Tigers Travel to Bayside Friday

After starting the 2010 season with a 35-34 loss in overtime to county rival Escambia County, the Tigers of T.R. Miller will travel for their region opener this week to Bayside Academy.

Friday’s season opener loss at Escambia County was the first season opening loss for the Tigers since 2007 and just the fourth in 22 seasons for T.R. Miller Tiger head coach Jamie Riggs.

“The first game, you never know what is going to occur as every team is different,” Riggs said. “It was obviously a great game. It was one of those games that as many mistakes and things we did poorly, we still had a chance to win down there at the end of the game. I certainly feel good about that.”

Riggs said he was also proud of the comeback made by his team.

“It was a nice comeback but I wish that we had not had to make the comeback,” Riggs said. “We made it with a couple of minutes left in the game to put us back in the game. The bottom line is we did not do a good job of handling their quarterback and he hurt us running and throwing and the other issue, after looking at film, was we did not do a good job on offense in the third quarter.

“That was about it. It was a great game that we came within about six inches of winning, but we did not get it done.”

This week the Tigers head to a return trip back to Bayside Academy where they had to survive late last year and get a 28-24 win.

“I knew that the Atmore game would come down to the end and it did and I think this will it will come down to the end as well,” Riggs said. “I look for this one to be a very good game and a very tight game. The No. 1 thing about Bayside is that they play so hard.

“They really are very, very well coached and they just do not do anything to beat themselves and they do a great job of using all the skill talent they have. We have got to improve some things from last week to have the opportunity to win this game.”

A couple of the skill positions that return from last year are No. 11, quarterback Camp Campbell who passed for 1,110 yards last season and No. 14 Thomas Buchannon who ran for 500 yards and had 500 yards receiving last year.

“All those return, but they have another player who was injured last season and did not play who was their best player, No. 25, Jonathan Walton,” Riggs said. “He is really big and really fast and they use him in the backfield. They use him on defense as well so we know right now that we have our work cut out for us.

“When you get him involved with all those other guys, and what they were doing, you really have some issues and we have to find a way to handle their offense. If we don’t get better, stop their quarterback and tackle, they hold on to the ball a long time, they will control the game.”

Riggs said he hopes for a good crowd for the first region game this week.

“We need a good crowd to help support our guys,” Riggs said. “It is a region game so it is an important game. We use to play in area games where you only had three or four that affected making the playoffs.

“They would be played third or fourth, then fifth or sixth, then seventh or eighth so you had time to build your team. These days you don’t have time to do that with it starting in week two. It is a little different so your team needs to be further along early to be great and make the playoffs. Now you have to be ready to play.”

Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Bayside Academy.

Escambia County stuns Tigers in OT Friday, 35-34

By Adam Robinson

Brewton Standard Sports Editor

In another T.R. Miller and Escambia County classic to start the season, the Blue Devils edged out the Tigers of Brewton in overtime with a 35-34 win.

“It was a great game,” T.R. Miller Tiger head coach Jamie Riggs said. “We could have very easily won the game. We did not contain their quarterback in the first half and in the second half, especially, we could not get off the field.”

Trailing 27-19 with 2:08 left in the game, the Tigers used a 47-yard pass from senior quarterback Wil Riggs to Conner Denton down the Tiger sideline to setup the Tigers at the Atmore 8-yard line. The Tigers used two plays to score on a Riggs sneak and a two-point conversion tied the game a 27-27 with 49.2 seconds left.

Atmore then used an eight-play drive to get to the Tiger 17-yard line before quarterback Rico Stallworth fumbled as time expired and the game went into overtime.

Atmore won the toss and deferred to go on defense to give T.R. Miller the ball first.

Two plays later, Herbert scored his fourth touchdown of the night to put T.R. Miller on top 34-27 after Davis’ kick. Escambia County then used three plays to get to the Tiger 1-yard line where Stallworth scored to cut the lead to 34-33 T.R. Miller.

Escambia County first year head coach Mark Heaton chose to go for a two-point conversion and the win and Stallworth snaked his way and dove over the goal line for the win 35-34.

“We gave them the third down here as he just kept breaking the tackles,” Riggs said. “We just could not get him on the ground and we did not get him on the ground down there at the end. In the second half on offense, we didn’t do a very good job of moving the ball in the third quarter. We made some mistakes and were a little sloppy. Overall, it was a heck of a game and we could have very easily made the play and won the game. It is a game of inches.”

Riggs said he was proud of the way his team fought back at the end to tie the game and help force overtime.

“I knew we would,” Riggs said of fighting back. “You just play it until the end and play as hard as you can play it. Next week we will get to do it again.”

Herbert led T.R. Miller rushing with 23 carries and 108 yards and four touchdowns.

Riggs was 8-for-13 passing with 128 yards and Denton led T.R. Miller receiving with his one catch for 47 yards.

T.R. Miller racked up 282 total yards of offense with 154 on the ground and

128 in the air. T.R. Miller had 185 total yards in the first half with 106 rushing and 79 passing while accumulating only 97 total yards in the second half with 48 rushing and 49 passing.

Atmore racked up 449 total yards of offense with 151 on the ground and 198 passing. Stallworth finished with 169 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

Next week the Tigers start region play with a road trip to Bayside Academy.

“Well we knew when the season started we had five tough road games,” Riggs said. “Here is one of them and we have another one next week. So we will have to suck it up and see if we can correct some things and play a good game next week. Congratulations to Atmore. They played a terrific game and played their hearts out the entire time.”

The win was the new ECHS coach Mark Heaton.

“I knew when we made it to overtime that we were going for two,” Heaton said. “I knew what play we were going to run, and we were ready to go once we scored.”

http://www.brewtonstandard.com/2010/08/27/echs-beats-trm-in-overtime-thriller/

Predictions told for 2010 TRM season

Good morning Brewton area sports fans. I hope all is well with everyone this morning and the first part of your week has been great and the last part will be the same.
Well, tomorrow is the day we have been looking forward to since it ending with the Super 6 in Tuscaloosa last year…High school football is back.
W.S. Neal will travel to Flomaton tomorrow to start their season and T.R. Miller will travel to Atmore Friday for their season opener.
As you may have seen in today’s paper, our annual football preview section is in the paper today.
Grab a paper and see how our teams shape up this year.
Also in the guide, is my second year of “predicting” how I think the season will go for both W.S. Neal and T.R. Miller.
As I saw from a fellow sports writer across the state for his prediction column he said “here’s the part where somebody has to play Nostradamus for high school football.”
I have always loved looking at predictions of how people, sports writers and others think a particular season will turn out.
Just the other day I had a W.S. Neal player ask when this year’s picks were coming out, so it felt good to know at least one person was looking forward to seeing them.
Last year I was able to get a few right and of course a few wrong which is the fun in doing this. We all make predictions of how we think our favorite team’s season will go and that’s what this is…fun.
There was no rhyme or reason to some of the picks. Yes, I do think one team will defeat another a particular week, but the scores were just guesses.
I had fun with it and I hope you did too. Like I said, this is just how I think they will do and I emphasize think.
A team may win or lose a game I had them doing the opposite in, do better or do worse. Who knows…that’s why they play the game.
Nobody really can predict how a season will go to the tee. They may get lucky here and there, but only one person knows everything and that is our Heavenly Father Jesus Christ.
Injuries might happen, weather conditions, who knows.
I hope both of our teams have a great and safe season and until we meet again here or out in the world of sports, God bless.
Here goes nothing……….

The 2010 T.R. Miller Tiger football teams enters this season with a new region, like all teams across the state after realignment. T.R. Miller went 10-2 last season losing to Straughn in the regular season and to region opponent Luverne in a second round playoff game.
The new region for T.R. Miller shapes up to see a lot tougher opponents in Trinity, Montgomery Academy, Clarke County and others along with some longer road games. Gone are Calhoun and Central of Hayneville.
Lets see how the 2009 season could turn out for the T.R. Miller Tigers:

Aug. 27: at Escambia County—This game is always a big non-region and in county game for the two rivals of Atmore and Brewton. Last season, the Tigers picked up a 27-12 win over the Blue Devils in Brewton. This season, the Tigers travel to Atmore to welcome new Blue Devil coach Mark Heaton and from what I have been seeing, this is a new look Blue Devil team. I look for the game to be good and close early, but for the Tigers to pull it out late. The win will be No. 600 for the Tigers overall which leads the state. T.R. Miller 28, Escambia County 19

Sept. 3: at Bayside Academy— Week two sees the Tigers head into the first region game of the season. The Tigers make a return trip back to Bayside this year where they had to fight for their lives last year and win 28-24 with an interception at the goal line as time expired. I expect this year will be about the same, but not as close. T.R. Miller 42, Bayside Academy 21

Sept. 10: Excel—This will be the first home game for the Tigers of the 2010 season. Excel is coming up from 2A this season and this is the first time the two schools have ever played. I have a special connection to this game as I am from Excel and still have relatives there. I think Excel’s first game against the Tigers will be one to remember, in a bad way. T.R. Miller 35, Excel 13

Sept. 17: Montgomery Academy—These two schools have only met once before, with T.R. Miller winning a close game in Montgomery in the semifinals of the playoffs in 2002 enroute to winning their last state championship. I don’t know much about the Eagles from Montgomery, so I will keep this one close with T.R. Miller improving to 4-0. T.R. Miller 20, Montgomery Academy 14

Sept. 24: at Andalusia—In week five, T.R. Miller heads to an old rival in Andalusia for a non-region game. These two schools have not played since 2005 with Andalusia holding the upper hand in the this series 25-22 over T.R. Miller with one tie. Andalusia is on the rise after a few down years. I see this game going either way, especially with the Bulldogs playing at home, but I am still going to have to go with the Tigers in the this one to get the W, but if they are not careful, it could be their first loss. T.R. Miller 27, Andalusia 26

Oct. 1: at Clarke County— In week six, the Tigers head to another tough place to play when they encounter their second week of Bulldogs against Clarke County. Clarke County always plays the Tigers tough regardless of location, but this one could be another tough one, especially in Grove Hill. Clarke County, who has been in 4A, is back in 3A where they usually are a little tougher. Can T.R. Miller improve to 6-0? I am going to have to say yes. T.R. Miller 28, Clarke County 14.

Oct. 8: Washington County— Week seven brings T.R. Miller’s third straight week of Bulldogs. Washington County enters 2010 with a new coach. This is another team I am unfamiliar with. T.R. Miller last played Washington County in 1990 and 1991 winning 52-7 and 49-22. Look for T.R. Miller to improve to 7-0, but not quiet as many points will be put on the board by them. T.R. Miller 35, Washington County 20

Oct. 15: at Trinity— The Tigers hit the road for the final road game of the 2010 season. I look at this game like the Straughn or Luverne games from last year. Earlier this offseason, I heard a couple of Tigers say they were looking forward to playing Trinity. Trinity was ranked in the preseason poll and should have a good season. This is another coin toss. I look for Trinity to get the upper hand on the Tigers and hand them their first loss. Trinity 35, T.R. Miller 28

Oct. 22: Montgomery Catholic—Week nine brings Montgomery Catholic to Brewton for homecoming. After a close week of games last week to Trinity, I see T.R. Miller getting an easy win over Montgomery Catholic. T.R. Miller 42, Montgomery Catholic 13

Oct. 29: W.S. Neal— After two straight losses to W.S. Neal in 2006 and 2007, T.R. Miller has since defeated W.S. Neal two straight times without having a point scored on them by the Eagles. T.R. Miller won 55-0 in 2008 and 34-0 last year. This game is a big rival game for both teams in the Battle of Murder Creek. As far as a prediction, do I have to say it again? Did you really think I would predict this game? Not a chance.

I see T.R. Miller going 8-1 not counting the Battle of Murder Creek game against W.S. Neal. Depending on how the Trinity game goes the Tigers could win the region or finish as a No. 2 seed and host a first round playoff game. While 8-1 is the record predicted, the Tigers could easily win or lose some key region games and their non-region games. It could happen, but I don’t see it.

Tigers take on new look ECHS

The T.R. Miller Tiger football team will begin their 2010 regular season with a trek south on U.S. 31 to take on the Blue Devils of Escambia County High School in Atmore.

Tiger head coach Jamie Riggs said his team has had some ups in downs in preparing for the season opener Friday.

“I don’t know that we are a whole lot better,” Riggs said. “We do have one injury in particular as Shan Fleming has broke his ankle. He will be out the first half of the season. Right now, we have made a little progress in some things, but not as much as I would have liked, and now it is time to get ready for Atmore.”

Riggs said he thinks his team is just a little bored right now and they are just ready to play.

“We are kind of at this point where I don’t think we will get any better until we play someone,” Riggs said. “We just have to get prepared for the game and go on.”
The game Friday night between the Tigers and the Blue Devils will be a non-region game.

The Blue devils are under new head coach Mark Heaton who comes to Atmore from J.U. Blacksher in Uriah.

“I watched them play in the spring and I watched them play in their preseason game and I was very impressed,” Riggs said. “I thought they were a well-coached team and very physical. They are outstanding particularly on defense. They are a really tough group that we have faced before. They have size and speed and no body has thrown the ball on them much and run the ball on them much. So, we have a great challenge in front of us to deal with them. They are just a good football team.”
Riggs said Atmore brings me weapons on offense.

“They have the Stallworth (Rico) kid (No. 6) back for his fourth year as starting quarterback,” Riggs said. “They have (No. 4) Neikko Williams back and tailback and he is super quick. It just scares you to death every time he touches the ball. They have a big fullback that runs the ball and they are a little more in the I-formation now as well as the shotgun stuff. So they have become a physical running team and that always concerns you. To me, they really look like a good, quality football team.”
Although every game is important to win, Riggs said winning your first game is always very important.

“You would always like to set the tone for the season,” Riggs said. “I always had a coach that told me that if you win the first one, it always helps. We also know that when you schedule someone like Atmore, it is always going to be a challenge. We know they are always going to be good. Especially when we go play down there, so we know that. It is not a surprise by any means. What you would like to come out of this is some potential. Obviously you would like to win, but you at least need to come out of this game with some potential for the season. You need to come out thinking that you can block some, run the ball, play a little run defense and maybe you will find a guy that plays better than you thought he would. Hopefully some of that will happen.”

While a win to start the 2010 season will be good for the Tigers, the win will put T.R. Miller, as a football program, with their 600th win overall which tops the state regardless of classification.

“Overall, I know when they have done all the lists, we are at the top of the list,” Riggs said. “I think that just says something about the effort that has been put forth by all the players and teams here. Football here is a good thing. It just says something about the players we have had. We have some consistency down through the years and that is hard to maintain this day in time. They cannot even do that in college football and they go out and pick their players. So it is very, very difficult to do so. I certainly think that people around here can take a little pride in—that we have had that type of consistency.”

Riggs said a lot of people will have a good team here and there, but to consistently have winning and successful teams, then that hopefully says something about the people involved in it.
As for the Atmore game Friday, Riggs is hoping for a good crowd.

“If we do our part, I think it will be one of those games that comes down to the fourth quarter,” Riggs said. “Unless one team turns the ball over a lot, I think it will come down to that.”

Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Herbert Barnes Stadium in Atmore.