John Milledge steamrolls past Deerfield-Windsor for 50th straight win and fourth consecutive state championship
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
Who knew that one loss would leave such a mark?
And lead to four years of leaving such marks?
Back on Nov. 30, 2018, Frederica pulled off quite the upset in the GISA Class AAA state championship, rolling undefeated John Milledge 48-0.
Teams have been paying for that ever since, with Deerfield-Windsor the latest to suffer.
John Milledge started off slowly, or patiently, and then placed the foot on the gas pedal and steamrolled Deerfield-Windsor 49-0 Thursday night in the GIAA Class AAA state championship at Mercer’s Five Star Stadium.
The Trojans won their fourth straight state title with their 50th consecutive win, passing 600 points for the season while recording their third shutout of 2022.
Senior quarterback Briggs Eady led the offense that outgained the Knights 485-44, and he ended his senior season with more than 3,100 yards rushing and passing, with 16 passing TDs and 18 rushing touchdowns. He went for 205 yards Thursday.
Jalan Butts picked up his team-best seventh, joined by Banks Eady and Hayden Hulett to give the Trojans’ underrated and dominant defense 19 for the year.
About that defense: Deerfield-Windsor was stuck all night, and was held to minus-7 yards rushing and 51 yards passing.
The start was a little sluggish – and rare – for the Trojans, who failed on fourth down on their first possession.
Deerfield-Windsor failed to get off a 47-yard field goal try, thanks to a botched snap, and it was downhill after that for the team from Albany.
Eady wiggled through a hole and downfield for a 28-yard touchdown and the lead with 2:34 left in the first quarter.
John Milledge forced a punt, and wasted no time adding to it, Eady keeping up the middle and blasting for a 61-yard score and 14-0 lead barely two minutes after his first score.
Deerfield-Windsor forced John Milledge’s 13th punt of the season, and agitated the Trojans, who then drove 80 yards on nine plays, Javian Butts taking it in from 4 yards out at the 2:11 mark of the second quarter, en route to a 21-0 halftime lead.
John Milledge forced a three and out to open the third quarter, and ate up some clock with a 7-play, 79-yard drive, Baylen Zielinksi going in from 24 yards out.
Always-busy kicker Jacob Noles added the PAT for a 28-0 lead.
The Trojans went airbound for a one-play drive, Eady hitting Zielenski for a 70-yard touchdown pass in the final three minutes of the third quarter.
That upped the lead to 35-0, putting another mercy rule running clock on tap for the fourth quarter.
John Millledge made sure that was the case with yet another stop and another score, Banks Eady getting the call from the 18 for his first carry and TD of the year.
That made it 42-0 with 1:08 left in the third quarter.
Bud Veal scored John Milledge’s 66th rushing touchdown of the year, adding an 18-yard run with 8:40 left in the season for a 49-0 lead.
In the 5o wins, John Milledge has outscored opponents 2,141-283, an average of 42.8-5.7 a game, a margin of 37.1 points a game.
The Trojans’ average scoring margin in 2022 entering Thursday night? 37.8 points a game.
It was the most points scored against Deerfield-Windsor since Southland’s 69-13 win to end the Knights’ 1-9 1982 season, and the biggest shutout loss in program history.
On the other hand, it was the sixth time in the streak John Milledge scored exactly 49 points, and the score matched that of the Trojans’ revenge win over Frederica for the 2020 state title. Those Knights are 21-22 since beating the Trojans in that 2018 finale.
Head coach and JMA alum J.T. Wall is now 138-14 in 12 seasons.