T.R. Miller Tiger football coach Jamie Riggs released the 2012 Tiger football schedule Tuesday and the Tigers have picked up a new opponent for their week 10 game.
Longtime football power Sweet Water will be the week 10 opponent for the Tigers in 2012 and 2013 after W.S. Neal moved to week nine as a region game for the Tigers next season.
“When it came to our non-region games, we always play Escambia County and we will play them again next year in week one,” Riggs said. “We were able to keep that as our first game. We lost W.S. Neal as a non-region contest and we also lost Andalusia as a non-region contest after having them in week five last year. Andalusia plays Opp and they now have them as their week five game instead of their normal week 10. So that bumped us out with Andalusia.”
Riggs scheduled former region opponent Clarke County for their week five game.
“We have played them a lot in the past and I contacted them and they agreed,” Riggs said. “So for week 10, I did not have anyone scheduled. I had a few choices and called Sweet Water. They will be 2A next year and are an outstanding team. They have great difficulties getting games because no one really wants to play them. I thought it would be an interesting match up since we have never played them before. I know their coach and he is first class and I just really think it will be a great match up.”
Sweet Water competed as a 1A team this past year and went 10-4 under head coach Stacy Luker. The Bulldogs advanced to the semifinals before losing to Linden. During the regular season, Sweet Water lost to 4A Thomasville, 1A Linden (state runner-up) and 3A state champion Handley.
The Bulldogs have won the state championship nine times with titles coming in 1978, 79, 82, 86, 2004, 06, 07, 08, and 2010.
All region 1 coaches in class 3A met Tuesday to determine region games and Riggs said with the region being spread out, they took travel into consideration.
“We started with the teams in the west and that included Cottage Hill, Bayside and Southside Selma,” Riggs said. “Then there are two teams in Covington County—Straughn and Opp. We worked it out where you only have to travel to Mobile once and Covington County once. Travel is the main issue in our region and we just wanted to cut down on the amount of traveling a team would have to do.”
T.R. Miller will have five home games and five away games in 2012 with four home region games and three on the road. Of the three non-region games, Sweet Water will be played at home with the Tigers traveling to Atmore and Clarke County.
Usually games the following year stay in the same order with only the home and away venues changing. Region games for T.R. Miller will be Opp, Excel, Bayside Academy, Cottage Hill, Southside Selma, Straughn and W.S. Neal. Here is the complete schedule:
• Aug. 31, Escambia County, Away
• Sept. 7, Opp, Home
• Sept. 14, Excel, Home
• Sept. 21, Bayside Academy, Away
• Sept. 28, Clarke County, Away
• Oct. 5, Cottage Hill, Homecoming
• Oct. 12, Southside Selma, Away
• Oct. 19, Straughn, Away
• Oct. 26, W.S. Neal, Home
• Nov. 2, Sweet Water, Home