Coming off a big region win Friday at previous No. 7 Washington County, the T.R. Miller Tiger football team will turn their eyes to another big region game as they welcome the Trinity Wildcats to Brewton.
T.R. Miller Tiger head coach Jamie Riggs said he was proud of his team’s win Friday in Chatom, but was not pleased of how they ended the game.
“I really thought the most important thing for us was to have great preparation for the game,” Riggs said. “We went over there with the attitude that we were going to have to really get tough and win the game. I thought we went over there with that kind of attitude. I really thought that is what helped carry us to victory more than anything else.”
Riggs said there were some big plays from his team in the win.
“We blocked a punt and that was a huge play in the game to get that score,” Riggs said. “They are very dangerous and we knew they were. I thought that was big and I thought defensively we got after them really good. They certainly are good on offense and they made some plays, but I thought we controlled them better much better than we did last year. That was a big deal. I thought we also blocked better than we had in two or three weeks. Overall, there was a lot of good things.”
Riggs said the only thing he was disappointed in was his team did not finish the game.
“We had the opportunity to run the clock out down there and we get a holding call,” Riggs said. “We don’t let the clock go out and we have to punt to them. Then they drive down and snap the ball over the passer’s head and he runs around out there and throws to the end zone and they score. Then we have to get the onside kick to win the game. Had we handled that a little bit better, we would have finished the game a little bit stronger. But I bet you, if you go to Washington County and you win, I think you done a good job. They won the region last year and is certainly one of the top teams this year and they had already beat Trinity earlier in the year, so they had already shown they were a good team. If you can go on the road and get a victory in this region, you should feel good about it.”
This week, the Tigers will take on 5-2 overall and 3-2 in region play Trinity. The Wildcats are coming off a 42-9 home loss to region leader Bayside Academy Friday night.
T.R. Miller and Trinity have played five times with the Wildcats holding a 2-3 record over the Tigers winning the last three games—all in Montgomery.
Trinity defeated T.R. Miller twice last year, one in the regular season (34-27) and ended the season for the Tigers in the second round of the playoffs 21-14.
The Tigers also lost at Trinity in 2007, 27-20. The two T.R. Miller wins came in 2006 (28-21 win at home) and in 2000 in the semi-finals in Montgomery (a 49-10 TRM win).
“First of all, they are a big football team,” Riggs said. “They have a lot of big linemen and they are similar to what they have been. They are very solid in what they do. They are still in the spread offense running and throwing the ball. They are tough on defense like they always are. They lost the game to Bayside the other night and it kind of got away from them a little bit. We understand we are about to get their best shot, whatever it is. With all the pride they have in their football program, after suffering a tough defeat last week like that, they are going to come to play here Friday night. We understand that. I think when you say Trinity, we understand what the game is about. We have played them enough now, twice last year, that we know what we are in for.”
Riggs said offensively, Trinity likes to move the ball around.
“They have the receiver who has caught more passes than anyone in the history of high school football in Alabama in No. 21 Mark White,” Riggs said. “We better know where he is all the time.”
White moved ahead of Philadelphia Eagles receiver Steve Smith on the national list for career receptions. White now has 275 receptions and is in seventh place all-time, four behind former Georgia and current Cincinnati Bengal receiver A.J. Green. He is 54 receptions shy of the national record set by Chris Fulmer in 2005. White set the state record for career receptions, passing the late Nick Threlkeld, who set the record of 260 at Hubbertville in 2001.
Also for Trinity is quarterback, No. 7, Walker Van Hooser.
“He won the 100 and the 200-meter state championship at the 3A state track meet last year,” Riggs said. “If you don’t think they have some folks, they have some folks.”
Another key player for Trinity is kicker Andy Pappanastos. He moved within one field goal of the state career record Friday, kicking three in the Wildcats’ 42-9 loss to Bayside Academy. His kicks covered 32, 49 and 43 yards. Pappanastos has 42 career field goals, one shy of Huffman’s Philip Doyle, whose final prep season was 1986. Doyle went on to play at Alabama.
“They have the fastest kid in 3A football possibly playing quarterback and the guy who has caught the most passes at receiver,” Riggs said. “It does not take a genius to know they will be sprinting out and throwing the ball. We have that one figured. Then the kicker, may be the greatest kicker in the state. If someone has one better than him, they have a good one. So, yes, they have some folks. They have the ability to do all those things and we have to understand that. So it is not like they will sneak up on us. We understand the caliber of players they have got.”
Although Trinity has had the Tigers’ number last year and as of late, Riggs said his team has not had this game circled since last year.
“We have to many other tough folks to play,” Riggs said. “Between Atmore, Andalusia, Washington County, Clarke County and the other folks, we have enough folks to play along with Bayside and all them. We just play one week at a time.”
Riggs said the team needs a good crowd Friday.
“We need a big crowd,” Riggs said. “We need the support. If they do support us, it will be great.”
Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Brewton Municipal Stadium.