For the first time in their program’s history, the No. 1 team in Class 6A, the Milton Eagles will travel down to the No. 4 team in Class 4A, Blessed Trinity to face the Titans in a matchup of premier North Georgia powerhouses lining up against each other on Friday night.
The two programs are a combined 6-0 through the first three weeks of the season and have been battle-tested by playing some of the top rosters around the state and the country. The Eagles have faced talented teams so far this season and have managed to weather the storm, beating Buford,13-10 at home, American Heritage (FL) 37-28 on the road and defeated Alpharetta in last week’s matchup 58-0, holding the Raiders scoreless.
Blessed Trinity’s schedule thus far has been full of tough matchups but the Titans have managed to stay perfect through three weeks. Their schedule has consisted of beating St. Pius X 24-0, Holy Innocents’, 45-7, and their last matchup was a come-from-behind victory over the reigning Class A-DI defending champion Prince Avenue Christian, defeating the Wolverines 23-21.
Blessed Trinity is playing its second game in a row against a 2023 GHSA state champion after its matchup against Prince Avenue Christian last week and the matchup against Milton.
Combined, the Eagles and the Titans have won five GHSA state championships since 2017. Milton has won the Class 7A title twice, once in 2018 and the other last season in 2023 before the GHSA realignment moved them to 5A this season. Blessed Trinity won three-consecutive Class 4A state championships from 2017, 2018 and 2019 under the former Titans head coach Tim McFarlin.
The reigning 7A state champion Eagles are headlined by some of the top talent around the country on both sides of the ball.
The Milton offense alone includes two Mr. Georgia Football Watchlist members in 4-star senior quarterback and Miami-commit, Luke Nickel and 4-star senior wide receiver CJ Wiley have made a dynamic pair. So far this season, Wiley has caught 12 passes from Nickel for 199 yards and two touchdowns, leading an offense that totals around 380 yards per game.
Along with Wiley and Nickel, Georgia-commit, wide receiver Ethan Barbour and Eastern Kentucky-commit running back, TJ Lester have given the Eagles huge production early in the season with Barbour bringing in 11 catches for 213 yards and a touchdown while Lester brings a strong run game with 393 rushing yards on the ground so far this season. Up front, Clemson-commit offensive tackle Brayden Jacobs leads a talented offensive line that clears the way for the Eagles’ playmakers.
Like its offense, Milton’s defense features talent committed to major college football programs on all levels. In the secondary, a pair of Tennessee-commits in safety Ty Redmond and cornerback Dylan Lewis are proven playmakers in the backend of the defense along with Duke-commit Safety, Ma’khi Jones provide stable options at defensive back.
The linebacking core highlighted by AJ Benton and Hayden Tumminia are experienced guys in the second-level of the defense that consistently have their heads on a swivel, ready for action with Tumminia leading the team in tackles. Up front, defensive linemen Caleb Bell, an Arkansas-commit along with Caleb Ellis and Terence Spencer make for a strong trio at the line of scrimmage.
Both the Milton and the Blessed Trinity defenses have allowed a minimal amount of points to their opponents on average through the first three weeks of the season. The Eagles rank sixth in Class 5A, allowing 12.7 points while Blessed Trinity ranks ninth in Class 4A, allowing 9.3 points a game on average.
The Blessed Trinity defense features a consensus top-3 player in the nation in the Class of 2027, edge rusher David Jacobs. The sophomore-phenom has wreaked havoc through the first three games for the Titans, leading the team in tackles and tackles for loss with 21 tackles and 10 tackles for loss on the season. The edge rushers has been receiving offers from just about everywhere in the country to play college football with two seasons of high school football remaining. Along with Jacobs, Boston College-commit safety Marcelous Townsend have become crucial playmakers for the Titans.
The Titans offense is led by quarterback Brooks Goodman who has thrown for 159 in each of his last two games along with three passing touchdowns. Junior running back, Ahmontae Pitts has become a threat to touch the ball every time he steps on the field. Whether it is in the run or pass game, Pitts has been lighting up the stat sheet so far this season. As their main choice on the ground, Pitts is already halfway to his rushing totals from last season with 311 yards on the ground and four touchdowns through three games, including two 100-yard performances. Pitts has become an effective pass-catcher as well, catching five passes for 111 yards and a touchdown including a 77-yard catch-and-run, showing off his versatility for the Titans.
They’re aren’t many games that are more high profile this season than the matchup between Milton and Blessed Trinity as the two schools will meet for the first time ever on Friday night.
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