MILTON - It's long been said that to be the best you have to beat the best and Friday night at the home of Class 5A's two-time defending state champions, Gainesville football left no doubt as to its intent this season.
Led by 162 yards and three touchdowns by junior running back Nigel Newkirk, and a defense that forced and recovered two Eagles' fumbles, the sixth-ranked Red Elephants (7-1, 4-0 Region 5-7A) beat third-ranked Milton 28-16.
Gainesville, which scored a touchdown in each quarter while holding Milton to just three points through the first three, got its scoring going after the Eagles took a 3-0 lead when Kharim Hughley hit PJ Lewis for a 41-yard touchdown.
The defense and Newkirk took it from there with the former not only blocking a field goal attempt in the second quarter, but leading Big Red to prime field position and another score when Marcus Sims forced and recovered a fumble.
Newkirk took the turnover in from the 1-yard line, by far his shortest touchdown run of the game as his next two scores were from 41- and 50-yards out in the third and fourth quarters respectively.
Big Red's defense made big plays throughout the night led by Alabama commits Xavier Griffin (seven tackles) and Jamarion Matthews (four tackles for a loss and a sack). Ayden Cain and Marshall Leonard also got into Milton's backfield with two tackles for a loss each.
No defensive moment or stand was bigger for the Red Elephants, however, than a stopped 2-point conversion on Milton's first touchdown, and a forced fumble recovered by Matthews with the score sitting at 21-16 and the Eagles threatening inside the 10-yard line.
Newkirk's third, final, and longest touchdown run of the night came in the immediate aftermath of Gainesville securing its second turnover of the night.
The win not only stopped a 42-game region win streak for the Eagles (6-2, 3-1), which came into Friday night ranked in the Top 5 nationally by MaxPreps, USA Today, and High School Football America, but made history within a long-storied Gainesville program steeped in a tradition of excellence: the highest-ranked win from both a state and national level.
The Red Elephants return to Bobby Gruhn Field to continue region play Friday as they welcome Chattahoochee to City Park.
PHOTO GALLERY
GHS vs. Milton
GHS MAKES HISTORY IN WIN AT MILTON
