Milton vs Oregon Recap and Top Recruits of the Game

Week 4 sent me just south of Madison, WI for an intriguing matchup between two of the top teams from the Badger-Large conference. 2-1 Oregon played host to 3-0 Milton with some huge stakes on the line as we approached midseason of the regular season. With a win, Milton would find themselves at the top of the conference in a tie with Waunakee. If Oregon was able to pull off the victory then they would find themselves in a four-way tie for 2nd. Both teams brought plenty of 2026 and 2027 talent to the field, and many of them already had a year or more of varsity action under their belt. There was no doubt that both teams were going to be prepared, and the best part was the city of Oregon was ready for some great football as the parking lot and surrounding neighbor quickly filled up with fans. Let's dive right into the battle, then make sure you check out who college coaches need to get their eyes on sooner rather than later.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Game Recap</h2>   Physicality and big plays on special teams and defense were the narrative to start this game off. Oregon had their backs against the wall early, but their defense was able to hold strong. Led by senior DE [player_tooltip player_id='1227424' first='Sabastian' last='Soumphonphakdy'], Oregon was able to drive back the Milton offense with their penetration and force a field goal attempt. The short attempt would sail just outside the uprights and put Oregon on the field with the ball. It didn't take long before Milton stole the momentum with a big special teams play. Senior DB/WR/K/P [player_tooltip player_id='948109' first='Lucas' last='Weinert'] was able to break through the blocking and make a huge punt block. It wasn't just the block, though. It was the effort after to scramble for the ball and secure it in the endzone for the TD and 7-0 lead.   Oregon wasn't going to go away quietly. They worked down the field and at the start of the 2nd quarter senior QB Ethan Pagels rolled right on a designed rollout and found WR Breyden Evans for the score. Unfortunately, the extra point would fail leaving the Panthers trailing 6-7 early in the 2nd quarter. It was impressive watching Milton respond to the moments that Oregon seemed to be stealing momentum. They responded well following that TD with a very quick drive of their own. A drive that would end with a DIME from QB Jake Cummins to WR Caden Pernot for the score. That ability to respond and retake control of games will be huge for this Milton team as they continue through this gauntlet of a conference schedule. Don't let that take away from Oregon, and their defense. Their next drive they wasted little time making their own big play. On an end around by the offense, a defender was able to track down the ball carrier and punch the ball out giving the Oregon offense back the ball. Unfortunately, they couldn't get to points and the half would end with Milton leading 14-6.   It was clear that both teams were trying to give it their best shots on offense, but it was the big play defenses that controlled a lot of that first half. The Milton offense found something during the halftime break because they started the second half with the same success that the defense had during the fist half. They quickly worked down the field and senior RB Charlie Fitzke was able to slice through the line of scrimmage for a short TD to push Milton up 21-6. The second half was far more controlled on both sides of the ball by Milton. Oregon just couldn't find a consistent rhythm on offense, but their defense did their best to keep this thing close. We went into the 4th with Milton still holding to a 21-6 lead, but they were slowly working their way down the field.   That wouldn't end well for them, though. Oregon's defense stayed making their stout play and big plays. This time it was an Ian Torgerson INT in the endzone to once again shut down a Milton drive. I want to emphasize how close this game felt. Oregon was holding strong on defense, they just couldn't put enough points on the board. Milton's constant, as I mentioned earlier, was their ability to not let momentum get away for long. After the INT it only took until the next snap to get a sack fumble and recover it near the Oregon endzone. 4 plays later Jake Cummins kept it himself and punched it in for the commanding 28-6. That would be where the game would end. With each team rotating guys in and trading short drives until the clock would run out and give Milton the 28-6 lead.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Recruits of the Game</h2>    I love the way Charlie plays RB, and the senior has had a ton of success with his play style. The 5'9" 175 lbs back is coming off a 1200 yard season as a junior and is rolling early in his senior season. Charlie is a kid that plays bigger than you expect. He has an impressive ability to stay on his feet and fight through tackles and gain those tough yards between the tackles. The senior also found success with his vision and instincts as he would knife through the front seven through small seams of daylight. Charlie had a prototypical good game in the win. Don't sleep on this kid.    <ul class="wp-block-list"></ul>    Jake was fun to watch! Unfortunately for football fans, he will be going to college to continue his baseball career. The 5'11" 175 lbs senior is exactly what you hope to have in a high school QB. A kid with a high IQ and a great sense for ways to make plays and create something out of nothing when things break down. Jake is an athlete in the pocket and won't hesitate to tuck it himself and create things on the ground with his elusive agility. Jake is a gamer and having that at QB at the high school level will keep teams in a lot of games.     Rowan was at his best when he was able to run block. The senior has a massive frame with long arms. Paired together, Rowan has been able to become a devastating run blocker. Whether it is single or double teams, the left tackle was able to quickly drive DL out of the trenches and open up lanes while resetting the line of scrimmage downfield. As the game went on we saw the run game of Milton find more and more space. The big man up front was a big contributor to that success. The senior is still uncommitted and needs to have more eyes on him for the rest of this season.     Lucas was on our radar coming into the day for his kicking and punting abilities. The leg lived up to my hopes as he easily booted extra points through with power and boomed kickoffs into the endzone. What I wasn't expecting was his impact on offense and defense. Lucas was flying around as a DB. He broke up passes, was a reliable tackler in space, and the senior also delivered the hardest his of the game on a PBU over the middle. On offense the senior was utilized at WR where he could use his speed and size to beat DBs downfield. Lucas did it all and made at least one big play on offense, defense, and special teams. It was a great display of talent by the senior.     Carson was one of a few big WRs on the Milton roster that I wanted to get my eyes on. The Milton offense didn't need Carson to step up a ton, but the long athlete impressed with his easy route running. Carson has the body control to get in and out of route breaks with ease despite having that longer frame. Having the ability to open up separation with size and route running is a big advantage for those outside weapons.     Cole was the big surprise of the night for me. He is undersized for a DE/edge defender, but the senior was making plays all night long. We saw him flash an explosive get off at the snap, violent hands and a quickness to counter off his initial move. Cole was able to disrupt plays with his pressure and also get home. Including setting up the final score of the game with his strip sack near the Oregon endzone. Over and over #52 flashed while Milton was on defense. I would consider he a potential steal for a WIAC or other D3 level team.     Stats: 11 Carries, 50 Yards   I was excited to get an in-person look at the sophomore RB. His tape had impressed me, and the more I saw him carry the ball the more I liked what I saw in person. Jayce is a physical runner who plays aggressively and with quick decision making. He is a one cut runner who can get up field in a hurry once he sticks that foot in the ground and gets vertical. The sophomore is already developing a strong lower body that can absorb contact and drive through defenders to gain extra yards when plays initially looked stuffed. I also have to add that I love the way he plays 100 mph every time he gets a carry. Definitely keep an eye on this kid's development over the coming years.     Stats: 9/18, 138 Yards, 1 TD, 27 Rushing Yards   This was my first look at the senior QB for Oregon. First takeaway from the night is that Ethan has an outstanding frame that is well filled out. The senior proved he can move at that size too. Whether it was scrambles for yardage or rolling out on designed plays. Ethan was also able to deliver accurate passes on the move too. Ethan was at his best firing the ball into the short to intermediate levels during the game, but it also looked like he had the arm to open things up if asked to. Ethan is well worth taking a look at as a potential sleeper at the QB position in the Class of 2026.     Stats: 5 Tackles, 1 PBU   I have been a huge fan of the way Kaiden plays defense, and it was awesome to watch it in person. Kaiden best fits at DB at the next level, but he plays LB for Oregon. That is fine because Kaiden is an ultra-physical defender who can handle playing in the front seven. Even at 180 lbs. Kaiden is one of the best tacklers among DBs. He seems to acerbate through contact and blows up ball carriers. We also got to see some of his range in coverage as he did well picking up the RB and running deep downfield with him to break up a pass. Don't sleep on the tone setting DB.     Stats: 4.5 Tackles, 1 Sack, 2 TFLs   My top defender from the night was Sabastian. He has a big, powerful frame that was able to disrupt the opposing offense all night long. 52 comes off the line with force and active hands. That duo got OL off balance enough for him to quickly fly through the OL and create disruption. He also showed off his power and leverage to bull rush his OL into the backfield. Even if he didn't get the stop, Sabastian was making impacts on the outcome of plays. It was great to see the senior DL make plays against the run and the pass equally too. He is a dynamic presence that is turning into one of the top steals and under the radar kids in this Class.     Stats: 5 Receptions, 50 Yards   I love how Oregon uses Brayden. The 6'6" 220 lbs senior TE is a traditional, inline TE who will change games for the better in the run game and pass game. As a run blocker he has the size and power and understanding of body positioning to give Oregon an extra OL in the trenches. Then he can flip a switch and become a viable target in the pass game. Brayden did really well finding the soft spots in coverage for his receptions and was able to get up field quickly as the defense swarmed to bring him down. Teams that utilize an inline TE should take a look at the senior.     Our final standout was senior OT [player_tooltip player_id='1361674' first='Samuel' last='Hanke']. Hanke was one of the top athletes I wanted to see coming into the day. He looks the part at 6'5" 285 lbs with long arms. The senior was light on his feet, giving him very effective range. Sam could quickly get depth on his pass set to cut off speed rushers attacking the edge. I was able to watch him quickly change direction in those situations too. Samuel also set himself apart with his range in the run game. We saw his ability to attack LBs and secure running lanes through the second level. Samuel also impressed with his power. Multiple times he quickly overpowered the DL and drove them up to level two. Samuel is a need to know recruit in the Class of 2026.

Week 4 sent me just south of Madison, WI for an intriguing matchup between two of the top teams from the Badger-Large conference. 2-1 Oregon played host to 3-0 Milton with some huge stakes on the line as we approached midseason of the regular season. With a win, Milton would find themselves at the top of the conference in a tie with Waunakee. If Oregon was able to pull off the victory then they would find themselves in a four-way tie for 2nd. Both teams brought plenty of 2026 and 2027 talent to the field, and many of them already had a year or more of varsity action under their belt. There was no doubt that both teams were going to be prepared, and the best part was the city of Oregon was ready for some great football as the parking lot and surrounding neighbor quickly filled up with fans. Let's dive right into the battle, then make sure you check out who college coaches need to get their eyes on sooner rather than later.