Trojans drop sixth in a row

Published 3:27 am Saturday, October 12, 2024

Familiar fatal flaws continued cropping up for the John Milledge Academy football team (0-2 region, 1-7 overall) in the 49-21 Homecoming loss to First Presbyterian Day School (3-0, 8-1) Friday.

The region contest was tied 7-7 as the second quarter began. Then the Trojan offense started going backwards. Bad or mishandled snaps sent JMA in the wrong direction, and the visiting Vikings capitalized quickly by putting up 21 points in the pre-halftime period. That run coupled with a key John Milledge injury sent the game versus the defending GIAA Class 4A state champs out of reach.

“We don’t game-plan for negative plays, bad snaps, and things like that,” JMA head coach JT Wall said. “That’s hard. And with the game-plan we have, negative plays are tough to get back from, especially multiple in one drive.”

FPD, currently favored to successfully defend its 2023 state title, got on the board first. The Vikings’ opening drive hit a hurdle when a touchdown was called back for a penalty, but they got it back in no time. Junior quarterback Major Simmons hit senior wideout Benjamin Mcelreath up the middle for what became a 47-yard score three minutes into the ballgame.

The Trojans found it within themselves to answer thanks to a sound offensive game-plan and solid blocking up front. For a while, it was musical chairs at the quarterback position. Some snaps were taken by senior David Todd. Some were taken by freshman backup Nathan Snow while Todd moved to his more natural position of tight end. And still others were handled by freshman Asa Wall who gave the team some power carries out of the wildcat.All that – and some quick, shifty moves from the athletic Jamel Cooper – added up to a Trojan touchdown as Todd carried the football in from 4 yards out on a designed QB run. The score sat at 7-7 with two minutes to go in the first after what was one of the best JMA drives of the entire season.

John Milledge was riding a wave of momentum and kept it going when the defense forced a three-and-out.

The ensuing Trojan drive was when things started to get shaky. Didn’t matter who was at quarterback, snaps went high or were fumbled, eventually leading to a JMA punt. Momentum was back up for grabs, and FPD seized it when Simmons scrambled away from pressure then lofted a 36-yard pass to Mcelreath who came down at the John Milledge 12.

Soon after it was junior Breck Griffin on a 12-yard jet sweep that sent him over the goal line to put his team up 14-7.

More snap troubles and another Viking six-pointer drove the lead to two touchdowns in the middle of the second. John Milledge freshman Carter Ivey had a good return on the kickoff that followed, but it was spoiled as the Trojans’ offensive game-plan continued falling apart with the injury exit of Todd.

FPD got the football back with 3:26 to go before halftime and scored in three minutes’ time to up the advantage to 28-7. The Vikings’ ship had officially arrived in John Milledge’s harbor and overwhelmed the Trojans on their home field with three touchdowns in about eight minutes.

“It was an avalanche,” said Wall. “We blinked twice and they scored 21 points on us in the second quarter.”

The margin got as wide as 49-14. Some tough running by Ivey at running back brought the game to its final 49-21 tally in the closing minutes.

“That’s the best team in quad-A, according to the rankings,” Wall added. “The kids played their butts off, but the score doesn’t show it.”

The Trojans, playing the toughest schedule in their classification this season, have Macon’s Tattnall Square Academy up next on the road. FPD is off next week followed by the regular season finale against that same Tattnall team.