On this week’s Next Take Georgia podcast, we were joined by Lance McCurley, who covers high school sports in East Central Georgia, as well as University of Georgia athletics, for Smith Communications publications Lake Oconee News and The Eatonton Messenger.
Among the high school sports topics discussed were a few high-impact Central Georgia football and basketball players, coaches and teams to watch for in the near future.
John Milledge Academy has been on a roll that rivals that of any size school, public or private, in the state. Led by head football coach J.T. Wall, a former Middle Georgia standout for the Trojans and the Georgia Bulldogs, John Milledge Academy has won four consecutive state championships while going undefeated over that span. Their 49-0 win in the state title game over Albany’s Deerfield Windsor gave them not only another championship, it also established the record for most consecutive wins by a Georgia high school football team, at any level or in any association, with 50 straight victories.
McCurley pointed out the play of quarterback Briggs Eady as being a big reason for John Milledge Academy’s success. Eady was named the team’s MVP for the past two seasons, and he was the GISA Class AAA Player of the Year.
Talk about making an impact on Central Georgia high school sports: McCurley said Greene County head football coach Terrance Banks, who just completed his first season with the Tigers, is a coach on the rise. He took over the program at the end of 2021, inheriting a program that had finished with just eight wins over the previous three seasons. In his first year, Banks led his team to six wins and a first-round state playoff game.
Putnam County is a team to watch for in 2023 Central Georgia high school sports, McCurley said. They have enjoyed success under Coach Shaun Pope, who is retiring after serving as the Eagles head coach for the past five seasons. Their new head coach is Joel Harvin, who was the head coach at Early County for the last six years and led the Bobcats to a 9-4 record last year, including their first region title since 2003 and their first trip to the GHSA state quarterfinals since the 2012 season. McCurley said he thinks Harvin was a great choice and will make Putnam even better. He said they will be a team to watch in 2023.
Back in Milledgeville, McCurley mentioned the other football team in town, the Baldwin Braves, who are hoping to bounce back from last year’s four-win season with a player they’ll be counting on in senior RB Michael Welch. Despite the team’s record, Welch was a bright spot for the Braves, rushing for 1,373 yards. Unlike Eady at John Milledge, this Milledgeville product will be back for one more year, returning for his senior season at Baldwin.
UGA basketball was also a topic of discussion, as the Dogs look to keep more top Georgia high school recruits in state. One in-state product coach Mike White was able to convince to stay was Norcross standout Mari Jordan, a senior who has already signed with Georgia.
Be sure to check out the Next Take Georgia Podcast as host Phil Jones welcomes in different guests each week.
