Two former Putnam County High School football players and graduates recently won state titles as coaches.
Caleb Reaves and Damoio’n Wright achieved greatness, plus a goal they’ve wanted to attain since the end of last season.
Reaves, a 2011 graduate, and Wright, a 2013 graduate, coached their respective teams in the Georgia High School Association’s state championship games last week at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Reaves was happy to win and see his team’s hard work pay off.
“As a coach, your ultimate goal every year is to win a state championship,” Reaves said. “With how talented Georgia is, you never know if it will happen. To be able to win one last year was a dream come true, but to be able to go back-to-back with the seniors we had this year was the perfect ending to a special season.”
Wright agreed with Reaves’ sentiment.
“Winning a state championship was a dream come true,” he said. “That was the best atmosphere I’ve ever coached in. It was electric in that building. Beating the No. 4 nationally ranked team made it also feel 10 times better. I’m thankful for it all.”
Reaves is the passing-game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Milton High School in Fulton County. The Eagles won their second championship in a row by defeating Langston Hughes 56-35 in the Class 5A title game.
Reaves’ players significantly contributed to Milton’s success against Langston Hughes on Dec. 17.
Milton led 42-35 at halftime, but the Eagles pulled away in the final two quarters. Their passing game was on full display, with quarterback Luke Nickel completing 21 of 22 passes for 409 yards and four touchdowns.
The Miami signee tossed touchdowns to four different pass catchers, including a pair of future Georgia players – CJ Wiley and Ethan Barbour. They combined to catch 13 passes for 198 yards and a pair of scores.
Wright is the running backs coach and co-offensive coordinator at Grayson High School in Gwinnett County. The Rams upset heavy-favorite, nationally ranked Carrollton, 38-24 in the Class 6A state title game.
Grayson benefitted greatly from Wright’s players against a loaded Carrollton squad on Dec. 18.
The game was tied 17-17 at halftime before Grayon’s run game and defense stepped up to make big-time plays. The Rams totaled 156 rushing yards in the second half and reached the end zone three times. Their defense also pressured five-star quarterback Juju Lewis, who threw two costly interceptions in the fourth quarter.
Grayson rushed for 273 yards on 51 attempts for four touchdowns. The Rams were led by Elijah Miller, who rushed for 109 yards on 20 carries and three scores. Joel Bradford had 62 yards in the big win over the Trojans.
Both coaches celebrated with their teams following their games and are headed into the new year as state champs.