By By Adam Robinson- Sports Editor
T.R. Miller Tiger head coach Jamie Riggs, his staff, and his players knew that the key to winning Friday night would be to stop Slocomb's potent running attack tandem in Jermaine “Juicy” Williams and Greg Burdeshaw.
Consider that task done as the Tigers rolled to a 34-7 win over the Red Tops Friday night in Brewton and improved to 12-0, winning their second playoff game.
The Tigers will now travel to Daleville for a quarterfinal game. Daleville defeated Luverne 1-7 Friday night to advance.
The running back duo had 162 yards total on 30 carries (Burdeshsaw 15-56 yards, Williams 15-106 and one touchdown).
Considering both Burdeshaw and Williams had more than 1,000 yards each and both combined for more than 400 yards and six touchdowns the week before against Straughn.
Of the 106 total yards for Williams, 55 came on one play. The Tiger defense played big like it has done all season. The defense only gave up seven points in the game, its fifth game of allowing seven points or fewer..
As Riggs, had mentioned, Slocomb came into the game with the Tigers averaging almost 29 points a game and about 10 yards a play on their sweeps and trap plays.
With the Tigers nursing a 27-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, the defense held Slocomb on four plays after a first and goal situation inside their own 4-yard line and a fourth down play inside their own 1-yard line.
Tiger defensive coordinator Chris Baxter was pleased with his defensive effort in the game and controlling the running backs and the goal line stand.
Senior captain John Mathieu, who has been a defensive threat all season, echoed Baxter's thoughts.
While the Tiger defense played great in the game, it was the Tiger offense that put the points on the board and helped solidify the win.
Slocomb's defense had held their previous five opponents to 15 points or less, but the Tiger offense scored 20 points in the second quarter and totaled 460 yards of total offense.
Cortez Banks led the Tigers rushing with 142 yards, but Kenneth Fountain led the Tigers with two touchdowns.
Quarterback Wil Riggs continued to show his passing ability, going 6-for-9 with 141 yards passing.
Riggs hooked up with Bradley McCreary for a 35-yard touchdown and then found Terez Lane for a 39-yard touchdown run.
In the past three weeks, Riggs is 22-for-30 passing with 570 yards and eight touchdowns.
McCreary, in the past two weeks, has six catches for 202 yards and three touchdowns, and Fountain has rushed for 164 yards on 14 carries for four touchdowns.
T.R. Miller struck first with a 13-yard run from Kenneth Fountain to go ahead 7-0 with 10:52 to go in the first quarter.
Slocomb tied the game when Williams scored from five yards out to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:56 left in the half after a 55-yard run.
T.R. Miller then got a touchdown to go ahead 14-7 when quarterback Wil Riggs connected with Bradley McCreary for a 45-yard touchdown with 7:40 left before the half.
Fountain gave Miller a 20-7 lead after the failed PAT when he scored from 1-yard out, his second touchdown of the night, with 25.7 seconds left in the half.
In the second half, Matt Lane put Miller up 27-7 in the third quarter when he scored on a 5-yard run with 5:10 left in the third quarter,
Riggs threw for his second touchdown pass of the night when he found Terez Lane and Lane grabbed a 39-yard touchdown pass from Riggs to give Miller the 34-7 win.
T.R. Miller (12-0) will play at Daleville (9-3) next week in the quarterfinals.
It is the first time T.R. Miller has advanced past the second round of the playoffs since the 2005 season.
T.R. Miller lost in the first round last year at Handley and in 2006 lost in the second round to Elmore County.
Game time is set for 7 p.m. Friday in Daleville at Daleville's Warhawk Stadium.