Milton rode the arm and legs of senior quarterback Jordan Yates, and safety Joe Charleston made a play late to help seal a season-opening win for the Eagles, 21-19 over Archer, No. 3 in Class AAAAAAA, in the Friday night finale of the Corky Kell Classic at Georgia State Stadium.
Yates, who has committed to Georgia Tech, carried most of the load offensively for Milton as he led all rushers with 108 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns, while completing seven of 14 pass attempts for 72 yards and another score.
Charleston’s night was a little less successful. He and his secondary mates were torched by Archer senior Braylen Weems, who hauled in eight passes for 102 yards and three touchdowns – one of which was when Charleston was in coverage. But the Clemson-commit redeemed himself on Archer’s final offensive play of the game.
With just 45 seconds remaining in regulation, Archer faced a fourth-and-17 on the Milton 45 yard line. Junior quarterback Carter Peevy rolled to his right and fired high to Weems near the numbers. Charleston came up from behind and his hit on Weems helped prevent him from making the catch and earning a first down to keep the Tigers drive going.
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Archer and Weems struck first early in the second quarter, as the Tigers drove 80 yards in nine plays. Weems’ first touchdown reception of the contest, a 17-yarder, capped the drive. But a missed point after kick, the first of two that ended up being the difference in the final score, kept the score at 6-0.
Milton answered on its next possession, scoring on the final play of the half. On the 10th play of a 65-yard drive, Yates started left, rolled back to his right and found Holden Shaw in the back of the end zone from 14 yards out. Hayden Hairston’s extra point kick put the Eagles on top, 7-6 at intermission.
Milton took the lead for good on its second possession of the third quarter. After taking over at the Archer 43-yard line, Yates faked a jet sweep to Shaw going right, took off to the left side of the formation, bounced off of two Archer defenders, sprinted down the sideline and dove into the end zone from the 5-yard line to put the Eagles on top 14-6 after Hairston’s extra point kick.
Weems’ second touchdown reception of the game, from 23 yards out, came on Archer’s next possession, as he beat Charleston down the seam. But the Tigers missed another PAT and trailed 14-12 heading into the fourth quarter.
On Milton’s next possession, Yates second touchdown run of the night proved to be the game winner, as he banged in from 3-yards out to cap a 14-play, 48-yard drive to push the Eagle lead to 21-12 with a little just under eight minutes left in the contest.
But Archer set the stage for the game ending drama by pulling to within two points, when Weems hauled in his third touchdown of the night, this one from just seven yards out, capping an 11-play, 89-yard drive. Jacob Waters’ PAT made it 21-19.
Archer’s defense gave the ball back to its offense, thanks in large part to a sack of Yates by senior linebacker Emmanuel Michel. A shanked punt gave the Tigers the ball inside Milton territory, but Peevy lost seven yards when he slipped down on the first play. His second-down pass fell incomplete, while a third-down attempt to hit Booth in the end zone was broken up. On the next play, Charleston’s play on Weems ended the game.
Milton 0 7 7 7 21
Archer 0 6 6 7 19
A – Braylen Weems 17 pass from Carter Peevy (kick failed)
M – Holden Shaw 14 pass from Jordan Yates (Hayden Hairston kick)
M – Yates 43 run (Hairston kick)
A – Weems 23 pass from Peevy (pass failed)
M – Yates 3 run (Hairston kick)
A – Weems 7 pass from Peevy (Jacob Waters kick
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