Keith Jones might have turned in one of the best coaching performances anyone familiar with New Hampshire high school football has ever seen.
The Milford High School team that Jones coaches might have put together one of the most improbable seasons.
And it’s all to be forgotten.
The Spartans have always been a resilient bunch under Jones, and no season showed that more than last year.
Milford open the season with two straight losses in Division III, and compounded with the suspension of almost a dozen players for an off-the-field incident, the Spartans appeared to be a long shot to make it to the playoffs for the sixth straight year.
Instead, the Spartans dug deep and won their next five division games – including the program’s first win over Souhegan – to finish up 5-3 in the division and get to the postseason.
Heading into 2010, Jones and his players won’t mention it.
“That’s over with, done with and gone,” Milford coach Keith Jones said. “We don’t talk about it.”
What the Spartans are talking about is a group of seniors that is entering its third season as varsity players. That has Jones excited.
“We’ve got some good returning kids who have a lot of experience,” he said. “It has been nice this year because there is a little bit of certainty. Still, the best player plays. We don’t ever feel like we have to owe anybody anything. You’ve got to earn your spot every single season.
“If there was somebody who had been willing to take it from them, that’s how some of these kids started as sophomores. They took it from somebody else. They know, as far as I’m concerned, that nobody is safe.”
Leading the way for Milford is a solid group of skill players which includes seniors John Forte, Harry Wolcott, Max Goudreau and Matt Scott along with junior Kyle Higgins. Joining them are senior Matt Keefe and junior Andrew Bellantoni.
The Spartans’ offensive style will more than likely lack just that, according to Jones.
“We’ll be doing the same thing we always do: three yards and a cloud of dust with a lot of window dressing,” the coach said. “That’s what we’ve always been. People didn’t realize that even when we were in the shotgun, we were still running the football.”
Milford’s schedule remains the same, with the exception of a few teams. Pelham replaced John Stark in Division III this season, and for the first time since 2003, Milford won’t have a game against Plymouth.
Instead, the Spartans play two non-division games, opening the season against Division I Manchester Memorial on Friday, and hosting Tyngsboro (Mass.) on Sept. 17. Milford, along with Souhegan, is the only Division III team that doesn’t have a bye week during the regular season.
“Scheduling committee got together and they came up with the extra game and the bye weeks,” Jones said. “I went out on my own, because I don’t like open dates, and I picked up Tyngsboro.”
Other key games on the schedule include an Oct. 1 game at Portsmouth and an Oct. 15 game at Souhegan. Milford also hosts Hollis/Brookline on Oct. 29 before finishing the season at Pelham on Nov. 5.