PREP FOOTBALL

Balanced South Medford throttles Lincoln

Milhollin passes for three TDs, Gilmore rushes for 92 yards

By By Dave Burns

for the Mail Tribune
October 03, 2009

It was supposed to be a battle of high-powered quarterbacks, but South Medford saw some early opporturnities and ran away with a 31-9 nonleague homecoming victory Friday night over Lincoln of Portland at Spiegelberg Stadium.

It was a solid night for South Medford quarterback Josh Milhollin (15 of 26 for 233 yards, three touchdowns), receiver Allen Fitzsimmons (two touchdowns) and running back Kevin Gilmore (125 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown) as the fifth-ranked Panthers improved to 3-1.

It was the junior Gilmore's first 100-yard game as a rusher.

"It feels good," he said. "A lot of opportunities from this night. (You've) got to take it."

Lincoln (2-3), playing just a few days after the firing of head coach Chad Carlson and the resignation of two of his assistants, never could generate much of an offense, even with highly regarded quarterback Henry Furman taking the snaps.

The Cardinals saw several drives cut short by fumbles and interceptions.

The turnovers went both ways for a while, but the Panthers were able to overcome theirs. Lincoln couldn't.

"It was back and forth," South Medford coach Bill Singler said. "With the turnovers, momentum was going back and forth. (But) we ran a complete game and got them in the end."

Milhollin struck quickly, hitting Fitzsimmons on a 27-yard toss to the end zone just three minutes into the game, giving the Panthers a 7-0 lead after Parker Thomas' kick.

Less than three minutes later, Gilmore rambled 24 yards to make it 13-0.

"I saw everybody coming so I decided to cut up inside and didn't see (anybody) there and kept going," Gilmore said.

A 10-yard Milhollin strike to Josh Havird, followed by a two-point conversion, made it 21-0 by the end of the second quarter.

The quarterback and Fitzsimmons would deliver again on a 35-yard strike in the fourth quarter.

That would be Milhollin's final pass of the night, giving reserve Jack Singler his first game experience with 8:53 left. But neither side scored after that.

"I was rolling to the left and Allen ran a great out-and-up route," Milhollin said. "We just put it in the game and hadn't connected on it. He was wide open and ran a good route and ran to the ball. Touchdown."

Furman left after a failed drive in the third quarter and Lincoln got its only touchdown on a 13-yard run by D'Andre Warren late in the third quarter.

The Cardinals got on the scoreboard when a high snap on a punt attempt sailed out of the South Medford end zone for a safety.