, Joey Dahmer, a junior, finished with 143 all-purpose yards and his team-leading third touchdown of the season. Overcoming a slow first half, Joey finished with 63 yards receiving, including a touchdown, plus eight yards rushing and 72 yards in kickoff returns. Aiden Luley, a sophomore, tallied a season-high 11 tackles, while adding half a sack and one quarterback hurry.
Last Year vs. Loveland
Milford overcame a slow offensive first half with three second half touchdowns to hold on to the Miami Township Victory Bell for the ninth straight time as the Eagles defeated rival Loveland 19-12. The contest, part of the annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown, was historic as Eagles head coach Tom Grippa became Milford’s all-time winningest coach with his 54th victory at the school.
One week after amassing just 148 total yards in a defeat to Winton Woods, it appeared the offense would endure another sluggish night as they put up just 69 first half yards. If not for a 49-yard Loveland field goal with just 10 seconds remaining before the half, the defensive struggle would have been scoreless at the break.
But in the second half, QB Luke Brand and company came to life as the senior signal caller threw one touchdown and rushed for another. Jordan Davis put the game on ice with a 28-yard TD run just before the midpoint of the fourth quarter. A choppy last couple of minutes of game action saw Loveland trim the final deficit to only seven with a safety and a touchdown on the game’s final snap.
The Milford defense was fierce despite enduring 80 offensive snaps by the Tigers, allowing just 241 yards for an average of 3.0 yards per play. Daniel Walker tallied two of Milford’s five total sacks on the night.
Milford had the first real scoring opportunity in the first quarter when Tim Dick returned a punt 58 yards into Loveland territory to set-up the Eagle offense. But after getting to the Tiger 12, three straight incomplete passes stalled the drive out. Brady Stidham’s field goal just before the half would prove to be the only points of the first half.
Loveland held the ball first in the third quarter but faced with a fourth and 23 at the Milford 36, a questionable fake punt was sniffed out by Walker and Sione Lolo. Ten plays and 68 yards later, Brand went to his favorite target, senior Caden Bailey for a three-yard TD pass and a 6-3 Milford lead. As the game reached the fourth quarter, a 10-play, 78-yard drive allowed Milford to go up 13-3 after Brand rushed in from seven yards out.
Milford put the game on ice with 6:46 remaining when Davis broke loose for his touchdown of the 2024 campaign.
Brand finished his night 18 of 29 passing for 177 yards, with the TD to Bailey and his own rushing score. Davis finished with 76 rushing yards and a score, while Bailey was the top receiver with 58 yards on six receptions.
The defense was led by 10 tackles and a sack from Jake Dixon, nine tackles each by Isaiah Carranza and Daniel Walker and eight by Nick Freeland.
Week 3 Game Summary
In a game marred by penalties, turnovers and issues with the game clock, Milford fell to perennial ECC power Winton Woods, but not without a fight and not without positives to show. While moral victories don’t count in the standings, Milford was forced to walk away with a 38-17 setback to the Warriors. However, the 17 points put on the board by the Eagles marked the most they’d scored against an always tough WW defense since the schools became ECC rivals back in 2021.
The first quarter provided a preview of what was to come as a staggering nine offensive possessions comprised the period. Winton Woods scored on its first offensive drive, before the teams traded turnovers and punts on the ensuring four drives. Milford had an excellent scoring change on its next drive when QB Jayden Bodley hit Karson Long for an almost 40-yard gain, but an unfortunate fumble by the latter at the Warrior 20 thwarted the drive.
The other main theme of the first half was stellar field position for Winton Woods as the Warriors enjoyed an average starting field position of their own 41 in the first two quarters. That played a role in WW scoring a pair of short TDs during the frame to open a 21-0 lead. Aided by a couple of costly Warrior penalties, Bodley and company took advantage just a minute before halftime when Milford’s junior signal caller raced 18 yards for a touchdown.
The third quarter featured the team’s trading field goals with a 31-yarder by senior Tyler McQueen highlighting the session for Milford. Winton Woods was able to pull away with a pair of touchdowns in a four-minute span in the fourth to open a four-touchdown advantage. The Eagles wouldn’t go down without a fight though as reserve QB Chase Whitehouse hooked up with junior WR Joey Dahmer for a 53-yard catch and run touchdown late in the going.
Winton Woods would end the night with a sizable 406-189 edge in total yards, but committed an astounding 18 penalties for 196 yards, which aided Milford in keeping the game close. Four sacks by Winton Woods left Milford with just 29 net yards rushing for the night. Bodley and Whitehouse combined to go 12 of 25 passing for 160 yards, with Long and Dahmer each hauling in three passes for 66 and 63 yards, respectively. The Eagle D got 12 tackles from Jake Dixon and 11 from Aiden Luley who also split a sack with Parker Mott. Mott also recovered a fumble as did Isaiah Carranza, with the latter’s being jarred loose by Jensen Davis.
Winton Woods (2-1,1-1) vs. Milford (1-2,1-1)
Date: Sep 05, 2025 at Milford
Quarter
Scores 1 2 3 4 Score
Winton Woods 7 14 3 14 38
Milford 0 7 3 7 17
Scoring Summary
WWD 1st-09:37 Zephaniah Smith 17 yd run (Michael Galaes kick)
WWD 2nd-08:20 Bryshawn Brown 2 yd run (Michael Galaes kick)
WWD 2nd-04:42 Jace Ridgeway 2 yd run (Michael Galaes kick)
MIL 2nd-01:00 Jayden Bodley 18 yd run (Tyler McQueen kick)
WWD 3rd-06:44 Michael Galaes 30 yd field goal
MIL 3rd-01:56 Tyler McQueen 31 yd field goal
WWD 4th-10:02 Jace Ridgeway 9 yd run (Michael Galaes kick)
WWD 4th-06:10 Jon'Ir Travis 27 yd pass from Bryshawn Brown (Michael Galaes kick)
MIL 4th-04:56 Joey Dahmer 53 yd pass from Chase Whitehouse (Tyler McQueen kick)
Top Milford Performers
Rushing Yards: Zyon Randall (14)
Passing Yards: Jayden Bodley (83)
Receiving Yards: Karson Long (66)
Tackles: Jake Dixon (12)
Sacks: Aiden Luley/Parker Mott (0.5)
Interceptions: None
Punting Average: Tyler McQueen (27.6)
Kickoff Return Yards: Joey Dahmer (72)
Punt Return Yards: Karson Long (2)
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