Milton’s 11 seniors were newborns when Milton last won a District 4 championship. The rest of the team hadn’t been born yet.

To say it’s been quite a long drought since the last time the Black Panthers hoisted a District 4 championship plaque would be an understatement.

The Black Panthers have gotten close in recent years, but that title has slipped their grasp.

Now, Milton’s a win away from their first championship since 2008 when Caitlin Landis became the school’s all-time goal scorer.

“It’s a great accomplishment for our program. We have worked so hard over the years and now have solidified our spot,” Milton coach Rod Harris said. “We are very appreciative for the opportunity that we have earned and do not take it lightly.”

That 2008 team broke through after back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2006.

Milton lost to Selinsgrove last year in the District 4 Class AAA semifinals, 2-1, a team they got revenge on this year with a narrow 1-0 win. Milton won a thriller and fended off the Seals, who had a shot ricochet off the crossbar in the final minutes of Saturday’s semifinal at Midd-West.

Now Milton has a shot against a solid Shikellamy team on Wednesday in the championship at Danville at 8 p.m.

The Braves have only lost twice this year as they enter the final 17-2. Those two losses came to South Williamsport (2-1) and Hughesville in overtime (4-3) in back-to-back games to close out the regular season. Shikellamy has allowed just 25 goals all year and offensively, have scored 105.

The HAC-I champions are led by senior standout Jillian Dievert, who has a team-high 38 goals with 12 assists. The Braves also have Kaci Grimm (18 goals, 10 assists), Lauryn Ross (16 goals, eight assists) and Maggie Benner (10 goals, nine assists) who are capable of scoring.

Add in senior Lily Persing (24 assists) and the team can put in goals from anywhere. Milton’s back line and keeper Sienna Short know they have to play well start to finish in hopes of claiming a title. The Braves meanwhile are looking at their fourth straight championship and possible sixth in school history.

“Expectations are to play hard, do whatever we do and contain speed,” Harris said.

In 2023, Milton fell in the Class AA quarterfinals to eventual state champion Central Columbia, and lost in a shootout in 2022 in the quarterfinals in Class AA to Montoursville, 4-2. That came a year after losing to Montoursville in the semifinals.

Needless to say, this group of girls is excited to be competing for a title.

“The girls are very excited. We have set goals at the beginning of the season for this and are super proud of all the work that we have done together here,” Harris said. “Potential for only the second district title ever in Milton girls soccer.”