Today’s interviewee is John Milledge Academy coach J.T. Wall, whose team has won three consecutive championships and 37 straight games in the Georgia Independent School Association. This season, GISA has formed a division called the Georgia Independent Athletic Association to rebrand and administer sports. There are 42 GIAA 11-man football teams, including 14 that were GHSA members last season.
J.T. Wall, John Milledge Academy head coach
1. The GISA underwent major changes this season with the influx of many former GHSA members. What does this mean for the GISA and John Milledge? “Obviously the more schools in a league, it gets more eyes on you. It gets our guys a little more exposure both in social media and everywhere. Our strength of schedule automatically changes because we’re in a division now with the four Macons, and they have a great football background, whereas in the past, we’d have a gimme game or two in a region or district schedule. There is no gimme game now. We’re the smallest school in that bunch. Each year is a challenge, and this is another one that’s a new league that’s combined and formed, and we’re excited about what the future holds.”
2. The “four Macons” are First Presbyterian, Tattnall Square, Stratford Academy and Mount de Sales, each rejoining the GISA after years in the GHSA and forming a five-team district with John Milledge. Has that created a buzz among your players, the prospect of playing those four? “They know them. We’ve run some track meets with them. I’ve been here (since 2009), so it doesn’t seem so long ago when we were in a region with them, so we welcome them back. Once the news broke early this spring, we started looking at schedules, and our guys are hungry for a challenge, not just those four, but our overall schedule is better than it’s been, and they know that. But they’ve done a good job the last few years of being able to compartmentalize week to week. I know that’s coach’s speak, but we’re focused on Week 1 and what they bring. It’s hard for our players to look down the road and size up the Macon schools. We’ll have to approach that when we get there.”
3. How does your team look this year? What are the strengths and question marks? “We’ve got 14 seniors coming back. They’re a great group as far as leadership and setting the tone every day. The only thing they know is how to work. Our No. 1 deal compared to the last three, four years is we’re down numbers-wise. We’re at 39 kids. In the past, we’ve been in the 60s. We graduated two big senior classes back to back, and we don’t have a big freshman class. We’re going to have a couple of guys going two ways, which we had gotten away from, but they’re up for the challenge.” (John Milledge returns five 2021 all-state players, including quarterback Briggs Eady.)
4. You have a chance to set the Georgia record for the longest winning streak ever. Buford holds the GHSA record with 47 straight. You stand at 37. What are your thoughts on that chance for history? “We’ve had a great run. The Good Lord has blessed us with great players who know how to work. We’ve got to win the first one over in Sandersville. (John Milledge opens at 2021 GISA Class 2A champion Brentwood on Aug. 19). We’re not looking far ahead at all, I can tell you that. It’s (the record) been mentioned, but we’re not making a big deal out of it. We don’t like to look at that stuff.”
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