Dec. 1—MACON — Make it twice now that November the 30th has been unkind to the John Milledge Academy football program.
The Trojans lost the state championship to Frederica Nov. 30, 2018, then ran roughshod over their competition for what became a nation-leading and Georgia high school football record 62-game winning streak lasting nearly five full seasons.
That was until Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, when the streak fell.
It wasn’t a date on the calendar that took the Trojans (12-1) down though. It was a fast as lightning Valwood Valiants (11-1) squad that had touchdowns of 30, 62, 63, and 33 yards, among other chunk plays in the 42-21 winning effort inside Mercer University’s Five Star Stadium.
“They were as advertised,” John Milledge head coach JT Wall told The Union-Recorder and Central Georgia Sports Report’s Michael Lough postgame. “They’re good … Hats off to Valwood. They played a heck of a ballgame.”
The Valiants deserve that “hats off” comment from the Trojan head coach. During John Milledge’s streak, only a handful of teams have stepped up to the plate and answered the daunting challenge posed by the juggernaut program. Most games were over by halftime, some by the end of the first quarter. But Valwood never shied away, even after being down 13 early in the second.
John Milledge got off to a good start. The defense stood tall while the offense found its way, as can be the case in big games like the one played Thursday. The Trojans broke the scoreless tie late in the opening period via 2-yard rush by senior Javian Butts, his 28th touchdown on the ground this year.
JMA junior kicker Jacob Noles broke out his sand wedge on the ensuing kickoff, chipping the ball right into the middle of the Valiants’ return formation. Jalan Butts swam to the football to give his team a possession that bled over into the second…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/valiant-effort-valwood-ends-trojans-151600788.html
Author : The Union-Recorder, Milledgeville, Ga.
Publish date : 2023-12-01 15:16:00
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