All-County

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Whether on the ground or through the air, no one could contain the 2016 John Milledge offense.

Seniors Trevor Evans and Noah Lavender were two key components of the unit that averaged 38 points per game in a perfect, state championship-winning season.

Together the dynamic duo scored 46 touchdowns on the year and each played key roles at extremely crucial points in the season.

The 2016 season was Evans’ second as the full-time starting quarterback for the Trojans. After breaking the school record for passing attempts as a junior he stepped up his game in the final season, breaking his own attempts record as well as setting new JMA marks in passing touchdowns (26), completions (116) and yards (1,503). Averaging 13 passing attempts per game was more than enough to keep opposing defenses from over-committing to the rushing attack.

“Trevor was a poised leader on the field who kept us out of bad plays and limited turnovers on the offensive side of the ball,” said JMA head coach J.T. Wall. “He’s got a big arm and was extremely accurate with the deep ball as well as the short passing game.”

Lavender’s role on the offense cannot be labeled with conventional terms; his position can only be described as offensive weapon. Whatever was needed of the outstanding senior is what he did, whether it was line up in the slot and run a receiving route, or in the backfield as a running back. Lavender tallied 968 yards on the ground on 124 carries (7.8 yards per rush) and snagged 17 passes for 220 yards for a combined total of 19 touchdowns.

“Noah was a big time playmaker for us offensively this year,” Wall said. “He was a homerun threat every time he touched the ball, whether it was at running back or receiver. He has a very high football IQ, which allowed us the flexibility to use him in multiple positions in multiple formations, which caused defenses some problems.”

On multiple occasions throughout the season Lavender’s ferocious running style broke the backs of opposing defenses in the second half after having stood strong earlier in the contest.

Both players had big moments where they were the difference in the ballgame. After struggling through the first three quarters in the first meeting with Gatewood, Evans regrouped late in the game and hit his top target Mike Francis for a touchdown that tied up the contest. With less than 20 seconds left and the game still tied, the gunslinger flung a pass down the right sideline to wide receiver Ford Roberts who — thanks to some fancy footwork — crossed the goal line to secure the region championship.

“A lot of Trevor’s success has to be attributed to his work ethic,” Wall said when asked what made his quarterback so effective this season. “He really bought in this year and put the work in not only on the practice field and the weight room but in the film room as well. He was more comfortable with the game plan week in and week out this year and he really understood what we as coaches were looking for from an offensive standpoint. He trusted his reads, but more importantly, he trusted his teammates.

“We had six receivers with double-digit catches this year, which goes to show you that he trusted those guys and didn’t get locked in on one specific guy. It’s a great feeling as a coach when you have the confidence that your quarterback is just another coach on the field and he can make checks and adjustments on the fly that result in first downs and touchdowns.”

Another standout game for Evans took place in the second round of state playoffs. The lefty went 10-for-12 on passing attempts for 124 yards and two touchdowns en route to a 42-14 win over a Pinewood team that the Trojans had already beaten once in the season.

At the start of the season Lavender ‘s primary role was that of a wide receiver, but as the games wore on his number was called as a running back more and more. Whether it was running through arm tackles or making defenders look silly with a sudden juke, Lavender proved a consistent threat for the Trojan offense in the playoffs. First round play proved to be a big coming out party for Lavender as a full-time running back. The Tiftarea defense was no match for the runner as he posted four touchdowns of 46, 29, 24 and 36 yards as the John Milledge football team began its march to the state title.

“Noah’s role really changed weekly this year,” Wall said. “With him being such a dynamic player on both sides of the ball, we really had to pick and choose where and when we played Noah each week. We were able to keep defenses on their toes because they never really knew where Noah would line up. Noah’s ability to catch the ball made him a huge threat on the perimeter, but the way he gradually became a downhill runner is what made him very hard for defenses to game plan for.” 

The state championship game, a rematch with rival Gatewood, provided a big stage for both of the offensive team leaders. Lavender was fed the ball consistently early on as he slowly accumulated yardage. In the second quarter that threat of a run game paid off big time for Evans and the Trojans through the air. Evans faked a handoff to his running back on second-and-short and found wide receiver Andrew Prestwood wide open down the left side of the field for a 27-yard touchdown pass and the first score of the game.

“It kind of made me feel like we sealed the deal by doing that,” Evans said in an interview.

From that point on the game belonged to the John Milledge defense and Noah Lavender from his position in the offensive backfield. Carry after carry killed seconds off the game clock and wore the Gatewood defense down inch by inch. While he never got that backbreaking long touchdown run, Lavender did get to do something all running backs dream of in the big win. When asked to provide a personal highlight from the season he said, “diving over the pile in the state championship game” was something he would always remember. The scoring leap brought the game to its final tally, 17-0, and Lavender finished his final game as a Trojan with just over 200 yards on a whopping 35 carries giving him two 200-yard performances in the playoffs.

Both Lavender and Evans said that the amount of hard work they put in this season in order to get a state championship is something that will always stick with them.

“It takes a lot of hard work,” Evans said. “You can’t just go out there and do it; you’ve got to practice and practice and practice.”

That hard work earned both of them a trip to the Georgia Independent Schools Association’s All-Star game where they got to play with and against the best private school players in the state. Both said they enjoyed the experience of getting to know guys they had played against throughout high school, but that it was a little strange suiting up with guys who weren’t their teammates.

While both outstanding athletes will be missed locally, opposing defenses will certainly be glad next season when they look across the line of scrimmage and don’t see Evans and Lavender lined up as part of the John Milledge offense.