By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
While T.R. Miller earned bragging rights over W.S. Neal at the high school level Friday, the Brewton Middle School Tigers did the same thing at the grade school level Tuesday when it blanked the Blue Eagles 36-0 at W.S. Neal Stadium.
It was Brewton's second win over its arch rival this fall. The Tigers also posted a 29-0 win over W.S. Neal on its home turf back on September 25.
"This was a nice way for us to end our season. Each week the kids got a little bit better," Brewton coach Rob Atkinson said.
Louis Ray Nelson accounted for 20 of Brewton's 36 points with touchdown runs of 20, one and six yards. Nelson also added a two-point conversion.
"I'm not sure how many yards Louis had, but it was a bunch. I'm sure it was way over 100," Atkinson said.
Brewton (5-2) had just a 6-0 lead until the Tigers scored twice in the final 2:33 of the first half.
Teras Fountain's 10-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion run extended Brewton's cushion to 14-0.
The key play of the game was probably the final one of the first half when Nelson scored on a one-yard run. Jordan Knight ran in the two-point conversion to make it 22-0.
W.S. Neal's best opportunity to cut into that lead came on the opening series of the second half. Three runs for 19 yards by Jake Smith pushed the ball into Brewton territory at the 48-yard line, but a fumble two plays later ended the drive. It was the first of three lost fumbles by the Blue Eagles in the second half.
The Tigers converted the turnover into a touchdown when Knight hit Donielle Smith on a 44-yard strike late in the third quarter. Although the two-point try failed, Brewton's lead still stood at 28-0.
W.S. Neal's second lost fumble led to Brewton's final touchdown in the first minute of the fourth quarter when Nelson scored from six yards out. Brandon Odom ran in a two-point conversion to account for the final points.
"We were a little flat the first half, but that touchdown the last play of the half got us going," Atkinson said.
W.S. Neal finished up at 1-7.