Millikin is preparing to take on the Wheaton Thunder in hopes of ending their playoff dreams.
Millikin is sitting at 2-6 on the season, and is struggling on a six-game losing streak. They hope to end the streak in a game featuring a top team in the CCIW, while looking to play spoiler, take down the Thunder, and knock them out of the NCAA D3 playoff contention.
“We’ve got nothing to lose, so why not go win this game? Why not give everything we’ve got and knock them out of the playoffs?” Linebacker Alex Araiza said.
The team, however, has struggled to find the success it had at the beginning of the season. They have issues on all sides of the ball and have failed to find an answer to the problems so far.
“I would say overall we don’t move the ball well on offense, and obviously our defense couldn’t keep up with them, like we couldn’t stop them,” Kicker Bryson Newport said.
The team, however, may be going through some turmoil, as it’s been expressing a chemistry setback during the six-game losing streak.
“I don’t think our teammates love each other as much as we should, and when you love one another, you play a little bit harder,” Araiza said. “I would just say we’re just not as close as a team as we should be.”
This may affect a young Millikin team as they need all they can get to compete with a team like Wheaton.
The coaching staff, however, has expressed a different view on the matter and understands the potential decrease in chemistry.
“It’s not chemistry, they’re hurting because we’re losing, there’s no issues of people not playing hard and packing it in or anything like that,” Head Coach Billy Riebock said. “We’re a team that hasn’t had success in a couple of straight weeks, there’s pain, there’s hurt, there’s anger. I’d be concerned if there weren’t those types of feelings. I’m totally okay with where we are at.”
Millikin’s young team does feature some senior players and understands what the last two games of the season will mean to them.
“Just [play] for the seniors, making sure we end it off on a good note, making sure we are giving all that we got,” Quarterback Sylas Gomez said.
The Big Blue, however, has expressed constant gratitude from fans and family going into this game, as well as the support they have received throughout the season.
“Hopefully, Millikin by one, like I always say every week, I appreciate their support. I know the results haven’t been as many wins as we want, but I’m proud of what we’re building and will continue to build, and I can’t thank them enough for what they do,” Riebock said.
Millikin’s Big Blue takes on the Wheaton Thunder on November 8th at 12:00 PM. The team is looking to end the losing streak and finish out the season strong.
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