After its win over Tattnall Square two weeks ago, John Milledge Academy (JMA) sat out round one of the state playoffs with a bye and awaited the winner of the matchup between St. Andrews and Tiftarea.
Tiftarea won 49-27 over the visiting Lions, earning them a trip this Friday to Trojan Field in Milledgeville.
The Panthers are 3-7-1 on the season, including their playoff win, making the Trojans a heavy favorite. Still, Tiftarea’s wins over Terrell Academy and St. Andrews were both upsets, so the Panthers have proven they can play above average in big games. Despite their poor record, the Panthers’ offense has been very good this season, starting with its quarterback, John Robert Walker.
Walker stepped up and threw for nine touchdowns and 885 yards last season after senior quarterback Kameron Brown went down with an injury. In 11 games this season, Walker ranks sixth in the GIAA with 1,968 passing yards and has 23 touchdowns with 10 interceptions thrown. Walker also is the Panthers’ top rusher with 914 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns on the ground and has a team-leading five 100-yard-plus rushing games to top off his outstanding season stats thus far.
Lane Cole is the top running back for Tiftarea and has 495 yards rushing with four touchdowns this season. The Panthers’ top receiver is junior John Jackson, who had 700 yards receiving last year, but has improved to 1,050 yards receiving and 15 touchdown catches this season.
On defense, Temond Marcus is the Panthers’ top tackler with 103 total tackles, including 75 solo tackles. The Panthers’ defense has forced only seven turnovers all season with four interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
JMA has done a good job protecting the ball this season, turning it over only eight times through 10 games. The Trojans have done a great job on both sides of the ball, but especially in the running game. They have rushed for a team total of 2,870 yards and 39 touchdowns.
Trojans quarterback Kolt McMichael has been impressive since returning from injury mid-season. He has thrown for 1,377 yards and 16 touchdowns this year, with only three interceptions so far.
On defense, JMA has forced 18 turnovers this season, including 12 interceptions. Coach J.T. Wall continues to emphasize the Trojans need to force more fumbles and non-offensive touchdowns. The Trojans will look to advance to the GIAA 3-A semifinals with a win over Tiftarea this Friday with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. at Trojan Field.