Millennium Builds Early Lead, Opens Freshman Season With 46-28 Win Over Cactus

Millennium wasted little time making an impact in its season opener Wednesday night, building a commanding first-half advantage before defeating Cactus 46-28 in freshman football action.

The Tigers put together their biggest offensive quarter of the night in the opening period, scoring 20 points and establishing control early.

Millennium's No. 26 contributed the Tigers' first rushing touchdown, scoring from six yards out. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful.

Quarterback No. 3 then went to work through the air. He connected with No. 12 for a 46-yard touchdown, followed by a successful extra point.

The pair struck again later in the quarter when No. 3 found No. 12 for a 33-yard touchdown. Another successful PAT pushed Millennium to 20 points in the opening period.

The Tigers also made plays outside of their scoring drives. No. 30 recovered a Cactus fumble, while No. 95 recorded a sack to help Millennium's defense disrupt the Cobras.

Millennium continued adding to its lead in the second quarter.

No. 3 used his legs this time, rushing for a one-yard touchdown. The extra point was unsuccessful, but the Tigers were not finished.

The quarterback later connected with No. 13 for a 69-yard touchdown, and Millennium converted the PAT to take a 33-6 advantage into halftime.

Cactus attempted to create an offensive response during the second quarter, including a pass to No. 13 that appeared to produce a touchdown. A penalty wiped out the score, however, preventing the Cobras from cutting into Millennium's advantage before the break.

Cactus came out of halftime with an answer. No. 2 broke free for a 59-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter, bringing the Cobras closer at 33-12 after the missed PAT.

Millennium's defense continued creating pressure, including a sack by No. 6.

The Tigers then responded offensively when No. 8 rushed for a six-yard touchdown. Cactus blocked the ensuing extra-point attempt, but Millennium still carried a 39-12 lead into the fourth quarter.

Millennium added its final touchdown early in the fourth when No. 26 scored his second rushing touchdown of the game, this time from one yard out.

After an initial extra-point sequence that included an illegal substitution against Cactus, Millennium converted the kick to reach 46 points.

No. 43 added another sack for the Tigers' defense, but Cactus continued competing despite the large deficit and produced its strongest offensive stretch of the night in the fourth quarter.

The Cobras turned defense into points with a pick-six. No. 11 was credited in the game notes with the interception return, taking it approximately 60 yards for a touchdown. Cactus converted the extra point.

Both teams also recovered fumbles during the fourth quarter, with No. 27 securing one for Millennium before Cactus later came away with a recovery of its own.

Cactus continued moving the ball late. No. 6 hauled in a 30-yard reception that brought the Cobras into the red zone before No. 3 finished the possession with a two-yard rushing touchdown.

The ensuing two-point conversion required some improvisation. After being forced backward under pressure, the Cactus quarterback found No. 7 in the end zone to complete the conversion and bring the final score to 46-28.

While Cactus finished strong with 15 fourth-quarter points, Millennium's early offensive production proved too much to overcome. The Tigers scored 33 points before halftime and received contributions through the air, on the ground and defensively to secure the opening-week victory.

After the game, Millennium freshman head coach DeAndre Bryant credited the victory to the work his players put in before opening night.

“We just been working hard,” Bryant told Lucky Monster Magazine. “Today was the first game, and we just got to show what we've been working on. We came out here and competed and we got the victory.”

Bryant also highlighted quarterback Brayden Shelley, who helped lead Millennium's productive offensive performance.

“He's a stud,” Bryant said. “He's been working hard all summer. His arm is just tremendous. I can't wait to see him at the next level.”

When asked who else deserved recognition after the victory, Bryant did not single out one player.

“Shout out to my whole team,” Bryant said. “Shout out to the whole freshman team.”

For Millennium, opening week provided an opportunity to put an offseason of preparation onto the field. The Tigers did exactly that, taking control early and leaving their first game with a 46-28 victory.