By By Bruce Hixon
Sports editor
It was quite a week for the Jamie Riggs household.
Oldest son Mikel caught his first collegiate touchdown pass, youngest son Wil scored the game-winning touchdown and conversion in Brewton Middle School's contest and wife Becky got a clean bill of health after mid-week surgery.
It was also a big week for Jamie Riggs, who notched his 200th career win at T.R. Miller High School Friday when his Tigers mauled the visiting Monroe County Tigers 48-12.
It was also good to win the way the host Tigers did. Seven different T.R. Miller players scored touchdowns, as the Tigers more than doubled Monroe County's yardage output (358-162). Senior quarterback Baxley Raines also distributed the wealth. Raines was six-for-seven for 135 yards, as he completed passes to six different receivers.
T.R. Miller (4-0 overall and 3-0 in Class 4A Region 1) scored touchdowns on five of its seven first half possessions, as it stormed out to a 34-6 halftime advantage.
The host Tigers needed only seven plays to go 79 yards on the game's opening series. A 22-yard run by Travis Holland and a 34-yard completion from Raines to Justin Gomez helped set up a three-yard touchdown run by Travis Holland. Raines tacked on the extra point to make it 7-0 with 8:28 left in the first quarter.
Monroe County (2-2 overall and 1-2 in region play) was able to answer with an eight-play, 70-yard march for its only first half score. Wide receiver Dedrick Hawthorne made a leaping grab of a pass from David Rivers in the left corner of the endzone for a 13-yard touchdown strike with 5:18 left in the period. Hawthorne's catch narrowed T.R. Miller's lead to 7-6 and it stayed that way when Zach Hornady's point after kick was wide left.
T.R. Miller used its running game to extend the lead on the following series, as it used seven rushing plays to go 54 yards. Jamal Middleton had gains of 10 and 18 yards and Tanner Shehan had a 14-yard pickup to set up a six-yard touchdown run by Shehan to make it 13-6 with 1:47 left in the quarter. T.R. Miller's lead remained that margin when Raines missed his first kick of the season.
After back-to-back scoreless possessions, T.R. Miller's special teams got the Tigers going again. Monroe County's Hawthorne fumbled a punt at the visiting Tigers' 43-yard line where T.R. Miller's Seth Holland was there to pounce on the ball.
Moments later Seth Holland came up big again, as he scored on a 24-yard run. Raines got back on track in the PAT area with a successful kick that made it 20-6 with 7:03 left in the half.
Monroe County also turned the ball over on it next series at its own 44 when Trevor Manuel fumbled after a reception.
T.R. Miller responded with a 34-yard pass from Raines to Keyara Matthews and an eight-yard touchdown run by Middleton. Raines took the lead up to 27-6 with his PAT kick.
The host Tigers continued to camp out in Monroe County territory after a defensive stop and an 18-yard punt by Manuel enabled T.R. Miller to start its next series at the Monroe County 44.
Raines covered most of that distance over the next four plays, as he had a 15-yard completion to Seth Holland and an 18-yard throw to Terrence Walker. After a five-yard gain by Middleton, Raines covered the last yard on a quarterback keeper. Raines' PAT made it 34-6 with 1:49 left in the half.
T.R. Miller continued to pour it on in the third quarter, as it scored on its first two possessions.
The host Tigers continued to start series in Monroe County territory on its first second half possession, as it took over at the Monroe County 26. They were able to overcome a holding penalty at the start of the drive with a 15-yard pass from Raines to Shehan and a 5-yard run by Travis Holland on a fourth-and-five. Those plays preceded an 11-yard touchdown run by Justin Gomez. Seth Holland's PAT kick made it 41-6 with 7:05 left in the third quarter.
T.R. Miller's defense recovered its third fumble just one play later at the Monroe County 38. Five plays later T.R. Miller was back in the endzone after a two-yard touchdown run by Cortez Banks. The Tigers employed their third different PAT kicker with success, as Joseph Schultz split the uprights on the conversion to make it 48-6 with 3:49 left in the game.
T.R. Miller steps out of region play this Friday when it visits Straughn. Straughn fell to 0-4 after a 54-19 loss to Pike County.