Milton Wins Playoff Opener; Alpharetta Loses In Final Minute

By Mike Blum, Patch Contributor

The Milton Eagles won their first round state playoff game at home last Friday night, while Alpharetta suffered a tough loss on the road in the final minute of the game.

Milton 28, South Gwinnett 19

The Eagles were challenged by a 4-6 South Gwinnett team, needing a 70-yard touchdown run by
quarterback Jordan Yates in the fourth quarter to hold off the Comets in 7A. The Comets scored first on a 40-yard touchdown pass midway through the opening quarter, but the Eagles quickly responded after a 56-yard kickoff return to the South Gwinnett 30 by Jack Rhodes.

Yates scored on a 7-yard run and Milton went ahead 7-6 on Hayden Hairston’s extra point, but that was it offensively for the Eagles in the first half. The Comets led 13-7 at the half after a scoring drive in the second period, but the Eagles clamped down defensively in the final two periods with the exception of one penalty-aided drive by the Comets.

Milton took a 14-13 lead on a 61-yard drive to start the second half, with Yates scoring the second of his three touchdowns. Milton went up 21-13 early in the fourth quarter, with a 29-yard pass from Yates to Joe Charleston capping a 68-yard drive. It was the third TD reception in the last four games for Charleston, a defensive standout for the Eagles in the secondary.

The Comets drove 80 yards to score with 2:30 to play, but the Eagles intercepted a 2-point conversion attempt that wound have tied the game. Yates then wrapped up the Milton victory, going 70 yards for a touchdown on the Eagles’ first play after the kickoff.

Yates finished with 131 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, as the South Gwinnett defense held running back Josh Edwards to 37 yards on 11 attempts. Yates was 10 of 15 passing for 152 yards and a TD. Ethan Leonard had three catches for 52 yards, Edwards caught three passes for 26 yards and Jordan Cox had a 39-yard catch that led to a Milton touchdown.

There were 21 penalties called in the game, with the Eagles flagged 12 times for 156 yards

Milton (9-2) will host Mill Creek (8-3) in the second round Friday. Mill Creek won its playoff opener 13-10 in overtime against fellow Gwinnett school Brookwood.

The Hawks finished second in Region 6 behind North Gwinnett, with the team’s season highlighted by non-region wins over Dacula and Norcross. Mill Creek’s three losses came by lopsided margins against Walton (48-27), Archer (42-0) and North Gwinnett (44-0). Milton won its season opener 21-19 over Archer.

The Hawks are primarily a running team with a recent record of playoff success. They went 10-0 in the regular season in both 2015 and ’16, reaching the semifinals both seasons. Mill Creek has not had a losing season since 2006, the third year the school fielded a varsity football program.

The Milton-Mill Creek winner will play either Walton or Hillgrove. If Milton and Walton both win, the Eagles will be at home in the quarterfinals against the Raiders.

Sequoyah 34, Alpharetta 30

The Raiders played perhaps their best offensive game of the season against a quality opponent, but came up short when the Chiefs scored the winning touchdown with 21 seconds on the clock in the fourth quarter.

Alpharetta amassed 450 yards total offense, but Sequoyah was just behind with 425 yards. Alpharetta quarterback Will Gerdes had by far his most productive night of the season, completing 17 of 30 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns.

Kent Cherry carried 12 times for 132 yards for the Raiders, including an 80-yardder for a score, and also caught three passes for 45 yards and a TD. Robbie Ruppel had four receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns, and also had a 69-yard, as the raiders rushed for more than 200 yards.

The game was tied 7-7 at the half, with both teams scoring in the opening period. Alpharetta’s TD came on a pass from Gerdes to Cherry. The Raiders went ahead 14-7 on an 80-yard run by Cherry, but the Chiefs scored twice in the third period to take a 21-14 lead.

A Matthew Ashe field goal pulled the Raiders within 21-17, but Sequoyah scored with eight minutes to play to expand the lead to 27-17. Alpharetta took the lead on a pair of passes from Gerdes to Ruppel, the second for 63 yards with less than two minutes remaining.

After the Chiefs (9-2) scored to take a 34-30 lead with 21 seconds left, Gerdes completed two passes to put the Raiders inside the Sequoyah 35 with time for one play. But a last second pass was incomplete, ending the Raiders’ season with a 6-5 record.

Seniors Jack Stanton and Dane Motley had big nights defensively for the Raiders, who will return many of their defensive starters next season.

Image via Shutterstock