2011 Game 2 vs Bayside

Two great Miller football players came by the fieldhouse this week.  Dowe Aughtman was in town.  He was a big LB in the late 70's.  Dowe had a great career at Auburn as a noseguard and played a year with the Dallas Cowboys.  If we do an All Tough Team he would have to be at the head of it.  He enjoyed collisions and we almost went broke replacing helmets in 1978.  And Ron Gibson came by to see me.  In 1990 he ran for 2300 yards and averaged 10 yards per carry. Greatest season ever by a TRM running back. We went to Pensacola to play Woodham in 1990 and he ran wild for 247 yards.  He could fly and had no fear.

It got me thinking about some of the great players of the past and some of the most memorable plays since I have been the coach here. I came up with about 25 but finally picked ten. Big players make the biggest plays in the biggest games.  Here we go:

10-  Gerald Thomas big hit on the QB from Woodham 1990.  The QB started an option to the right and when cut off turned back to the left. Big mistake.  Gerald was trailing the play.  All you could see was the legs of the QB straight up in the air and the ball come flying out.  We got the ball and the momentum and the win.

9- David Crook's Interception vs Pike County-Playoffs 1991.  We jumped to a big lead behind the running of James Fountain  But Pike County had a great team and mounted a comeback.  Late in the game they had the ball on our 20 yard line trying to score.  They flipped the ball out in the flat but Crook broke in and picked off the ball returning it 85 yards for a TD.  Two weeks later we won the State Championship.

8- Chip Hines free kick vs Daleville-Playoffs 1991.  At the end of a scoreless first half, Jason Lawson made a fair catch of a Daleville punt out of their end zone.  By rule, you can try a free kick or take the ball. With one second left in the half, Chip Hines nailed the kick for a 3-0 lead much to the dismay of a very confused crowd. How big was the kick? We won 16-14.

7-Jeff Wilson's TD pass to Wes Bradley vs W.S. Neal in the 1996 Semi Finals.  After losing to Neal in the regular season, TRM wins the rematch.  The difference was the catch by Bradley on a 4th quarter post pattern.  In the Mobile Press, Bradley said that when he saw the ball it looked like a "gift from God".

6-Terence Samuel's TD pass to Tim Pettis in the 1991 State Championship Game.  Third play of the second half, this long pass broke the game open on to a 46-6 victory over Deshler.

5- Ron Gibson's TD run vs B.B. Comer in the 1990 semifinals.  We needed a first down to ice the game.  On 3rd down, Gibson spun out of a tackle and out ran two Comer players who had an angle on him.  Put us in the state championship game.

4- The Flea Flicker-Brad Lannom's pass to Brent Salter in the 2002 State Championship game.  After a Colbert County turnover, offensive line coach Jack Whigham called the play.  Lannom flipped the ball on the sweep to Antwan Gomez.  Gomez handed the ball back to Lannom who hit a leaping Salter for the TD pass.

3- Baxley Raines TD pass to Tanner Shehan vs #1 Thomasville in 2006.  After being behind the whole game, Miller made an improbable comeback.  After scoring, Raines made a successful onside kick.  A minute later, Raines hit a streaking Shehan down the middle of the field for the winning score.

2- Wil Riggs Hail Mary pass to Jaren Jackson on the last play of the game vs Washington County 2010.  Riggs scrambled around to give Jackson time to get open. After catching the ball on the three, he drug two tacklers in the end zone.  When the 2 pt play scored, Miller had a great victory.

1- Jeremy Bradley takes the ball away from a Neal runner in the 1995 Miller-Neal game.  Both teams were undefeated and Neal had the lead and the ball in the 4th quarter. But Bradley grabbed the ball and snatched it away just before going out of bounds. When Scott Sasser hit Shawn Johnson with a TD pass on the next play, Miller had the lead to stay.

I know that there are many more that could have been on the list.  But it is fun to look back and talk about the great players and plays that make up the tradition that is Miller football.