By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Last season Milton won the final 7A state championship.

They beat Walton 31-21 to capture their second state championship. They also won the state championship in 2018. It looks like Milton has become an elite program.

They have a lot of talented players that are looking to repeat as state champions in 2024.

Tight end Ethan Barbour is the 18^th ranked player in Georgia for the class of 2025. The four-star tight end is 6’3, 235 pounds and he’s a great pass catching tight end. Last season he had 49 catches for 966 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s committed to UGA and he also plays basketball.

As good as Barbour is he’s the second target on this team. Four-star wide receiver CJ Wiley is the primary target. He’s 6’4, 195 lbs. and he has the great combination of size and speed. He also runs track and he ran 100 meters in 10.83 seconds. In 2023 he had 68 receptions, 1,473 yards, 14 TD’s and he averaged 21.7 yards per catch. He’s committed to Florida State.

Quarterback Luke Nickel is a three-star recruit. The 6’2, 205 pound signal caller made the Elite 11 finals roster in 2024. He was named MaxPreps Junior All-American second-team in 2023. Last season he passed for 3,914 yards, 39 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and he completed 66.1% of his passes. He also ran for 181 yards and 6 scores. He’s committed to Miami.

Three-star tight end Ryan Ghea should see his role expand this season. In 2023 he caught 32 passes for 273 yards (18.2 ypc) and 3 TD’s. He’s 6’5, 231 pounds and he also plays basketball and baseball. He’s committed to Auburn.

Corner back Tyler Redmond is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Tennessee. He’s 6’1 so he’s a big corner.

Defensive lineman Caleb Bell is also a three-star player. At 6’3, 270 pounds he’s one of the biggest guys on the field at the high school level. He’s committed to Arkansas.

They have another corner back that’s also committed to Tennessee, Dylan Lewis.

Safety Ma’khi Jones is a three-star player that’s committed to Duke.

This is their schedule:

August 16- Buford: This will be a tough game. The Wolves were 11-2 last year and one of the most talented teams in the state. I give Milton the slight edge since their at home.

August 23- American Heritage (Plantation, Fl): The Patriots were 10-2 last year and they are an elite program from Florida. I think American Heritage will win this game.

August 30- Alpharetta: The Raiders are solid but no match for Milton.

September 13- @Blessed Trinity: The Titans are pretty good but the Eagles will win.

September 20- Chattahoochee: The Cougars have been struggling recently so this is an easy win.

September 27- @Seckinger: Seckinger is the newest school in Gwinnett and they just started playing football in 2022. This is a blowout win.

October 4- @Lanier: The Longhorns are tough but give the W to Milton.

October 11- @Gainesville: The Red Elephants were 12-1 in 2023. This will be a close game but I give the edge to Milton.

October 25- Johns Creek: This is another blowout win.

November 11- Roswell: This might be for the region title. The Hornets were 11-2 last year. This is too close to call.

I believe the Eagles will finish the regular season with eight wins and repeat as state champions.