As reported in the Patch

The Milton Eagles fell short in its rivalry game against the Alpharetta Raiders 20-19 Friday night, with a missed extra point in the final minutes again deciding the game.

The Eagles (1-5, 0-2 in the region) missed two of their three extra-point attempts, including one with 3:46 left which could have tied the game. That enabled the Raiders (6-1, 3-0), which missed an extra-point of their own, to hang on for the win and hold on to first place in Region 6-AAAAA.

Milton, which had a potential game-tying PAT blocked in last week's 21-20 loss to Centennial, scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter come back from a two-touchdown deficit.

It was a game of mistakes. Aside from the missed extra points, both teams had dropped passes. The Raiders killed a few of their own drives with holding penalties. Interceptions killed other drives.

The Raiders struck first, scoring a TD with 7:10 left in the first quarter when quarterback Joshua Dobbs hit Carlos Burse for a 65-yard scoring pass and a 7-0 lead.

The top team in Region 6-AAAAA wasn't having an easy time of it with the Eagles, who only have one win on the season. Neither team scored again until 8:37 left in the second quarter, when Milton's Treyvon Paulk scored from the 6. But the chance to tie failed when the PAT kick never made it through the uprights.

The half ended with the score 7-6.

In the third quarter, the Raiders started to add to their lead on Kyle Wilson's 57-yard TD pass from Dobbs. But they opened the door with a missed PAT, leaving the score at 13-6.

Just three and a half minutes later, the visitors added another seven points and stretched the lead to 20-6 when Burse caught a 46-yard TD pass from Dobbs, who finished with 266 passing yards, but three interceptions.

Things looked dim for the Eagles, but the home team didn't give up and there was more than a full quarter left.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Eagles' offensive line won the battle at the goal line to punch in the first of two TDs in the period, a 1-yard run by quarterback Colin McElroy. This time the extra-point kick split the uprights, putting Milton back into the game with a chance to tie.

Since the Raiders would not score again in the game, the Eagles had a chance to at least tie in regulation. And with 3:46 left in the game, Ryan Jenkins hauled in a pass from McElroy at the 3-yard line and cut his way into the end zone for another Eagles touchdown. Another missed PAT left the home team trailing by one point.