Milford back Logan Barnhill (23), shown during a game last season, had five TDs in a win over Bow on Friday night. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

MILFORD – After the first 3 minutes and 45 seconds Friday night, Bow High School had some reason to believe they might be able to go toe-to-toe against Milford.

Quarterback Alexander Boisvert connected with Owen Guertin for a 57-yard catch and run. A road team could hardly ask for a better start.

The Spartans made sure Bow had no time to so much as think about swaggering. Logan Barnhill capped a 71-yard drive with a 26-yard touchdown run three minutes later, and the game’s ultimate course had been set.

Milford won the battle in the trenches, building a 21-7 lead by halftime and throttled any chance the Falcons had of rallying, rolling to a 42-13 win.

And Barnhill’s first of five touchdown runs was just the appetizer. The senior running back added TD runs of 8, 7, 24 and 59 yards, the highlight plays in a 17-carry, 203-yard night’s work.

With a key offensive cog, Caden Zalenski, on the mend from a foot injury he suffered against Lebanon on Sept, 17, Barnhill’s dominating performance made up for Zalenski’s absence.

“The kids really stepped up with Caden still out,” Milford coach Keith Jones said. “They understand what’s at stake.”

A broken foot in the 2020 opener shelved Zalenski for the remainder of the COVID-stunted season.

The Spartans are 4-1 heading into next week’s trip to Hanover. Milford, Hanover, and Lebanon are the top three teams in the Division II West Conference. Lebanon handed Milford it’s only defeat, 27-14, the night Zalenski was injured – though he finished out the game.

“We figured if we could get through this little stretch here, we could get him back in a couple of weeks,” Jones said.

Once Barnhill’s first touchdown run tied it at 7, his 26-yard jaunt set up Chris Cotsifas for runs of 5 and 4 yards for the second TD. Colin Gregg drilled his second of six PATs

Barnhill’s 8-yard TD run provided the 14-point halftime lead.

There remained just one instance at which Milford fans may have winced. Bow’s Myles Rheinhardt stepped up and snared a Chuck Urda pass, lugging it down to the Spartans 7. Three plays later Ryan Lover broke in from a yard out. A missed PAT left Milford with a 21-13 lead with 8:58 left in the third quarter.

Not to worry. Milford took of on a 67-yard scoring drive leading to Barnhill’s 7-yard TD run.

Barnhill provided some incentive for fans to hang around on a chilly Friday night, with his fourth and fifth touchdowns of the night.

“I’m very happy all around,” Jones said. “I think the kids did a great job of recognizing and then doing what they needed to do.”

“It was a big step for us,” Barnhill said. “And once we get Zalenski back, it will get even better.”

Newsletter