War Eagles Fall in Shootout with FACS

After three weeks of the season, West Carroll senior running back Jayden Milton continues to prove that he is one of the top running backs in West Tennessee.

On Friday, Milton rushed for 278 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries.

But the War Eagles’ defense dug an opening hole as First Assembly Christian School beat West Carroll 49-38 in Week 3 action.

West Carroll (2-1) travels to Perry County on Friday to open Region 6-1A play.

Milton has now accounted for 846 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.

FACS scored the first three touchdowns of the game and took a 21-0 lead with 10:49 remaining in the first half. The Crusaders scored on 29- and three-yard touchdown runs and a 15-yard touchdown pass.

With 7:22 remaining in the half, Milton got West Carroll on the board as he scored from three yards out. Ben Pruitt scored the two-point conversion, and the War Eagles cut the deficit to 21-8.

But a little over one minute later, FACS answered to take a 28-8 lead.

Milton had one more touchdown to score in the first half as he rushed it in from 50 yards out to cut the deficit to 28-14 with 4:31 left.

In the second half, FACS scored on a 56-yard run, but a 10-yard touchdown pass from Ben Pruitt to Zac Fowler put the War Eagles back in the game. Milton scored the two-point conversion, and FACS led 35-22 with 3:56 left in the third quarter.

The Crusaders returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, and a 42-yard touchdown run put them up 49-22 early in the fourth quarter.

West Carroll tried to make a run off it. Milton scored on a 25-yard touchdown run with 4:07 remaining in the game to cut FACS’ lead to 49-30 after a Milton two-point conversion.

Milton scored once more on a 48-yard run and converted the two-point conversion to cut the FACS lead to 49-38 with 3:54 remaining.

The game had 894 yards of offense. West Carroll had 415 yards with 321 rushing and 94 passing.

Pruitt was 8-of-11 for 94 yards with one touchdown. Fowler had six catches for 84 yards and a touchdown.

West Carroll’s Week 4 opponent, the Perry County Vikings, are 0-3, having just lost to Houston County 29-0. West Carroll has won all five meetings in the series. West Carroll won at home 47-14 in Week 4 of the 2023 season.

Perry County has scored three touchdowns in the three games played this season. The Vikings scored one against Greenfield and two against Gleason. The positive is that Perry County has played two teams from West Tennessee, so coach Adam Dowland can read the team’s tendencies from film. Perry County had 11 penalties against Greenfield that cost them and multiple turnovers against Gleason. If the War Eagles can make the Vikings make mistakes, it could lead to good things.

West Carroll will be on the road for the first time this season.