Chelsea High School Football record through week 9: 20-7 (3-0 week 9; 15-6 SEC).

Chelsea’s 2006 quarterback saga took a different turn this week; Adams was able to come back from his injury to start week 9.  So now the second center is snapping to the second quarterback, and the receiver-turned-third-quarterback (receiverback?) is back where he started.

The games:
Both the freshmen and the JV ended their seasons with wins.  The JV got a boost from the return of their quarterback, Cox; Adams’ return for varsity meant Cox was no longer needed as a backup at that level.

Among the notable aspects of the JV game was Milan’s lack of discipline.  With about five minutes left in the fourth quarter and Chelsea leading by six, Milan faced a fourth and goal inside the one yard line; they failed to score.  That turned the ball over to Chelsea, but it left the Bulldogs in an unenviable first down from the half yard line.

That would have been very dangerous for the Chelsea offense, but Milan squandered that field position: well after the failed fourth down play, the side judge threw a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct on Milan.  So, instead of first down from the half yard line, it was first down from the fifteen.

It didn’t stop there.  Just a couple plays later, Milan was flagged for roughing the passer — another free fifteen yards.  And a couple plays after that penalty, Milan was again flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, adding yet another fifteen free yards to Chelsea’s drive.  Shortly after the third major penalty, Chelsea capped the 99-yard drive with a game-sealing touchdown.

After the game, the Milan parents were audibly displeased, feeling the officials handed the game to Chelsea, but Milan handed that final touchdown to Chelsea with three unnecessary penalties.  Nearly half that drive — 45 out of 99 yards — consisted of those three major Milan penalties.  Victory demands discipline, and Milan did not demonstrate discpline on that drive.

Also notable in the JV game were Milan’s fourth-down attempts.  Four times on fourth and two or shorter, Chelsea stopped Milan, including that crucial fourth and goal late in the game.  Oddly enough, Milan did manage to convert a fourth and nine, but on fourth and short, the Chelsea defense was remarkably stout.

As previously noted, the varsity entered the Milan game with Adams back under center, and Milan entered the game with a 4-4 record, perhaps giving the Bulldog faithful high expectations.  Those expectations were shaken early: well into the fourth quarter, neither team controlled the game.  The lead changed hands several times, and the Milan offense seemed to have little trouble moving the ball.

In the fourth quarter, Chelsea seemed to stop the back and forth scoring, finally gaining a two-score lead.  But the game was meant to be stressful to the end; Milan quickly marched down the field to narrow the gap to four points.  Poor field position after the kickoff left Chelsea fans nervous, but Chelsea’s offense, keyed by an Adams pass, a Hill run and an Adams run, gained first downs and ran the clock to zero, giving the Bulldogs a hard-fought 33-29 victory.

On Sunday, the playoff pairings were announced; players and their families gathered to learn that they would be hosting Carleton Airport (7-2) in the first round.

After the playoff announcement, both coach Brad Bush and athletic director Wayne Welton had the same message: enjoy the ride.  We here in Chelsea have become accustomed to winning; the program has an outstanding streak of playoff appearances.  But Bush and Welton cautioned the players and parents not to take it for granted: wins and playoff appearances aren’t guaranteed.  Enjoy the wins when you get them.