>> JOHN MILLEDFE ACADEMY
Mitch Risley has the John Milledge Academy boys basketball team rolling late in the season.
The Trojans recently defeated Deerfield-Windsor 60-54 in the GIAA Class AAA Elite Eight. They are now headed to the state playoff semifinals for a third consecutive season.
“It was a good game, a good battle,” Risley said of the win over Deerfield-Windsor on Saturday. “For the most part, our guys played pretty well. We had our moments where we went on some good runs and our defense kind of sealed the deal for us down the stretch.”
JMA made several key defensive stops during crunch time, which led the Trojans to victory. The Knights couldn’t overcome their crucial mistakes in the closing minutes of the game.
Risley’s squad had four players in double figures, with Jalan Butts scoring a team-high 16 points, followed by Briggs Eady totaling 12 and Bud Veal registering 11. Banks Eady added 11.
“We were also able to hit some free throws at the end of the game,” Risley said. “Our guys battled. We held onto the lead. We also did what we needed to (in order) to advance.”
JMA is not set to face Heritage (Newnan) on Thursday in the semifinals. The Hawks (18-8) are riding a nine-game winning streak heading into the Final Four matchup in Carrollton.
The two teams met at the start of the 2021-22 season, with John Milledge coming away with a 58-51 win, so the Trojans are looking to make it two straight victories against Heritage.
“They’re coached well, and played pretty good defense,” Risley said. “They’ve also got some really talented shooters on their team, so I think it’s going to be a great matchup for us.”
If JMA comes out on top, it will be making its third straight state finals appearance. Two years ago, the Trojans brought home the title back to Milledgeville but lost to St. Andrews last season. The winner of the JMA-Heritage matchup will face St. Andrews or Old Dominion Saturday in the final at 6 p.m. It is being held at Mercer University in Macon.