By Staff
They learned as freshmen from a state championship team.
While the 2005 T.R. Miller Tigers senior class would not be able to duplicate that success, they were able to keep the program among the state's elite with three straight state semifinal appearances. During those three years of varsity competition T.R. Miller went 35-6.
Here are some words on how Riggs will remember his 15 seniors.
Antonio Gomez: &#8220Antonio was a great player for us. I think he'll be remembered for the way he battled back from a torn ACL during his junior year as much as the way he played. He probably lost a step after that injury, but he played with a lot of guts to come back and produce the way he did,” Riggs said.
Laine Lucas: &#8220Laine had a great year for us. He did a little bit of everything for us. He made some big plays throughout the season and especially in the playoffs with that fumble strip recovery return for a touchdown against Aliceville and two interceptions against Oneonta. He also filled in at tight end during a three-week stretch,” Riggs said.
Jordan Cauley: &#8220Jordan had a pretty similar year to his junior season with a lot of yards and not many interceptions. He was very dependable and made good decisions on the field,” Riggs said.
Briddell Jones: &#8220Briddell was a good two-way player for us at defensive back and at running back where led us in rushing on offense. He also contributed tour special teams. Briddell had a lot of big runs for us throughout the year,” Riggs said.
Nick Puryear: &#8220Nick really came on strong late in the year with several big runs. Early in the season we weren't able to give him as
many carries as he probably needed because we didn't have the ball for many lengthy possessions,” Riggs said.
Patrick Reeves: &#8220Patrick contributed a lot on our special teams and was a backup defensive back. He was a tough player and a good practice player,” Riggs said.
Brooks Fussell: &#8220Brooks fought through a shoulder injury most of the year and rarely missed a snap. He turned into one of our best defensive linemen. He also played both guard spots and was a backup center,” Riggs said.
Hayes Peace: &#8220Hayes turned into one of our most valuable players. He did a great job on the defensive line and backed up at guard on the offensive line. When Justin Marshall got
hurt and had to miss some time, he filled in for him,” Riggs
said.
Justin Marshall: &#8220Unfortunately Justin had a stretch of bad luck with injuries. He got hurt in the first game of the season and missed the next six weeks. Justin was able to come back late in the season and contributed on both sides of the ball,” Riggs said.
Daniel McNamara: &#8220Daniel contributed to our special teams and was a backup linemen. He helped us out some on defense, especially early in the year,” Riggs said.
Julius Harris: &#8220Julius had a lot of injuries over the course of the season, but still made a lot of contributions. He had some big fumble recoveries for us and his blocking got better as the year went along,” Riggs said.
Javaris Drakeford: &#8220Javaris missed most of the season with a hand injury, but he stayed with it and came back late in the season and made some contributions at wide receiver for us,” Riggs said.
Jason McCreary: &#8220Jason did a great job at tight end. He did a great job blocking against players who were much bigger than him,” Riggs said.
Mikel Riggs: &#8220Mikel had a good year on both sides of the ball at wide receiver and in our secondary. He also made some big plays for us on special teams like the blocked punt for a touchdown against Straughn. He really stepped up his play from his junior to his senior year,” Riggs said.
Wade McCall: &#8220Wade had a three-game stretch in the middle part of the season where he was injured and could not play. It's no coincidence our defense played a lot better when he came back,” Riggs said.