The Milford High School boys basketball team will try to continue its season Friday night when it hosts John Stark at 7 p.m. in the Class I quarterfinals.
Point guard Mike Mitchell leads the Milford boys basketball team into a quarterfinal matchup with John Stark Friday night.
Doors at the high school will open at 6 p.m., and with limited seating, it is recommended fans arrive early.
This will be the second meeting between the No. 1 Spartans (18-1) and the No. 9 Generals (11-8), but the first time since the calendar turned to 2010. Milford won 70-48 at John Stark on Dec. 21.
Milford held off No. 16 Merrimack Valley on Tuesday to advance to the quarterfinals, while John Stark defeated No. 8 Hanover on the road.
“We beat them, but we’ve got to look at the fact they beat Hanover,” Milford point guard Mike Mitchell said. “They must have gotten a lot better. Our game has to be the same and we have to think that’s a new team.”
Despite the playoff win on Tuesday, Milford coach Dan Murray wasn’t too pleased with some aspects of the team’s play, particularly in the second half. Too many times against Merrimack Valley, the Spartans were trying to win as individuals, and when they’ve been most successful this season, they’ve been playing as a team.
“It’s how teams in the past like (Bishop) Brady and Trinity got beat,” Murray said. “Young kids with talent think it’s one pass and I’m gonna score. It’s not being selfish. They want to go up and down, up and down. They have to take the time to put some work into it. That’s not what happens in playoff basketball.”
As always seems to be the case, Milford will get a boost from playing in front of the home crowd.
“The thing about here is we have a huge body of fans,” Mitchell said. “We always get support here and this is a hard place to play.”
If the Spartans win Friday, they’ll be playing at the University of New Hampshire in the Class I semifinals on March 16.