Ethan Suda kicked a 36-yard field goal with 1:05 to play as Milton rallied from a 17-3 third-quarter deficit Friday and beat Walton 20-17.
Milton’s Obe Fortune set up the winning points with an interception that gave the Eagles the ball at the Walton 27 with 2:07 to play. Milton had tied the game just three plays earlier.
The victory allowed Milton (6-1, 4-1) to retain a share of first place in Region 5-AAAAAA. Walton fell to 2-6 overall and 2-4 in the region, although the Raiders still hold out hope of reaching the playoffs if they win their remaining games against Cherokee and Etowah and can get some help.
Milton’s offense was held in check for two and a half quarters before putting together two scoring drives that tied the game at 17-17 with 2:55 remaining. Micco Brisker, who finished as the game’s leading rusher with 79 yards on 24 carries, capped the drives with touchdown runs of 9 and 4 yards. Milton finished with 239 yards of total offense but had just 75 before its first touchdown drive in the third quarter.
Walton got two big plays from its special teams in building its lead. Clark Price recovered a muffed punt at the Milton 4-yard line early in the second quarter, and KK Brooks scored on the next play to give Walton a 7-3 lead with 10:17 to play in the quarter.
John Randall’s 27-yard field goal midway through the third quarter made it 10-3 before Walton’s special teams came through again. On Milton’s next possession, the Raiders’ Ryan Roegge blocked a punt, picked it up and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown and a 17-3 lead with 5:02 to play in the third quarter.
Milton began to cut away at the deficit on its next possession, driving 83 yards in 10 plays and scoring on Brisker’s 9-yard run. The Eagles missed a 53-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter, but moved 59 yards in nine plays on their next drive to tie the score on Brisker’s second touchdown.
Milton took the lead on its opening drive. The Eagles took possession at their 41 and moved to the Walton 20 before a penalty and a sack forced them into a fourth-and-21 from the 32. Suda came on to kick a 49-yard field goal to make it 3-0 with 7:32 to play in the first quarter.
That was it for the Milton offense in the first half. The Eagles had the ball five more times but picked up just 42 more yards and one first down.
Milton – 3-0-7-10 – 20
Walton – 0-7-10-0 – 17
M – Ethan Suda 49 field goal
W – KK Brooks 4 run (Matt Fitzpatrick kick)
W – John Randall 27 field goal
W – Ryan Roegge 15 blocked-punt return (Fitzpatrick kick)
M – Micco Brisker 9 run (Suda kick)
M – Brisker 4 run (Suda kick)
W – Suda 36 field goal
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