Commercial and Residential Locksmiths in Milton

With one announcing on Christmas, the other on New Year’s Day, two Wisconsin high school football players say they plan to enroll at two-time state champion Milton for the 2025 season.

It’s not unusual in Georgia for high-profile high school athletes to transfer, especially to destinations such as Milton, which finished No. 2 in six national polls this season. But two players announcing long-distance moves on social media with matching artwork might be a new one.

Milton coach Ben Reaves, working Thursday at the Under Armour All-America Game in DeLand, Florida, said he didn’t know the Wisconsin players.

Bentley Hickman, a 2026 running back who played last season at Homestead High in Mequon, posted his intentions Wednesday on X (formerly known as Twitter). “I am so so thankful for what Homestead High School and the district has done for me,” the post read. “The community, the love and support that I got there was incredible. But I will actually be finishing my last year at Milton High School in Georgia!”

Hickman tagged Milton and football coach Reaves.

New year, New beginnings… I am so so thankful for what Homestead High School and the district has done for me. The community, the love and support that I got there was incredible. But I will actually be finishing my last year at Milton High School in Georgia!@CoachBenReaves… pic.twitter.com/l0wYSoMBHD

— Bentley Hickman ‘26 RB (@bentley_hickman) January 1, 2025

A week earlier, the quarterback of Milwaukee Academy of Science, Brayln Albritton, made a similar X post with the same artwork with Milton’s school logo and a photo of Milton’s field and stadium. Albritton also is a rising senior.

I’m extremely thankful for everything Milwaukee academy of science have done for me but with that being said I will be finishing my highschool career at Milton highschool in GA @CoachBenReaves pic.twitter.com/9WFlR2g89E

— Brayln Albritton ,2026 (@braylnA) December 25, 2024

Albritton’s X profile says he is 6 feet, 4 inches and 215 pounds. He posted that he passed for 2,830 yards and 20 touchdowns last season.

Bentley indicated he is 5-10, 205 pounds and rushed for 944 yards, despite missing three games last season.

Reaves said he would sort things out when he returned from Thursday’s All-Star game.

“I honestly don’t know them or know anything about them,” Reaves said. “Whenever we get back to work I’ll be able to see if they’re enrolled and who they are.”

Milton’s leading passer, Luke Nickel, and rusher, T.J. Lester, were seniors this season. Nickel was The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s all-classification player of the year. Lester rushed for 1,848 yards and signed with West Georgia.

Both Wisconsin players are college prospects, though neither has a profile on recruiting sites On3 or 247Sports, which would mean they aren’t rated as major Division I recruits yet. Nine Milton seniors signed with ACC or SEC programs last month, and all were showing up as three-star recruits or higher on recruiting sites a year ago.

Milton and many other top Georgia programs are accustomed to players moving in. Several of Milton’s starters this past season began their high school careers elsewhere. They included tight end Ethan Barbour, a Georgia signee who played the 2023 season at Alpharetta, and offensive lineman Brayden Jacobs, a Clemson signee who came from Buford. Jacobs arrived just days before Milton’s first game, which was against Jacobs’ former team. Both made first-team all-state with Milton.

To be eligible in Georgia, the Wisconsin players must move into the Milton district with their entire family units.

The most recent high-profile, out-of-state transfer coming to Georgia was Jake Garcia in 2020. A quarterback from California, Garcia moved to Valdosta because California was not playing football during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Georgia High School Association ruled Garcia ineligible after one game because Garcia didn’t move with his entire family. He then transferred to Grayson and won a state title. The GHSA since changed the rule to say that athletes ineligible at one school cannot be immediately eligible at another.

This past season, quarterback Hezekiah Millender came to Clarke Central from Arizona. He surprisingly wound up in Georgia’s signing class after being committed to Boise State for almost four months.

The overwhelming majority of transfers go smoothly.

Updated: Dec. 6, 2024 at 8:11 PM PST

ATLANTA, Ga. (Score Atlanta) - When two highly-ranked programs filled with first-class Georgia high school football players face off in the playoffs, you can expect a titanic matchup. And when the Lee County Trojans travel to Milton to face the top-5 nationally-ranked Eagles in a semifinal matchup, it might as well be a state championship game.

You don’t get any better football than this.

The game will be broadcast live on the Peachtree Sports Network starting at 7:30 p.m., and will also stream live on the Atlanta News First app. From home, download the free ANF+ app anywhere you stream — FireTV, AppleTV, Roku and YouTubeTV — simply by searching for “Atlanta News First” on those platforms. If you are on the go, you can download Atlanta News First for free in the app store on your Apple or Android device. You can also watch live here on the WANF – Special Events channel.

>> WATCH LIVE

The game is between two of the final five undefeated teams in the state with the Trojans and the Eagles lining up across from one another for the first time in history. Both programs are looking to remain perfect as they both look to keep their first undefeated seasons in program history alive. The game will feature seven 4-star recruits and six 3-stars with a handful of future stars that have been showcasing their talents all season.

With the plethora of talent on the field, both programs are nationally ranked for their performances this season in the MaxPreps Top 25 High School Football Rankings. Milton has been ranked the entire season and currently sit at No. 2 in the country. Lee County just recently entered the top-25 at the final spot in national rankings. The Eagles are coming off a 42-point victory over Houston County where they took down the Bears 56-14 in the Class 5A quarterfinals and are facing a Lee County team coming off of a 64-0 shutout victory over Sprayberry.

Both programs are no strangers to the big stage.

The Milton Eagles are two-time state champions, winning in 2018 as well as being the reigning GHSA Class 7A state champions after defeating Walton 31-21 a year ago under head coach Ben Reaves. Lee County has won two state championships as the Trojans won back-to-back Class 6A state championships in 2017 and 2018 under head coach Dean Fabrizio who enters his 16th season in the program.

Lee County is as battle-tested as it gets and has remained perfect on the season even with a tough 2024 schedule. The Trojans have had five ranked matchups this season with games against programs such as Warner Robins, Hapeville Charter, Colquitt County, Thomas County Central and Coffee all resulting in victories. The Trojans outscored opponents 241-106 in those ranked matchups this season with the undefeated Eagles now looming in the semifinals with a state championship berth on the line.

“Well we are battle-tested for sure and I know Milton is too,” said Fabrizio. " That’s why this is the matchup people have been talking about for a long time.”

The Trojans are entering their sixth ranked-matchup of the season when they kickoff against Milton and will be bringing down the an offense that is the highest scoring unit in the state, averaging over 55 points a game and has scored a whopping 717 points through 13 games on the season, totaling over 6,000 yards of offense.

The Trojans offense is powered by Georgia 4-star running back commit Ousmane Kromah who has continued to have a sensational senior season. The Bulldogs-commit has rushed for over 1,200 yards (8.9 ypc) and added over 600 yards through the air, reaching the endzone a total of 23. Kromah shows a great blend of size and speed that will translate seamlessly to SEC football next year.

Kromah has been on the Mr. Georgia Football Watchlist all-season long as he has continued to produce jaw-dropping highlights and stats that the Trojan-faithful have come to know and love. Stopping Kromah and this Lee County offense will be one of the toughest tasks the Milton defense will face this season.

“The thing about him is that he is a complete player,” said Fabrizio. He’s great at running the ball but also a terrific receiver for us and an underrated blocker. It’s so great having an all-around player like him that you can do so much with.”

Leading the Trojans high-powered offense is Georgia Southern-commit quarterback Weston Bryan who has commanded a terrific offensive unit for Lee County. Bryan has tallied over 2,300 yards through the air while adding another 1,200 yards on the ground while being responsible for 59 touchdowns on the season. Bryan and Kromah have been a huge part as to why this Lee County team has been playing at a high-level all season long.

The leading receiver for the Trojans, sophomore Jaden Upshaw has been tremendous on the outside for Lee County this season and has proved to become Bryan’s top target. Upshaw has totaled over 800 yards through the air on over 60 reception and has caught 11 touchdowns this season for the Trojans. Upshaw and Kromah have been big players in the pass game for Lee County as they both sit at the top two on the team in receiving yards this season.

Bryan and Kromah lead an explosive Lee County offense that contains numerous playmakers ready to make their mark on the game at any moment. The offense is responsible for over 120 touchdowns on the season, showing a good blend of a ground and air attack that have made them so dangerous this season.

The Trojans defense is led by a Class of 2025 defensive lineman Florida-commit, Jeremiah McCloud who leads an impressive front for Lee County. The future Gator has totaled 45 total tackles as well as 11 tackles for loss on the season as well as adding a pick-six of his own. The senior’s 6-foot-3, 285-pound frame has become a force off the edge this season for Lee County as his play style should translate very well to SEC Football next season.

Leading the backend of the Trojan defense is a pair of defensive backs in junior Lasiah Jackson and senior free safety Jacori White have commanded the secondary. The two have combined for five interceptions and over 50 tackles, making it hard to throw on them at any point in the game.

The two leading tacklers for the Trojans are linebackers Greg Batson and Justyn Tanksley. Batson, a sophomore, leads the team with 85 total tackles to go along with six sacks and 24 tackles. Tanksley has added 38 total tackles and 10 tackles for loss on the season.

The reigning champion Milton Eagles are everything they are advertised to be. With an influx of talent all over the field, it’s hard to not look at this team as one of the best in the state, and they will look to prove that on Friday night at the Eagle’s Nest.

In his third year under center for the Eagles, Miami-commit, 4-star quarterback Luke Nickel has remained exceptional commanding the Eagles offense. Throwing for over 3,000 yards and over 30 touchdown passes on a 66% completion percentage. Having the playmakers around him that he does certainly helps, but the three-year starter has continued to lead one of the top offensive units in the country.

Leading the receiver room for Milton is a pair of Georgia-commits, C.J Wiley and Ethan Barbour. The two have combined for over 1,600 receiving yards, with Wiley leading the team with almost 900 yards through the air. With 21 touchdowns combined on the season, Wiley and Barbour have continued to show the country why they are one of the top wideout duos in high school football in the country. Along with the two Georgia-commits, Tristen Payne and Auburn-commit, tight end Ryan Ghea have been suitable receivers as well for the Eagles.

With 24 touchdowns on the season, recent West Georgia-commit, T.J. Lester leads the team in finding the endzone this season and like his teammates, continues to perform at a high-level, leading the Eagles rushing attack. Lester has added 100 receiving yards along with two receiving touchdowns on the season.

Up front, Brayden Jacobs leads an impressive Eagles offensive line that has only allowed five sacks on the season. The senior Clemson-commit leads a veteran group along with seniors Derek Scott II, JP Katzmark and Garrett Heinecke along with junior Madden Mones, the group has continued to show their progress and play as a cohesive unit.

As good as the Milton offense has played this season, the Eagles defense has shown just how talented they are as well. Milton’s defense has held its opponents to just 10 points per game, continuing to dominate on that side of the ball.

The Eagles have forced over 20 turnovers on the season, but face their toughest challenge yet when Lee County comes to town this week.

The leading tackler on the Milton defense, linebacker Hayden Tumminia, has flown under the radar from most college scouts as he has continued to have an impressive senior season. The senior has totaled 108 total tackles on the season to go along with 10 tackles for loss and four sacks. With as much talent that is on the Milton defense, Tumminia has continued to lead by example by doing his job every time he takes the field. The linebacking corps features plenty of experience with Tumminia along with senior linebacker, Campbell-commit A.J. Benton who has been exceptional. Benton has added 77 total tackles with a fumble recovery on the season.

Arkansas-commit Caleb Bell has commanded the defensive line for the Eagles, accumulating over 70 tackles with 11 sacks on the season. The starters on the Milton defensive line have experience playing in big games as they are all seniors including Caleb Ellis and Terrence Spencer Jr.

The backend for the Eagles is led by a pair of future Volunteers in Ty Redmond and Dylan Lewis who have been exceptional in the secondary for Milton. With 81 total tackles on the season and four combined interceptions, they will make things very difficult for a Lee County offense that has been on a tear this season.

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December 17, 2024 • 5:04 am PST

With 14 wins in 14 tries playing top Georgia competition, Milton is making a legitimate national championship case. The Eagles have arguably the strongest senior class in the country with at least four 4-star prospects and a dozen full-blown national recruits spread across the field.

But it'll largely be for naught if they don't finish strong against other juggernaut, Langston Hughes (13-1). The Panthers' only loss came by one score to Douglas County on Sep. 6, and this postseason they've beaten Dunwoody, Roswell, Thomas County Central, and Coffee by a combined 72 points.

So when Langston Hughes and Milton go at it Tuesday night for a Georgia 5A state title, there will be fans tuning in from not only all of Georgia but much of the country as well.

Milton, Georgia's reigning 7A champion, is led by senior QB and 4-star Miami signee Luke Nickel, who's completed 65.7% percent of his passes for 3,335 yards and 40 touchdowns to seven interceptions and run for six TDs too. He throws to one of the nation's elite receiver groups consisting of WRs CJ Wiley (Georgia) and Tristen Payne and TEs Ethan Barbour (Georgia) and Ryan Ghea (Auburn), and has 1,600-yard rusher TJ Lester (Eastern Kentucky) to hand it off to.

The Eagles have been just as dominant on the defensive side of the ball, thanks in large part to Arkansas-signed DL Caleb Bell (81 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks), Tennessee-bound CBs Tyler Redmond and Dylan Lewis, and ILB Hayden Tumminia (122 tackles, 11 TFLs, four sacks, two forced fumbles.

Like Milton, Langston Hughes has too much talent not to be a balanced, well-oiled machine. Its score differential (645 points scored to 185 allowed) is on par with Milton's (604 to 162), and it doesn't depend too heavily on any one part of the field or game. The Panthers are scary up front offensively behind 4-star OLs Tavaris Dice (Florida) and Dontrell Glover (Georgia) and 4-star TE Xavier Tiller (Texas A&M), and underrated junior LB Kijohn Braxton is up to 87 tackles, 11 sacks, and two interceptions. Their offense is run by unranked stud QB Christian Langford, who's having an uncommonly efficient season throwing the ball – 3,031 yards and 36 touchdowns to four interceptions on 73.5% completion, good for an unearthly 147.4 passer rating. He's also run for 554 yards and 10 TDs on just 60 carries, and Langston Hughes isn't exactly short on rushing threats around him with 4-star RB Carsyn Baker and 3-star RB Qwantavius Wiggins (South Florida) in tow.

How to watch Milton vs. Langston Hughes football

Milton vs. Langston Hughes will air live on the NFHS Network. You can subscribe to NFHS Network on a monthly basis or an annual subscription.

Milton vs. Langston Hughes start time

The opening kickoff was initially scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, but is now set for 8:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Dec. 17. The game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

To help state, local and Tribal government officials, farmers, ranchers and land managers mitigate the threats from invasive species, the U.S. Geological Survey creates Flood and Storm Tracker maps that identify where aquatic non-native and invasive species may have been carried due to flooding associated with storms. The maps can help natural resource managers identify potential new locations for non-native or invasive species, or to develop a watchlist of potential new introductions within a watershed.

Invasive species are non-native species whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic damage, environmental harm, or a risk to human health or cultural practices. Invasive species can decrease agricultural production, compete with native plants and wildlife, impair critical water infrastructure, transmit disease to wildlife and humans, threaten commercial and native fisheries, and cost governments and industries billions of dollars.

The preliminary map for Hurricane Helene indicates that there are 222 possible non-native species that had the potential to spread due to storm-related flooding, of which 90 species are considered invasive and likely to spread via flood waters, said Ian Pfingsten, a botanist with USGS and one of the scientists who creates the maps. The preliminary map for Hurricane Milton indicates 114 possible non-native species that had the potential to spread, of which 56 species are considered invasive and likely to spread via flood waters, he added. Once a species is introduced by spreading to a new location with suitable conditions, there is a possibility of that species establishing a population in its new environment, especially for highly invasive species that are documented to rapidly grow and reproduce without the constraints from the environment where the species originated. These maps will be updated once final flooding data are available.

Given that Florida was hit by two hurricanes just weeks apart, Pfingsten said there is a lot of overlap when it comes to species that may have been spread, including many of the state’s well-known invasive species, such as the Burmese python. Some species of concern that may have been spread by these two storms include the giant applesnail and the Asian swamp eel. The giant applesnail is an agricultural pest while the swamp eel impacts populations of native species where it has established. Both species can pose a risk to human health as they are known to carry parasites.

The preliminary map for Hurricane Helene also indicates that flathead and blue catfish, a couple of large invasive predators along the coastal plains, had the potential to spread to new areas. Both species have demonstrated major food web impacts in areas where they have established, feeding on and competing with native species.

According to Pfingsten, additional species that had the potential to spread to new areas as a result of Helene include Cuban treefrogs and alligatorweed. Cuban treefrogs prey on and outcompete native frog species, impact infrastructure, and secrete a noxious chemical that can cause burning in the eyes or nose if a human handles them. Alligatorweed can clog waterways, impact infrastructure, and can lead to stagnant water that supports mosquitos breeding.

The maps are created using data from the USGS’s Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database, which is a clearinghouse of information for nationally confirmed sightings of non-native aquatic species. The NAS database, maintained by scientists at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in Gainesville, Florida, currently has records for 1,413 non-native aquatic plants and animals across the United States and several of its territories.

The maps combine information on potential flooding associated with a storm event with known locations of established or possibly established non-native species from the NAS database. The maps identify all drainages within the flood zone that have a non-native species present or a risk of introduction from surrounding drainages.

USGS scientists then use storm tide heights, and water level and water flow data, to identify locations where waterways may have combined during flooding. Much of the coastal flooding is due to storm surge from the ocean that inundates and recedes during the storm event, while the inland flooding is attributed to precipitation accumulating in watersheds and creating high flow and water levels in major streams.

The first NAS Flood and Storm Tracker map was produced in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas and USGS experts have created at least one map each year since. Past maps created by the USGS have forecast the spread of many notorious invasive species, such as African Jewelfish, zebra mussels and water hyacinth. The maps can be viewed here.

MILTON, Ga — After a tight beginning to the second quarter, Milton let loose on a 35-point scoring rampage against Lee County Dec. 6.

The 56-28 semifinal win lifted the Eagles to 14-0 this season and earned them a spot in the 5A state championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Dec. 17.

The game was tied 21-21 in the second quarter before Milton exploded to hand the Trojans their first loss this season.

Milton senior wide receiver CJ Wiley crossed 1,000 receiving yards on the season, leading the Eagles with three straight touchdowns — two for more than 60 yards — in just six minutes. The first two came within 30 seconds of each other after an interception by senior safety Ma’khi Jones.

Eagles head coach Ben Reaves praised Wiley’s performance and spoke on what to expect in the championship match against Langston Hughes at Mercedes-Benz.

“CJ is a five-star receiver, in all aspects of the game on and off the field,” he said. “Your best players have to come up big in the biggest games and he did that tonight. All season, teams have been strategically taking him away, but he had a great game tonight.

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Wiley and running back TJ Lester combined for five of the Eagles’ eight touchdowns. Quarterback Luke Nickel tallied in two, and tight end Ethan Barbour pulled in the first of the game for his only score of the night.

“It was our toughest challenge all year, but the guys bought in to what the coaches were saying and played with everything they had,” Reaves said. “They left it all on the field and that’s what makes me so proud. This next game is going to be personal, so we gotta get back and see if we have one more in us.”

Lee County’s quarterback, Georgia Southern commit Weston Bryan, led the effort to keep the Trojans in contention. Bryan had all four of the Trojans’ touchdowns, rushing for 282 yards in addition to 50 passing yards. Lee County ends the season 13-1.

Both teams’ offensive lines played well with zero sacks in the game. Defense is where the Eagles were able to separate themselves.

Milton grabbed the only two interceptions of the game, coming from Jones and senior Ty Redmond. The Eagles’ defense played clean with only one penalty compared to Lee County’s 10. When the game was tied at 21 apiece near the beginning of the second quarter, the Eagles clamped down, not allowing another touchdown until the fourth quarter.

Milton’s defense allowed the offense to get to work, seeing five straight touchdowns from Lester, Wiley and Nickel. The Eagles offensive line held strong despite an injury to one of their top performers, Clemson commit Brayden Jacobs, during the first half.

Milton, ranked No. 2 in the nation, faces 13-1 Langston Hughes, which defeated Coffee 49-26 in their Dec. 6 semifinal, is ranked No. 46 in the nation.