Georgia high school football’s longest winning streak officially fell last Friday night as John Milledge Academy defeated Heritage-Newnan, 42-7. The Trojans entered the GIAA Class 3A quarterfinals on a 47-game run and used a 35-point first half to clinch a record that may remain forever.
Prior to this week, John Milledge Academy was tied with Buford for the longest winning streak. That streak began in 2001 under coach Dexter Wood and featured three state championships, but ended in a stunning six-point loss to Central Gwinnett in 2004. Just a year earlier, Parkview saw its 46-game win streak collapse at the hands of rival Brookwood at home.
John Milledge Academy’s streak could have been 13 games longer than where it currently stands. In 2018, the Trojans won 12 consecutive games before being blown out by a Frederica Academy team they had beaten just over a month ago.
That championship game loss reset the tally to zero, but the Trojans got to work quickly. Their 2019 campaign featured over 41 points per game and they closed out the regular season with four consecutive shutouts. In the state championship against Valwood, they scored a season-high 62 points.
COVID didn’t affect JMA’s streak; in fact, the Trojans were more impressive in 2020. They allowed a measly 27 points in 11 games, posted eight shutouts, and won by an average margin of 40 points per game. The Trojans even made a case for being a threat in the GHSA, as they crushed seventh-ranked Savannah Christian, 52-13.
A spotless 2021 resume ensured the streak would continue. No opponent came within three touchdowns of the Trojans, and they handed Pinewood Christian its only two losses of the season, with one coming in the championship game. At that point the streak sat at 37 unbeaten, tying ELCA, West Rome, and Valdosta for eighth all-time.
Nine consecutive wins to open this season placed JMA tied for second with Parkview. A regular season-ending region matchup with Tattnall Square posed a greater challenge than the Trojans had experienced throughout the streak. Tattnall Square, also the Trojans, had just moved in from the GHSA and had already pushed A-D2 title favorites Schley County and Bowdon to the brink. They also scored a massive win over Athens Christian.
Early in the third quarter, Tattnall took a 21-20 lead on a 12-yard rushing score, but Briggs Eady scored his 26th touchdown of the season to regain the lead for JMA. Then, with less than a minute left in the game, Eady’s heroics prevailed as he intercepted a pass in the redzone to seal the record-tying victory.
With at least one game, and possibly two, left this season, John Milledge Academy could finish 2022 having won 50 in a row. If the Trojans continue to face a similar slate of opponents characteristic of previous seasons, the run could balloon into the 60s or 70s. How long will it be before their historic winning streak ends? And will Tattnall Square exact a record-breaking revenge next season?
