John Milledge Academy is 5-0 against Tiftarea Academy since October of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The John Milledge Academy Trojans will be playing in front of their home fans against the Tiftarea Academy Panthers at 7:30 p.m. John Milledge Academy will be coming into the matchup with an undefeated record on the line.
John Milledge Academy put the finishing touches on their seventh blowout victory of the season two weeks ago. They put the hurt on Tattnall Square Academy with a sharp 45-21 victory. Given John Milledge Academy's advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 128th, while Tattnall Square Academy is ranked 257th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Javian Butts and Antone Johnson. Butts had a great game and gained 247 total yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, Johnson did his best for the losing side, rushing for 108 yards.
Another reason for the win was John Milledge Academy's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for six sacks. Isaiah Womble was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up three sacks himself.
Meanwhile, two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Tiftarea Academy walked away with it. They were the clear victor by a 49-27 margin over St. Andrew's. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Tiftarea Academy.
John Robert Walker was his usual excellent self, rushing for 134 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries, while also throwing for 175 yards and four touchdowns on only seven passes. John Jackson was another key contributor, picking up 146 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
John Milledge Academy pushed their record up to 10-0 with that victory, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. They've been dominating during the contests in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 41.67 points. As for Tiftarea Academy, their win bumped their record up to 3-7-1.
Friday's match might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. John Milledge Academy has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 287 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Tiftarea Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 185.7 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
Everything came up roses for John Milledge Academy against Tiftarea Academy in their previous meeting back in November of 2021 as the team secured a 49-13 victory. Will John Milledge Academy repeat their success, or does Tiftarea Academy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
