By By Adam Robinson- Sports Editor
In the first round of the Alabama high school playoffs, the T.R. Miller Tigers defeated region two's fourth seed Dale County 42-6.
In week two, the Tigers defeated the region's second seed team Slocomb 34-7.
This week, the Tigers will take to the road for the first time this post season and for the first time since week nine of the regular season to take on region two's region champion, the Daleville Warhawks.
The Tigers come into the quarterfinal game against Daleville with a perfect 12-0 record after their round two win over Slocomb.
The Daleville Warhawks come into this Friday nights game with the Tigers with a 9-3 record. The Warhawks claimed the class 3A region two championship this season.
Daleville defeated region one's Luverne Tigers 17-6 Friday night at home.
Daleville is led by quarterback No. 4 Telvin Flowers.
Flowers is a 5-10, 208 pound senior and does a good job of running the option.
Two of those four or five receivers for Daleville is No. 9 Antonio Satchell and No. 18 Chris Stone.
Satchell is a 5-10, 160 pound sophomore and Stone is a 6-0, 183 pound sophomore tight end.
James Tanner (No. 32), a 5-8, 175 pound junior is a key running back for the Warhawks along with No. 42 Jaurice Flowers at fullback. Flowers is a 5-10, 196 pound sophomore.
Daleville lost to Rehobeth 27-14 in week five, Pike County in week eight 27-9 and to Brantley in week 10, 26-24.
The Tigers and Warhawks have four opponents in common in Dale County, Slocomb, Bayside Academy, and Luverne.
Daleville won all games against those teams along with the Tigers.
Daleville beat Dale County 35-14 while T.R. Miller won 42-6.
The Warhawks beat Slocomb 37-21 while T.R. Miller won 34-7.
Daleville handed Bayside Academy a 27-17 loss and the Tigers from Brewton won 41-13 over the Admirals.
In the last common opponent between the two schools, Daleville beat Luverne last week in the second round of the playoffs 17-6.
T.R. Miller beat Luverne 14-13.
T.R. Miller and Daleville have played each other six times prior with T.R. Miller winning five and Daleville one.
The last time the two teams played was in 1999 at home with T.R. Miller winning 26-16.
In the early 1990's, the two teams met in the 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1994 seasons in the playoffs.
Riggs remembered the 1991 game against the Warhawks in the second round in which the Tigers won 16-14 on a free kick. Riggs was head coach for the Tigers then and current assistant Jim Hart was also a coach on the team.
Current Tiger assistant coach Marc Edge was an assistant at Daleville.
Edge was an assistant at Daleville from 1990-1998 and head coach in 1998-2000.
Riggs said that both his team and Daleville entered the game with great teams. After that season, the two coaching staffs became to know each other pretty well and when one school was knocked out of the playoffs, the other would follow them as they continued to play on in the playoffs and the two staffs just became familiar with each other.
“They had a great team that year and it was 0-0 at the half until we kicked a free kick with one second left and led at the half 3-0,” Riggs said.” We had them backed up and stopped them and forced a fourth down and called a timeout and caught a fair catch punt with one second left.”
After the fair catch, Riggs said he told his team to line up in a kickoff coverage and everone, including the refs, fans, and other coaches were confused at what was going on.
“We lined everyone up like a kickoff and Chip Hines kicked a 47-yard free kick through the goal post and it was good and we led 3-0,” Riggs said. “The rules allow you to do that after a successful fair catch, so that was the difference in the game because we won by two points. So, we won the championship that year and they won it the next.”
T.R. Miller comes into the quarterfinal game with Daleville averaging 37 points a game on offense and allowing 12 points a game on defense.
Daleville is averaging 26 points on offense this season to 17 points on defense.
The Tigers are outscoring opponents 307-60 in the first half. (155-21 in the first quarter and 152-39 in the second quarter)
In games of late, the Tiger passing game and Tiger quarterback Wil Riggs have put up some points and yardage.
Riggs is 22-of-30 for 570 yards and eight touchdowns.
This playoff game is a not only a big game as for it will continue the Tigers to 13-0 and move them into the semifinals, but it will be the Tigers 100th playoff game in the school's history.
Also, with a win this Friday night, Tigers will get their 99th win in the 2000's. Currently, T.R. Miller is 77-22 in the playoffs in 29 seasons.
Game time is set for 7 p.m. in Daleville at Warhawk Stadium between the 12-0 T.R. Miller Tigers and the 9-3 Daleville Warhawks.