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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, August 10, 2004-21 *à> ini il i vi ýi 1-1 Marauders dump Sudbury in playoff opener Milton off to league semifinals By MURRAY TOWNSEND Special to The Champion J t just keeps getting better for Ithe Milton Marauders. Shorily aller disposing of' Sudbury 24-3 n their lïrsi round playoff clash ai home. they learned they1lI also host the NFC's semifinals. Saturday's game staried slowly lor hoth teains ai Milton District High School. Sudbury got on the hoard first on n ith a field goal. carrving tai I-0lIead nelli mb the sCciîid qLiartei Milton's t irsit iLchdiiwn \nas set uip hy a iiulin l.'Dvidio 1-urble recovery ai the Sudhbury 34 yard-uine. Slippery Steve Luhin hi ke oneito ii 20) yards. ,idded a cou- pl-- miore rLiis. .imd tltcn ai the t n o-yard fine shoirtyard specialisi Wayne Sliwtinskt camie u.Fa like îryîîg iii stop a Mack truck hy setting up a rîol lmm'flding chairs -attd il nas qutckly 7-3 Milton. The last minute mît the Oirsi hall' \as the Jason Nune, Shuin. lu a span of« 22 sec- inds. he iniercepted l\sso passes oit ol NFC Hall-oi Jante qmarerhack Paul Gauthier and raît tlîem hîth hack lor tiîichdon ns. O>ne n\ as a' 55-y ard retuint and the îmheî n as 35 yards. Nune, led the ceagne nîinterceptioîns l'or thte secontd stiaight sea.sim, antdlhas lise nt ihe last 1\no neeks. ruîîthîîg ltiîr of ilîem hack for touchdon ns. A loi t olhîs îtiercep- l tions appear as f 'he's the înîeîtded recels- er. hut that's tut luck as he*s suggested in tlic past. csýpcîally n hen tltappetus every nveek. -They ahused us tlie ftrst time:- said Nunez of' iheir regular season meeting againsi Sudhury, a 36-29 htss. You siudy *tendencies and learu from your mistakes. We cailed the righî coverage. Ymu're always evolving, lrom game 10 game. and even within the game.- The only other Milton score was a 27- yard field goal hy Len Watkins, although Milton Maraudera wlde recelve Andy Taylor leape over Sudbury defendeKim Labrosse, eludlng a tacida durlng Saturday aftarnoon a tiret-round playoff game at Milton District HIgh School. Milion won 24-3 to advmnc. to the. NFC sernifinals. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE the argument could he made thai ihere was no need 10 score any more or ihey mighî have. Insiead, ihey kepi the hall on the ground, munnîng oui the dlock, with much of those duties failing 10 Lubin. He ioialed 1,58 yards on the game. 104 of ihem lu the Oirsi hall'. He hroke for several ig-gainers, and several limes tmcd noihing int some- thing. -Eveiy tîme you get more than Oive yards uts hecause of' the offensive fie and the receivers (hlockîng dîîwntield)' saîd Lubin. lI'm jusi one guy oui of 12. Wlien everyhîmdy norks together thaî's the resuli.- Coach Barry Ento feli the Marauders execuied iheir gante pîatt nicely. accumu- laîîng 268 yards on the ground. wiîh ion Nedeljkovic also pîckîng up some nice gainers. -They have a small defensîve fie atnd small linehackers, and we ihougîiti e couid wcar them down hy pounding il ai them." The Spartans. vlto fOred iheir head coach a couple days helore tce game wiîhouî any puhblc explanation, madieuilie effort to gel hack inîo the gaine in the second haif. ai least lu the iraditiottal sense. Some of it ntay have heen the resuli of two of iheir nvide receivers sutferîng injuries. hut they' jusi stmpped ihron ing the hall. preierrntg, ssiih ile success, to try t10 mn the hail agaînsi a detense that chews up opposing munnîng hacks and spiîs îhem oui. At the same limîe ihey helped the Marauders hy eaîing up the dlock. defying ail logic. Milton had a couple other chances 1o score, încluding once where they fumhled on the Sudhury goal fiue after a 57-yard puni retum hy Andy Taylor, which didn'î sit well wiih Emo. "We can't gel down 10 ihe one or iwo yard hune and not score." Emo noted that ihey alto can't keep rely- ing on iheir defense 10 put thse points on the board, and that tise offense needs 10 crank il up for their nexi playoff game. "We've got IiQ polisistise rougis edges, and thse only way 10 do tisai is witis more practice. We'll he ready." The Marauders will hosi Tri-City Saturday ai 4 p.m. ai Milton District. Tise Oakville Longhoms, many of wisom were present on Saîurday - perisaps anticipai- ing round tisree lu the Battle of Halion - play North Bay tintise otiser semnifinal, after the Bulldogs shocked second-place Oshsawa 13-12. - sleblanc@haltonsearch.com