By BY BRUCE HIXON – sports editor
They did not have had anybody with any huge individual numbers. Yet several good individual games from as a collective unit carried the T.R. Miller Tigers to a huge 35-14 win over the visiting Southside-Selma Panthers Friday in the Class 4A Region 1 opener for both teams.
T.R. Miller (2-0 overall) amassed a 28-0 lead by halftime and led 35-0 headed into the fourth quarter before a pair of late Southside-Selma scores made the final margin a lot closer than the game actually was.
The Tigers skipper said his team made some good strides from week one to week two.
The Tiger who probably had the best individual numbers was senior quarterback Baxley Raines. After he missed on his first three pass attempts, Raines completed his last six for 146 yards. He also scored on two quarterback keepers and was a perfect five-for-five on extra point attempts.
While the second-ranked Tigers are headed one way early in the season, Southside-Selma is rapidly headed in the other direction. The Panthers (0-2) have been outscored 77-14 in their first two games against Selma and T.R. Miller.
Problems on special teams plagued Southside-Selma in its season-opening loss and contributed to the Tigers first score.
The Panthers were forced to punt from just past their own 10-yard line on their second series when kicker Orlando Brown mustered just a four-yard punt.
T.R. Miller, which had a 53 yard touchdown pass from Raines to Brice Martin nullified by an illegal shift penalty on its first possession, needed just one play to take advantage of the good field position. Jamal Middleton made a quick dash around the right end for a 14-yard touchdown run that gave the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish. Raines hit the first of his PATs to make it 7-0 with 7:32 left in the opening frame.
Southside-Selma's only march into T.R. Miller territory in the first half ended with another special teams breakdown. The Panthers got as deep as the T.R. Miller 47 where quarterback Evell Rubin had a 47-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Rown nullified by a holding penalty. Southside-Selma was later stopped on downs when Brown was unable to get a punt off after a low snap and tackled at the Panthers 45-yard line.
The Tigers, who got a 13-yard run by Travis Holland along the way, covered those 45 yards over eight plays and finished off the march on a one-yard keeper by Raines. Raines booted another PAT to make it 14-0 wit 10:13 left in the half.
T.R. Miller's biggest gain of the game set up its third score on its next possession when Raines hit Martin for a 42-yard gain. The long throw set up a one-yard touchdown run by Justin Gomez. Another Raines kick took the advantage up to 21-0 with 5:05 left in the half.
The Tigers successfully executed their two-minute offense to close out the first half with another score.
A 40-yard pass from Raines to Tanner Shehan highlighted a five-play, 63-yard drive that ended with Raines' second one-yard touchdown plunge on the quarterback keeper. Raines tacked on his 16th point of the first half with the PAT to make it 28-0.
In addition to the shutout it pitched in the first half, T.R. Miller's defense set up its lone score of the second half. Martin intercepted a Xavier Mack on the Panther's opening series of the second half at the Southside-Selma 46-yard line.
The Tigers quickly covered that distance on a 22-yard pass from Raines to Martin, a 14-yard run by Keyara Matthews and a 10-yard touchdown run by Seth Holland. Raines concluded a perfect night in the PAT department to make it 35-0 with 3:32 left in the third quarter.
Southside-Selma constructed a successful 65-yard drive that ended on the opening play of the fourth quarter with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Rubin to Kevin Rown. The Panthers were able to keep the drive alive when they converted a fourth down and two on a five-yard run by Rubin. Southside-Selma also benefited from a defensive pass interference penalty. Rown narrowed the gap to 35-8 when he ran in the two-point conversion.
The Panthers got another score on their following series against a T.R. Miller defensive unit that had replaced most of its starters. Southside-Selma went 53 yards over eight plays and scored on a two-yard run by Rown with 6:14 left. This time the Panthers came up short on a two-point conversion when Rubin's pass fell incomplete, which left the score at 35-14.
The Tigers head back on the road this Friday when they travel to Escambia County for another region clash. Escambia County also won its region opener and improved to 2-0 Friday when it beat W.S. Neal 26-14.
At T.R. Miller
SouthsideSelma 0 0 0 14 – 14
T.R. Miller 7 21 7 0 – 35
T.R. MILLER- Middleton 14 yard run (Raines kick)
T.R. MILLER- Raines 1 yard run (Raines kick)
T.R. MILLER- Gomez 1 yard run (Raines kick)
T.R. MILLER- Raines 1 yard run (Raines kick)
T.R. MILLER- S. Holland 10 yard run (Raines kick)
SOUTHSIDE- Cooper 22 yard pass from Rubin (Rown run)
SOUTHSIDE- Rown 2 yard run (pass failed)
Stats
First downs: T.R. Miller 16, Southside 12
Third down conversions: T.R. Miller 3-8, Southside 1-10
Fourth down conversions: T.R. Miller 0-1, Southside 2-3
Total yards: T.R. Miller 310 (164 rushing, 146 passing), Southside 206 (103 rushing, 103 passing)
Individual rushing: T.R. Miller- Matthews 7-42, Gomez 10-42 1TD, T. Holland 6-25, Middleton 2-22 1TD, Banks 7-18, S. Holland 2-8 1TD, Lane 3-7, Raines 5-1 2TD, Mathieu 1-(-1); Southside- Rown 12-54 1TD, Mack 2-20, Rubin 8-19, Brown 2-10
Individual passing: T.R. Miller- Raines 6-9-146; Southside- Rubin 8-20-95 1TD, 1INT, Mack 1-6-8 1INT
Individual receiving: T.R. Miller- Martin 2-64, J. Gomez 2-33, Shehan 1-40, Land 1-9; Southside- Cooper 5-79 1TD, Rown 2-14, Johnson 1-8, Watters 1-2
Individual punting: T.R. Miller- Raines 2-70, 35.0 avg., S. Holland 1-29, 29.0 avg.; Southside- Brown 5-5-125, 25.0 avg.
Penalties: T.R. Miller 4-20, Southside 9-75