67° and Partly Cloudy
Image
"Winning never gets old. I don't care what anyone says."
Those were the words of John Milledge Academy Head Coach J.T. Wall following the Trojans' 21-0 dismantling of Pinewood Christian in the GISA Class AAA state title game over in Macon.
It marks the third consecutive state title for the Trojans.
Surprisingly, at least for most JMA fans at the ballgame, it wasn't an anti-climactic cakewalk or a complete beatdown. JMA actually had to work hard in the second half for the first time all season, with Pinewood driving deep into JMA territory in the fourth quarter, only trailing 14-0. Defensive Coordinator Justin Mills' defense bowed up every time, however, and the Trojans' defense got the goose egg.
What else can you say about JMA? Wall's guys haven't lost a ballgame since 2018. Even more impressively, the Trojans have won their last 34 straight games by at least three touchdowns – yes, three downs.
Looking ahead to next season, 2022
should be extremely interesting for JMA. Old-school Macon rivals Stratford Academy, Tattnall Square Academy, FPD and Mt. de Sales will return to GISA after becoming disillusioned by GHSA governance, while pining for the old GISA days. Also re-joining GISA are Deerfield-Windsor out of Albany and Strong Rock Christian out of Locust Grove.
That might not matter, however. Wall and JMA have built an absolute machine. JMA should have 50-something players on its roster next season, as football never has been more popular among the male student body at JMA. The Trojans also will be extremely well-conditioned and extremely well-coached. John Milledge kids work hard, 12 months out of the year. Wall would never settle for anything less. Also, John Milledge only had a small handful of seniors this season. This season was supposed to be a "rebuilding year," at least relative by JMA standards. Next season, the team should be even better, at least on paper.
It will be interesting, and next season will have way more intrigue for JMA. Will the old guard schools be able to come back to the GISA and disrupt JMA's reign of terror? Well, maybe, but it probably wouldn’t be a great idea to bet against Coach Wall.
