With a 35-20 win at the Alpharetta Raiders on Friday, the Milton Eagles are off to a good start in winning a third consecutive Region 5-7A title.
The Eagles (4-1, 1-0) won on the ground, led by three rushing touchdowns from Jordan McDonald, who finished with 113 yards on 23 carries. Eagles quarterback Devin Farrell led all rushers with 120 yards on just 12 carries, adding a rushing touchdown. He also completed 6 of 9 passes for 133 yards and a score.
The Raiders dropped to 1-3, 0-1.
The Eagles jumped to a 21-7 lead in the first half, with their first score coming on a 46-yard pass from Farrell to LT Overton on third-and-14 with 1:57 left in the first, which tied the game. They took the lead for good with 10:15 left in the half on McDonald’s 5-yard run. With 7:57 left, Farrell took an Eagles busted play and turned it into a 16-yard scoring run for a 21-7 lead, eluding multiple pass rushers to avoid a sack and get into the open field.
The Eagles then attempted an onside kick but the Raiders recovered on their own 49. The Eagles then committed two 15-yard penalties — one pass interference, the other a face mask — to quickly move the Raiders to the Milton 18. Four plays later, the Raiders would convert on fourth-and-3 from the 11 on Tylan Johnson’s 3-yard run, then quarterback Ben Guthrie ran a naked bootleg 8 yards on the next play to pull them to within 21-14 with 4:43 left in the half.
The Raiders then forced a three-and-out and scored again on the second play of the drive, when Guthrie delivered a perfectly placed floater down the sideline to Carriere Matteo for a 52-yard score with 2:05 left. However, the Raiders mishandled the extra-point snap and the Eagles maintained a 21-20 lead.
The Raiders received possession to start the second half but Milton’s Bryce Thornton intercepted a pass and returned it 15 yards to the Alpharetta 41. Nine plays later, McDonald ran for a 1-yard score on third-and-6 to give the Eagles a 28-20 lead with 6:32 left in the third.
After a Raiders three-and-out, the Eagles put the game away with a 12-play, six-minute drive that bled into the fourth quarter and culminated in McDonald’s third score, a 3-yard run up the middle on third-and-6 to bring the score to its final margin with 11:20 left to play. Earlier in the drive, the Eagles were facing third-and-14 from the 22 when Farrell ran for 10 yards and then, on fourth-and-4, ran for 5 yards to keep the drive alive.
Alpharetta’s last three drives ended in two turnover-on-downs and an interception.
It was the Eagles' fifth win in a row over Alpharetta, a school they’ve dominated over the years, leading the all-time series 11-3.
Next week both teams continue region play, with Milton traveling to Etowah and Alpharetta playing at Woodstock.
Milton 7 14 7 7 — 35
Alpharetta 7 13 0 — 20
A — Jake Gil 4 run (Ashe Matthew kick)
M — LT Overton 46 pass from Devin Farrell (Christian Colasurdo kick)
M — Jordan McDonald 5 run (Colasurdo kick)
M — Farrell 16 run (Colasurdo kick)
A — Ben Guthrie 8 run (Matthew kick)
A — Carriere Matteo 52 pass from Guthrie (run failed)
M — McDonald 1 run (Jason Aussin kick)
M — McDonald 3 run (Colasurdo kick)
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