>> JOHN MILLEDGE ACADEMY
John Milledge Academy (6-0) kept its winning streak alive on Monday against Pinewood Christian (3-3).
The Trojans blew past the Patriots 55-0 during a rematch of the 2021 GISA Class 3A state championship game. They have now won 43 straight contests, dating back to 2018.
The game was originally scheduled for last Friday but got moved up to Thursday due to Hurricane Ian. However, Pinewood Christian decided to close down its campus on Thursday and Friday, prompting the contest to get moved up to Monday.
Regardless, the scheduling changes didn’t seem to matter to JMA head coach J.T. Wall and his squad. The Trojans dominated the Patriots from start to finish on Monday.
“What a great job by these guys doing what they needed to do to get to 6-0,” Wall said.
JMA quarterback Briggs Eady scored on the first play from scrimmage. The senior took a play-fake around the edge and sprinted downfield. rushing for a 70-yard TD.
The Patriots started the next drive at their 31-yard line, but a few plays later, Trojan defensive tackle Brandon Watson came up with a fumble by quarterback Banks Booth.
JMA didn’t take long to reach the end zone again, however, it was Baylen Zielinski this time. The senior wide receiver scored a TD on a 33-yard rush attempt.
The Trojans led Pinewood 14-0 with 9:13 left in the opening quarter. Their fast start would continue as they forced a punt on the ensuing Patriots’ possession.
Eady continued to do what he does best: find open holes for a long gain. He set JMA inside the Pinewood 10-yard line. A few plays later, Javian Butts punched it in from five yards out. The Trojans held a 21-0 lead at this point in the first quarter.
The Patriots still couldn’t get anything going on their next drive. The Trojans’ defense kept constant pressure on Booth, who averages nearly 250 passing yards per game.
Eady lofted a ball up to Jalan Butts, who caught it and scored a 61-yard TD. The 5-foot-5, 160-pound junior also came down with an INT on the ensuing Trojans’ possession. He would follow that up with a five-yard rushing TD a few plays later.
The Trojans would lead Pinewood 35-0 after the opening 12 minutes. Following his brother’s INT, Javian Butts punched it in from one-yard out, making it 42-0 after Jacob Noles’ PAT. He leaped on the pile on the rush for his second and final score of the game.
The clock started running continuously early in the second quarter with around 10 minutes left, however, JMA’s relentless effort on offense and defense never stopped. The Trojans held a 49-0 lead at the end of the first half. They got their final TD of the half from freshman Carsyn Baker, who got into the end zone on a three-yard rush.
“We knew we had to come out much better than we did last week. We had been struggling right off the bat,” Eady said. “So, we knew we had to come fast, and knew we could against this team. They were in man-to-man (coverage), but we’ve got guys that can make plays.”
The wealth was easily spread around against the Patriots: Eady (pass TD, rush TD), Baker (two rush TDs), Zielinksi (rush TD), Jalan Butts (receiving TD, rush TD) and Javian Butts (two rush TDs). Noles was also 6-of-7 on PAT attempts in the game.
JMA is averaging 52 points per game on offense. The Trojans’ defense is only giving up an average of 7.6 points per contest. Their average win margin is 44.3 points per game.
Pinewood entered the contest averaging 26.6 points but was shut out by JMA’s defense. The Patriots heavily rely on Booth, who throws for about 250 yards per game. Their spread offense didn’t fool the Trojans, who pressured Booth and the backup all night.
“I don’t know if they (Pinewood) had a running play until he (Booth) went out (with an injury). We challenged our DBs (defensive backs) and the interior line tonight. The linebackers were also in the right spot, just kind of doing a good job” Wall said. “Coach (Justin) Mills does a great job of getting these guys lined up and playing fast.”
JMA will have a week off before the meat-and-potatoes part of their schedule starts. The Trojans are set to face four Macon private schools to close out their season.
Those four programs are now in the newly rebranded GIAA - which was previously the GISA after spending the last few seasons competing at the GHSA level.
Stratford Academy (Oct. 14), First Presbyterian Day (Oct. 21), Mound de Sales Academy (Oct. 28) and Tattnall Square Academy (Nov. 4) all await undefeated JMA.
The Eagles of Stratford Academy (5-1) are the No. 1 thing on the Trojans’ minds right now.
“Well you know, they’re big, fast and physical,” Wall said of Stratford Academy on Monday. “They can control the football game and keep the ball away from you. They are really good - offensively, defensively, and on special teams. I don’t see a weakness on (their team), really. They’re wellcoached. It’s going to be a tough one for us.”