My third stop landed me in a familiar place with the Milton Eagles, who are reloading at some key position groups in 2025. Despite that, they are still very talented and a program that is good at developing players who perform at a high level on Friday nights. Head Coach Ben Reaves and his staff will have a competitive team and one to watch in the fall.
Players to Watch
LB Tristan Lester- Lester will be one of the leaders this season for the Eagles. He looked really good in practice and was constantly around the football. He plays at a different speed, and his versatility was on full display. He is known for his hard-hitting ability on the gridiron and how fast he plays. Lester will likely be a captain on defense this year and a signal caller for the Eagles.
EDGE/LB Billy Weivoda- He has some juice about him and is a player who can take over a game. I’ve seen him in person a few times over the course of his career, and he can be a terror. Weivoda continues to impress when you see him in person. He always rises to the occasion and big games and makes plays for his team, and because of it, he is a two-time state champion with the Milton Eagles. I think this year, you will see him truly unleash himself and be an impact player for the Eagles.
EDGE Quentavious Price- He might be the best-kept secret in high school sports. Man, can this kid play. Price, who flashed today for the Eagles, is constantly making plays. Has a really good first step and is physical with his hands. He will likely see some reps on offense this season as well. The 2027 ATH has high upside and will be a big part of the team in 2025.
QB Derek Baker- The three-star quarterback is talented and has one of the best deep balls in the state. He just makes it look effortless. Baker has a great touch on the ball and mechanics as a passer. He can improvise and make plays with his legs. Despite being a 2027 QB, he already moves like a veteran. A young player who has the potential to make his mark in 2025.
OL Joshua Evans- Evans is a name that catches your eye when you come to Milton. You can see he is well-rounded and is in the next crop of OL talent to come through the Eagles program. He already has really good size and frame at 6’3. Milton is known for having staple tackles and is a big part of their identity as a championship-winning team. They have another one who is ready to fill that role.
OL Landon Ghea- He will be a true freshman this season, but he is already standing out and making quite an impression on coaches. His physicality is something you see when you watch him play. He is already finishing blocks on kids older than him and making his presence felt before his first year even begins. He moves like a veteran at a young age and already has good footwork, hands, and power. Ghea will be a national prospect when the rankings come out for the 2029 class.
WR/TE Grant Haviland- I don’t know how many tight ends or receivers you see being an anchor on the offensive line and completely obliterating defenders out of a play, but that is what Haviland did on one of his plays during practice. He is more than just a receiving threat. He’s the complete package at his position.
Safety Keelan Wonsley- It’s time for Wonsley to shine. He made quite a name for himself in youth football with his explosiveness and ability to play wide receiver. He will be a safety at this level and primarily a defensive back. A thing that caught my eye was he was moving all over the field, playing down in the box and also playing some free safety. That versatility on the backend could have college coaches calling soon, especially if he can have an impact in 2025.
Now, it is hard to mention everybody on such a talented team, but players who are also worthy of watching include WR Jordan Carrasquilo, DT Christian Hunter, DB Lawson Estes, and RB Sheldon Atchison.
I talked with two-time state champion head coach Ben Reaves about his overall assessment of spring practice.
“Yeah, it was a really good day. You know the goal is just to get out here and learn some new faces through open competition. You know, see who’s gotten better. We have opinions of the guys from last season who are returning, but they’ve been working hard in the offseason, got bigger, faster, and stronger, so we are truly reevaluating everyone, building depth, and just letting them have fun and fly around. See what skill sets they have, and then our coaches and coordinators will go and develop schemes that fit what we’ve got,” said head coach Ben Reaves.
Coach Reaves will have a young group, but one that is very talented and ready for their opportunities. Hunger is a word that comes to mind
“Yeah, it’s a good group. It’s a hungry group. It’s a group that, you know, every year at Milton. You never want to let the last group down, right? So the bar gets higher every single year. Now we have a new team that doesn’t want to let the previous teams down. And that’s just kind of how we’re built at Milton. So, there is always something to work for, always something to be hungry for. And these guys are hungry, A, just to hold the line, but also they’re hungry to play,” said Reaves.
“A lot of them haven’t played a whole lot of varsity snaps due to just the depth we had in last year’s senior class. So it’s just a hunger to respect the program and do right by the program, but also just get on the field and let it loose. Sure. Now, Coach, just talk a little about the standards here. Obviously it’s the M versus them. Just talk a little bit about that, that slogan, a little bit about what that means.”
Their slogan The M vs Them remains a standard and something the program holds itself to.
“Yeah, I mean it’s just something we created. Everybody wants to be at the top of the mountain, and it’s hard to get there. We’ve been fortunate enough to have been there a couple of times. Once you’re there, everybody’s ready to knock you off. So it’s just a mindset. It’s a chip on the shoulder that if you like where you’re at, you’ve got to continue working for that and seek that out and make sure that you don’t just give it to anyone else. Make sure you don’t let anyone else take it from you. So it’s always going to be The M versus them. Hopefully, we’ll be able to stay at the top.
I asked Coach Reaves about his evaluation process and what he hopes to accomplish with this team when spring practice is over.
“Truly buying in, buying into the coaching, and trusting the coaching. “There are a lot of new spots. We’re trying to find some kids on both sides of the ball that haven’t played it before. Buy into the coaching, buy into the schemes that are presented to you,” said Reaves. “Give it your all. Trust what we’ve done, trust the product we put on the field and trust that if you just get there and we meet you halfway with our coaching abilities, we’ll be able to take this team to whatever their ceiling is. Continue to work even if it’s something new, even if something you’ve never done before. Just do it full speed and let us take you to where you need to be.”
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