Playing Ypsilanti Community 'just not worth it' says Milan football coach
Milan beat Ypsilanti Community High School 13-6 on Saturday.
Patrick Record | AnnArbor.com file photo
Milan High School football coach Jesse Hoskins was more than a little upset after his team’s season opening win against Ypsilanti Community High School on Saturday. The Big Reds beat the Grizzlies 13-6, but Hoskins contends that the way the game was played, officiated and organized make him never want to face Ypsilanti on the gridiron ever again.
Hoskins told the Monroe Evening News, “it was just a horrible, bad situation. We will never play Ypsilanti again as long as I am the head coach at Milan.”
Nearly a week after the game, Hoskins didn’t back away from his statement in the slightest. Ypsilanti racked up 140 yards of penalties, including several personal fouls, and Hoskins said after watching the film there were helmet-to-helmet hits that weren’t called as well.
“It just seemed like it was a little more than a physically tough football game,” Hoskins said. “I’ve played in and I’ve coached some physical football games, there was just more of an edge to this than that and it was concerning.”
Willow Run coach Rufus Pipkins and athletic director Lamanzer Williams disagreed with Hoskins’ assessment of the game’s physicality.
“Our kids are taught fundamental, proper ways to tackle, and it’s not helmet-to-helmet,” Pipkins said. “It’s definitely a safety issue, and we would bring it to that young man’s attention.”
“For me just looking at the game from a coaching standpoint or an AD standpoint I just didn’t see the helmet-to-helmet stuff,” Williams said.
Hoskins said it wasn’t just the way the game was played or officiated that makes him want to discontinue the relationship between the schools. He cited issues with the chain crew, game clock and overall game day operations as reasons why he’d rather seek out a different opponent in the future. He said the same issues arose when Milan’s JV played at Ypsilanti High School last year and that he's heard many complaints from community members as well.
“I just don’t think it’s worth it to play Ypsilanti anymore," Hoskins said. "You put in too much time to have to deal with that Week 1, or really any week, and so I’d just rather play someone else.
“We work too hard to go into a game where external factors can decide the outcome of a game, and there were too many sloppy things that have gone on that just aren’t working for us.”
Milan played Ypsilanti High School for the five years prior to the district's merger with Willow Run, going 4-1 in those games. Williams said he hasn’t discussed the future of the relationship with Milan’s athletic director, David Kaiser. Williams called Hoskins’ comments “unprofessional” and said he hopes to focus on improvement going forward.
“I just hope that people move on and focus on improving what we’re doing on the field and off the field,” Williams said.
Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.
Comments
zucker
Sat, Sep 7, 2013 : 3:07 a.m.
Oh my. More whining coming out of Milan. Why does such an irrelevant athletic department try so hard to get attention. You are displaying an inferiority complex. Ypsi was tougher and more physical. The penalties hurt their chances to beat you. If they clean those things up, they will be very good very soon.
moonunit
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 6:38 p.m.
Milan walked into the stadium woofing like dogs. No problem, its their thing. On perhaps their first offensive play, their QB got hit so hard he was knocked out of the game, no penalty. Hard fought, yes too many penalties on the Grizzlies, yes, probably cost them the game. But nothing crazy bad for a first game as a new school, new system, new team. Perhaps the Milan coach is positioning against getting beat down next year, because the Grizzlies will be a force. Just wait and see. Go Grizzlies!!!
mlivesaline
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 5:21 p.m.
Jesse Hoskins just needs to stop talking about this. I agree with Mr. Williams that Hoskins conduct here is very unprofessional. You played, it's over, you don't have to play them again if you prefer not to. Hoskins is inferring that Ypsi is dirty and/or has been coached to play dirty. If you don't have any facts then shut it and move forward.
YpsiGirl4Ever
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 4:51 p.m.
I'm just wondering is this a story. Sounds more like a bitter rivalry that needs to be worked out between the coaches, schools, etc. Not worth a newspaper story, maybe a blog at best.
eastsidemom
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 1:52 p.m.
Calm down Jim Harbaugh... Pete Cunningham ought to report more clearly about the game. This is just innuendo and slurs. Maybe Milan should drop out of the division if they cannot play the game. It was a football game I attended and I did not witness undue roughness.
Pete Cunningham
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 3:53 p.m.
Milan and Ypsilanti are in different leagues, Milan the Huron League, Ypsilanti the SEC White. This is a non-conference game that is arranged between coaches and athletic directors before the season. By saying that he'd rather not play Ypsilanti in the future, coach Hoskins is doing the equivalent of "dropping out of the division" for the reasons he made clear in his statements.
cbstarkey
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 1:23 p.m.
My nephew, who plays for a downriver team, his family, and numerous community members said the same thing about Milan when they played against them, in MIlan as JV players 2 years ago. My nephew showed the bite marks on his forearm and gashes on his shins from being kicked.
Responsible Citizen
Sat, Sep 7, 2013 : 1:11 a.m.
Wheelz88 you shouldn't even be allowed to comment if you're going to accuse people of lying. You don't have to be insulting, pretty immature, and if you'll re-read her comments, she said her nephew "showed" his wounds, not "showed me." You reacted without reading.
Wheelz 88
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 4:18 p.m.
Thought you said your nephew showed you his bite marks now its your sister-in-law showed you pictures? And no you werent just sayong things happen on the field you were just trashing milan thats all
cbstarkey
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 3:48 p.m.
Wheelz 88 I have no reason to lie and NO, I won't shut up. My sister-in-law showed me the pictures. I was simply making a statement that things happen on the field. No need to be rude or unkind to others.
Wheelz 88
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 1:41 p.m.
Oh stop lying no one bit your nephew your just mad that milan has crushed the huron league and has since it has joined it. Get over it. With that said the milan coach needs to get over it also you won the game now shut up and move on
MGoYpsi
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 1:21 p.m.
Pete, didn't you already do a story on this? Why keep repeating this?
MGoYpsi
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 3:37 p.m.
So if the intent was to get the Ypsi side of the story, the headline is still sensationalized towards Milan as was the previous story using "Fiasco".
Pete Cunningham
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 2:04 p.m.
There is a follow up here because there was no voice from the Ypsilanti side, Rufus or Lamanzer, and I wanted to get clarification from coach Hoskins on exactly what he was saying and why.
gold&purple
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 12:17 p.m.
Still wondering how many penalty yards and personal fouls Milan had, if any. That would make this report more complete.
Pete Cunningham
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 3:49 p.m.
Ypsilanti had 16 penalties for 140 yards, Milan had six penalties for 55 yards. No official count on total personal fouls, but there were three on Ypsilanti and zero on Milan in the first half. Our reporter was at the game Friday, but not at the continuation on Saturday.