Injury-hampered FPD falls to streaking John Milledge, 34-17

With both teams set for the postseason, albeit in different classifications for the postseason while in the same region for the regular season, it was uncertain what John Milledge and FPD would show Friday night.

The unknown was much bigger for FPD, which was without senior quarterback and defensive back Major Simmons, one of the most impactful two-way players in the GIAA state in any class, due to concussion protocol.

Also in question was how heavy the Trojans’ foot would be on the gas pedal against the undermanned Vikings, already a clear underdog.

Both teams came away with enough to be happy about and enough to work on, John Milledge turning a somewhat surprising deficit early in the third quarter to a 34-17 win at George S. Johnson Stadium in Macon.

“Hats off to Brett (Collier) and his guys for rallying the troops and playing (hard),” said John Milledge head coach J.T. Wall, whose team was off last week. “A lot of times, coming off a bye week, you can kind of tell there’s going to be a lull, even if you have great practices, like we did.

“We needed this.”

John Milledge, the top-ranked team of any class in the GIAA, improved to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in GIAA 6-4A/3A, while FPD dropped to 6-3 and 2-1.

The Trojans have winless Tattnall and then Stratford left to face, while FPD has a week off before finishing the regular season with Tattnall.

The surprise of the game came at quarterback for FPD, with freshman Cash Walker making his starting debut and throwing his first varsity pass.

It was for a 2-yard loss. But he went on to find a groove and confidence with six straight completions in the first half and then a solid 46-yard strike on a touchdown pass to Tinsley Lewis in the second half en route to a 11-of-16 night for 144 yards and no turnovers.

“He played a heck of a game,” Wall said. “I’m not looking forward to seeing that guy the next three years.”

FPD head coach Brett Collier admitted he was pleasantly surprised in how well the freshman managed things.

“I kept saying all week, ‘I know you’ll make mistakes,’” Coller said. “But I’m not sure he did. My goal coming in was not to put him in a situation where he was going to have a chance to really mess us up. Man, as the game went on, I just got confident.

“We took a few shots with him. He’s going to be a fantastic quarterback for us.”

The Vikings hung with the healthier and stronger Trojans despite finishing with 224 fewer yards on 14 fewer snaps.

John Milledge flexed its muscles early with a 14-play, 76-yard drive during which it converted three third downs. Sophomore standout Asa Wall, son of the head coach, finished it off from three yards out with 40 seconds left in the first.

FPD, which traded opening three-and-outs with the visitors, didn’t flinch. 

A few snaps after stalwart running back/linebacker Brady McHugh went out for the first time on the night with an injury, Walker rolled left and found Breck Griffin for 14 yards, firing up the Viking sideline and stands. Then they connected again from the 2 to tie it with 9:49 left in the half.

The Trojans responded with another grinding drive, covering 60 yards in 10 plays, Wall going in from the 1 at the 5:24 mark.

“I don’t know if I would say conservative,” ​J.T. Wall said. “We were trying to establish the run game early, and we did.

“We are used to normally establishing and establishing and then busting a 50-yarder, not a 10-yarder, but we had to take what they were giving us.”

Dominic Economopoulos booted a 23-yard field goal with nine seconds left to pull FPD within 14-10 at halftime.

But McHugh was done for the night with a shoulder injury, and more than a few Vikings got up slowly after plays and missed a snap or two. The mention of next week brought relief to Collier’s face.

“We’re off next week,” he said. “Praise the Lord.”

Still, the banged-up Vikings didn’t play that way, coming out of the halftime locker room ready to go, with a nifty five-play, 68-yard drive, Walker putting it on the money down the middle to tight end Lewis, who blew past coverage for the 46-yard score and a 21-17 lead less than two minutes into the third quarter.

“Man, we had a lead in the third quarter,” Collier said. “Which is incredible, you know?”

The Trojans didn’t flinch, riding the legs of junior Jamel Cooper, owner of an ability to power, cut, and burst. He went 45 yards on the first two plays of the next drive, and went in from the 3 two plays after Lewis Cheney hit Wall for 23 yards on third and 8.

That put John Milledge, which won four straight state titles from 2019-2012, up 21-17. The Trojans got it back after a three and out and moved it 77 yards on 11 plays with Cheney softly dropping it over the middle to an open Parker Saltay for a 15-yard score with 12 seconds left in the third.

FPD almost answered again, driving to the Trojans 21 only for a 35-yard field goal to be blocked.

Cooper peeled off a 35-yarder to start the next drive, which he finished with an eye-catching, Viking-avoiding 24-yard score with 5:18 left.

He finished with 172 yards on 18 carries, and Cheney was 13 of 17 passing for 152 yards.

A 17-point margin was nothing to smile about, but Collier couldn’t complain about much other than the inordinate number of 5-yard penalties, which was not too surprising with a new quarterback the whole game and new running backs for a half.

“Just unfortunate to have so many guys hurt,” Collier said after playing the Vikings’ most physical opponent of the season. “But John Milledge has a good team, credit to them. With all the things that happened, there were a lot of chances to pack it up, and our kids don’t do that.”