With the season right around the corner, Milton looks to clinch its 18th championship in 20 seasons and will look to win its eighth consecutive championship. They have won seven consecutive championships not counting 2020 when no season was played due to COVID-19. Milton has won 17 state championships since 2005 when girls lacrosse started as a sanctioned sport in Georgia. Is there anybody who can dethrone the top program in the state of Georgia and one of the best in the country? More on that later. For now, let’s take a look at the Milton roster this year.
Things will look a little different this year for Milton as they will play in Division 2 after the realignment of the regions took place this school year in the GHSA. The Lady Eagles are always brewing with talent and have one of the best coaches in the country in Tim Godby. This season is no different in terms of talent. The Lady Eagles have a nice mix of upper-class talent and underclassmen talent. Seven of the 13 are seniors and six of the underclassmen are juniors making for another exciting year to watch for Milton. Here are some players to watch for Anna Mellinger (Penn State), McKenna Merkel (Connecticut), Averi Matthews (Howard), Payton Kozina (Cincinnati), Hayden Miller (South Florida), Ella Pauley (Clemson) Ava Thomspon (Stanford), and Sophie Jurgens (Villanova). A thing to note is last year the Milton roster was very young and still was working through lineups to get everything right for a playoff run. Regardless, the Lady Eagles didn’t suffer an in-state loss winning all of its games and scoring in double-figures.
This year the Eagles will have more veterans and players who have been on the stage before that will know what to do when the time comes. That is a scary sight for opposing teams who will look to try and slow them down this year. Let’s take a look at some of the contenders this season who will try and dethrone the Milton Lady Eagles.
Creekview
Creekview finished 18-3 and was 5-0 in Area 4 having one of their best seasons in program history in 2024. The Lady Grizzlies made a run all the way to the semifinals last year before losing to state runner-up Blessed Trinity. They return four players from last year’s team who are going to play lacrosse at the next level. Hayley Rakestraw (Reinhardt), Brooklyn Brown (North Greenville), Tanner Coker (Mercer), and Rilynn Price (Liberty). Creekview was known for its efficient high high-scoring offense in 2024. The Lady Grizzlies scored in double-figures in all but two games last season. The intriguing part about Creekview is that they are in the same area as Milton this year in Area 6 which should make for some great battles between the programs.
Roswell
Another program to watch this year after they finished 13-6 in 2024 and lost in the quarterfinals to Creekview. Roswell has won 10 or more games for the past four seasons and made it to the state championship in 2023 before losing to Blessed Trinity. The Lady Hornets return Mary Katherine Tucker (Kent State), Addy Nordel (Alabama-Huntsville), Madelyn Allison (Xavier), Keira Mainella (Salisbury), and Ella Bea Croteau (Jacksonville) as some of its top players coming back in 2025. Roswell will be in the same area as Johns Creek; they started 2024 red-hot going 8-0 out of the gates before losing some of its steam at the end of the season. Roswell is one of the most talented teams with a good chunk of their core coming back and should be a contender this season for a state title.
Lassiter
The Lady Trojans are itching to get back on the field in 2025 especially after the 2024 season saw them win an area championship. Lassiter was on a seven-game winning streak before losing to eventual state champion Cambridge in the quarterfinals. They were playing some of their best lacrosse at the right time. The Lady Trojans were one of the few teams that gave Cambridge problems last year. This season they return Aurora Hornbuckle (Catawba), Isabella Silliman (Lynn), Lacey Scherholz (East Carolina), Charlotte White (Berry), and Sophie Hortman (James Madison). The Lady Trojans were known for their high-scoring attack that saw them score 20 goals in three of their final five games last season and bring a lot of the firepower back in 2025. With the experience they gained and the talent they have, Lassiter should be in contention to make a run this season. One of their biggest challengers will be Pope in area play, but they should have enough to win its third consecutive area championship.
Around the class boys - Woodward Academy avenged their loss against Tri-Cities with a 81-63 win at home on Monday night. Thomas County Central defeated rival Coffee 67-47. A big game to watch this week will be Statesboro vs Brunswick on Thursday night. Both only have two losses this season. Milton swept the season series against Gainesville after a 51-48 victory on the road. Jaydon Cole led the Eagles with 13 points on the evening.
Around the class girls - A big matchup this weekend between two rivals is set to take shape. No. 9 Coffee will host Lee County at 6pm on Saturday. Lee County has been right on the edge of getting into the top ten this season, and Coffee could cap off one of its best regular seasons in program history. No. 8 Creekview knocked off No. 10 Pope 59-22 in its final game of the regular season.
Boys Basketball Top 10 Schedule
1. Tri-Cities – Friday at Decatur, 7:30 p.m.
2. Woodward Academy – Wednesday vs Decatur, 7:30 p.m.; Friday at Arabia Mountain, 7:30 p.m.
3. Milton – Friday at Roswell, 7:30 p.m.
4. Winder-Barrow – Friday vs Clarke Central, 7:30 p.m.
5. Habersham Central – Friday vs East Forsyth, 7:30 p.m.
6. Dutchtown – Thursday at Northgate, 7:30 p.m.; Friday at Banneker, 7:30 p.m.
7. Gainesville – Friday vs Seckinger 7:30 p.m.
8. Alexander – Thursday vs New Manchester, 7:30 p.m..
9. Lee County – Friday at Veterans, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at Coffee, 7:30 p.m
10. Houston County – Friday at Coffee 7:30 p.m
Girls Basketball Top 10 Schedule
1. River Ridge – TBD
2. Hughes – Friday at Newnan, 6 p.m.
3. Woodward Academy – Friday at. Arabia Mountain, 6 p.m.
4. Milton – Friday at Roswell, 6 p.m.
5. Morrow – Friday at Northgate, 6 p.m.
6. Tri-Cities – Friday at Decatur, 6 p.m.
7. Bradwell Institute – Saturday vs. Brunswick, 5 p.m.
8. Creekview – TBD
9. Coffee – Wednesday vs Fitzgerald 6 p.m.; Friday vs Houston County, 6 p.m; Saturday vs Lee County 6 p.m.
10. Pope – TBD
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