By Thomas Sellers Jr.
The 2015 M&M Bowl will be a battle of two offensive strategies. It will be Munford’s power running attack behind an established offensive line against the veteran passing game of Millington’s Eldon Tyms. Tyms has already participated in two M&M Bowls against rival Munford. When the Cougars come to town this Friday night, Munford will be looking to deliver Tyms and the Trojans their first loss in the series since 2012. Munford last captured the M&M Bowl trophy that season with a 29-28 victory. Since then the Trojans have earned wins of 39-0 (2013) and 41-13 (2014). When asked, ‘What will it take to motivate his team for the M&M Bowl,’ Trojans Head Coach Chris Michael said it would be hard. “It’s not a district game,” he noted. “But to these guys that doesn’t mean a lot. It’s a new district right now and they don’t know a whole lot about their new district. But they do know a lot about Munford. “They’ve been playing them since seventh and eighth grade ball,” Michael added. “They probably know a lot of those guys on that team. They’ve grown up playing against those guys. They’re going to want it bad because the way we won last year.” The Trojans neutralized the Cougars’ running game and a Marcus Winston interception late in the first half kept Millington in front with a double-digit advantage. Tyms went to the air and hit receivers like Kip Fleming leading to the 41-13 win. Now Michael and his crew will host JR Kirby’s Cougars. And the veteran Millington coach said he expects both teams to employ similar philosophies entering the 2015 edition of the M&M Bowl. “The flip side of that, the other two x-factors will be their ability to pass and our ability to run,” Michael said. “If either one of those things clicks on either side of the ball that team is going to have a leg up.
“We have to get our running game in order and try to move the ball on the ground with team,” he concluded. “And we’ve got to hope we can play good enough pass defense and force them into some passing situation while not letting them get big plays in the passing game.”
