Two-time reigning champ Milton rebuilds after graduating 17 starters

Milton is coming off back-to-back state championships and and a 15-0 finish to the 2024 season that made the Eagles the consensus No. 2 team in the nation.

With 17 starters and nine major Division I signees graduated, Milton’s current seniors inherited the high expectations of 38-6 record during their three years, same as their coach, Ben Reaves Sr., who was promoted before the 2022 season.

“They (seniors) know that they are going to be overlooked,” Reaves said. “They know that they’re going to be the underdog. They know that they’re playing, arguably, the toughest schedule we’ve ever had here at Milton. But all they want to do is go out and play hard and prove everybody wrong and continue the success and traditions we’ve had here.”

This year’s schedule starts with a road game against Buford, then a trip to Florida to take on The First Academy. Here in Georgia, we know about Buford, but The First Academy has five committed Power 4 seniors with a dozen more on the way. Blessed Trinity, Roswell and Gainesville are other notable opponents.

Milton will enter the season on a 40-game winning streak in region games.

“Our record doesn’t affect our kids,” Reaves said. “All that our kids care about is getting to that 15th game. The only difference between 2-0 and 0-2 is who I schedule.”

Last year’s team included four top-200 recruits nationally. Nine signed with a Power 4 Conference teams. They were C.J. Wiley (Georgia), Brayden Jacobs (Clemson), Luke Nickel (Miami), Ethan Barbour (Georgia), Caleb Bell (Arkansas), Ryan Ghea (Auburn), Ma’khi Jones (Duke), Dylan Lewis (Tennessee) and Tyler Redmond (Tennessee),

This year’s team reminds Reaves of his first team in 2022. That year, Milton finished 10-4, with three of the four losses to eventual state champions.

Like this year’s team, that team lost 17 starters, returning only five. Many of the starters on that team were sophomores, just like this team. They were also led by a talented senior safety, Rob Billings, who went on to play for Clemson.

This year’s senior safety, Tristan Lester, a three-year starter and Marshall commit, will be the team’s leader, on and off the field, Reaves said.

“I’m happy he’s the one that’s truly going to steer the boat and drive our team,” Reaves said. “He’s got a lot of experience and just does things the right way. Everything about him is something that all Milton kids should model.”

Lester had an outstanding season last year. He finished with 77 tackles and 9.5 tackles for a loss. Safeties aren’t always known for disrupting plays in the backfield, but Lester consistently did – a testament to his versatility.

Defensive back Lawson Estes (6+ Go5 offers), linebacker Billy Weivoda (Iowa commit) and Gage Lawrence (2+ offers) return from a defense that gave up 13.1 points per game last season.

Offensively, Milton returns three-year starter and national powerlifting champion Madden Mones. He set the new National Record at the U.S. Weightlifting National Youth Championships with a 135kg snatch. Mones was winning national championships in weightlifting as early as eighth grade. Reaves expects him to lead his offense in the trenches.

Reaves says some of his players may have FBS talent but have sat behind some great players. He points to wide receiver and defensive back Ayden Williams. Williams has some FCS offers now and is being recruited as an athlete. Reaves says Williams is a force multiplier. His work for the team can be seen all over the program.

“I don’t think anybody is more hungry,” Reaves said of Williams. “It’s obvious how much it means to him; how much he cares about things.”

These players did not transfer into the program. They went to local middle schools and developed in the Milton feeder program.

Some players who couldn’t get on the field at their natural position made sacrifices — switching sides of the ball or contributing on special teams.

Reaves credits his staff and their connection to the program. Since Reaves arrived in 2022, only one coach has left the program to take another job. That was in the 2024 offseason, with Terrence Edwards taking the Mount Vernon job.

Reaves hired former Georgia Bulldog and nine-year NFL veteran Shawn Williams to his staff. Williams will start working with the ninth-grade team.

“Kids don’t leave here,” Reaves said, remembering only six or seven players have transferred since his hiring. “The coaches aren’t leaving here either. And many of them do get big-time offers.”

There will still be a lot of younger players on the varsity team too, such junior quarterback Derrick Baker, a three-star prospect who transferred from St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida. He has offers from Florida State and Tennessee. Junior wide receiver Jordan Carrasquillo and sophomores Christian Hunter and Joshua Evans will be playing on the offensive and defensive line this year.

Be on the lookout for freshman offensive tackle Landon Ghea, the younger brother of Ryan Ghea. It’ll be hard to miss him, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 280 pounds, Ghea looks to be the next great Eagle. He already has offers from Alabama and Georgia.

Reaves says he’s “probably going to be the No. 1 player in the country by the time it’s all said and done.”