The Bulloch Academy Gators remain perfect on the season at 3-0 but their game last Friday night in Lyons against Robert Toombs was far from perfect.

The Gators managed to escape with a 38-36 win in overtime, in a game in which they were flagged a total of 24 times for 280 yards. Something coach Aaron Phillips has never seen before and hopes he will never see again.

 “What we have to take away from a game like that is the experience of playing six overtimes, and to try and clean things up on both sides of the ball,” Phillips said. “You have to try and be positive with the kids and they never quit fighting. Even when we were down in overtime, they just kept getting off the mat and fighting back.”

This week will be one of the biggest tests for the Gators so far. They welcome in the No. 1 ranked team in the GIAA in the 3-1 John Milledge Trojans to Gator Alley. JMA is led by quarterback Lewis Chaney, who transferred from Northeast Macon, where he helped lead the Raiders to the state championship game last season.

“Chaney is a really good quarterback and we will have our had full with him,” Phillps said. “He’s thrown for 400 yards and is coming off leading a GHSA team to the state title game. He is a big 6-4 kid who plays baseball and can really throw the ball. We will be challenged to contain him and limit explosive plays.”

While Bulloch Academy won the state last season Friday, they go up against a team that is used to winning multiple state titles.

“I mean they have great coaches led by J.T. Wall,” Phillips said. “He and defensive coordinator Justin Mills do a great job and have been there for 15 years or so. They won 57 straight games and four state titles in a row, so you know they are doing something right. The good thing is we saw them last year and we have them at home where we feel we have an advantage. It will be a great challenge for us and we are really going to have to clean things up in order to win.”

Bulloch Academy and JMA are scheduled for a 7:30 start Friday night at Gator Alley.