A look back at 2004 area sports year

Published 1:30 pm Wednesday, January 12, 2005

By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
(Second in a series; part one ran in January 5, 2005 issue)
Here is a look back at the some of the notable area sports moments from July through December of 2004.
* Marc Edge joined the T.R. Miller Tigers football coaching staff as an offensive and defensive line coach.
Edge had spent the last four years as an assistant coach at Robert E. Lee. He also spent 10 years at Daleville High School, which included two seasons as head coach.
* After a first-round loss to East Brewton, the Brewton Little League Age 9-10 All-Stars won five straight elimination games to claim the district championship. The last of those was a 5-3 triumph over Opp.
The win sent Brewton to the state tournament for the first time since 1989.
* The Brewton Babe Ruth 14-year-old All-Stars were awarded the championship of the district tournament by forfeit when an Atmore pitcher worked more than his tournament innings allotment. Atmore was ahead 7-6 in the sixth inning when the game was stopped.
* Both the Brewton and East Brewton Little League Age 11-12 All-Star teams went two and out at district play.
* The Brewton Babe Ruth 13-year-olds All-Stars advanced to the championship round of the Area Tournament at Atmore where they were eliminated by Covington County.
* After a first-round loss to Atmore, the Brewton Babe Ruth 15-year-old All-Stars captured the championship of the district tournament with a 9-5 win over Monroeville.
* The Brewton Little League Age 9-10 All-Stars were eliminated at the state tournament in
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Mobile with a 2-0 loss to Bay Minette and a 6-3 setback to Russellville.
* The Brewton Babe Ruth 14-year-old All-Stars were eliminated at the Area Tournament with 6-1 setback to Andalusia. Brewton scored only two runs in its last two games after it racked up 47 in its first four contests.
* The Brewton Babe Ruth 15-year-old All-Stars captured the Area Tournament championship and landed a berth in the state tournament with a 3-1 win over Covington County.
* Former W.S. Neal running back Alphonso Gross participated in the North-South All-Star game held at Troy. Gross had a 48-yard kickoff return for the South, which lost to the North 17-7
August
* T.R. Miller Tigers football coach Jamie Riggs participated in the National Football League Youth Coaches Summit held at Canton, Ohio. Riggs was selected to represent Alabama coaches at the event.
* The last major construction piece was completed at the East Brewton Baseball Complex when sod was installed. The facility is slated to open for business in 2005.
* Angela Carr was hired as the new head girls basketball and softball coach at W.S. Neal High School. It was the first head coaching job for Carr.
* Tim Bailey was added to the W.S. Neal Blue Eagles football coaching staff as a wide receivers and secondary coach. Bailey had previously coached in the East Brewton Youth Football program.
* The W.S. Neal Blue Eagles football team dropped a 26-6 decision to Andalusia in its exhibition game.
* The T.R. Miller Tigers football team opened its season with a 42-6 win at Escambia County, while the W.S. Neal Blue Eagles lost their season opener to Eufaula, 43-13.
September
* The T.R. Miller Tigers football team opened its Class 3A Region 1 season with a 10-3 win over Straughn. The W.S. Neal Blue Eagles opened their region season with an 18-7 loss to Pike County.
* The W.S. Neal Lady Blue Eagles volleyball team picked up their first win of the season, a 25-15, 25-17 victory over Escambia County.
It was the first of just two wins on the fall for the Lady Blue Eagles, both of which came against Escambia County.
*Hurricane Ivan hit and forced the cancellation of all area sporting activities for at least two weeks. The storm forced the postponement of all the state's week four football games.
Ivan destroyed the scoreboard and a light tower at Brewton Municipal Stadium.
Among the postponements was W.S. Neal's Homecoming game against Headland.
* Due to a lack of power at their respective stadiums, both W.S. Neal and T.R. Miller had to play their week five home football games in the afternoon.
W.S. Neal dropped a 38-14 decision to Trinity Presbyterian on a Friday afternoon and T.R. Miller beat Andalusia 56-21 on a Saturday afternoon.
October
* After an 0-4 start, W.S. Neal's football team won its first game of the season with a 36-27 victory over Dale County.
* In a battle of unbeatens, the T.R. Miller Tigers football team knocked off Slocomb 35-20.
* T.R. Miller won its Homecoming game, 42-7 over Headland, and improved to 6-0 on the season.
* T.R. Miller volleyball player Emily Layton had one of the biggest scoring days in school history with 32 points, but it went for naught in a doubleheader loss at Jay.
* The Alabama High School Athletic Association's decision to push the week four games to week 10 and the week 10 games to week 11 forced T.R. Miller to cancel its final regular season football game against Jay. Jay already had a game scheduled in Alabama's new week 10 spot.
* The T.R. Miller Tigers football team took over the Region 1 lead with a 52-27 lead over defending Class 3A state champ Pike County.
Tigers quarterback Jordan Cauley threw for 332 yards in the win.
* Two wins over W.S. Neal at the Area 1 Tournament enabled the T.R. Miller Lady Tigers volleyball team to break their school record for wins in a season. T.R. Miller's eighth win topped the old mark of seven set by the 1992 team.
T.R. Miller's second place finish at the tournament qualified the program for regional competition for the first time.
* The Lady Tigers volleyball bowed out at the Regional Tournament after losses to Headland and Montgomery Catholic. T.R. Miller posted an 8-17 record.
* The T.R. Miller Tigers
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Murder Creek battle against W.S. Neal 38-7. It was the Tigers' 10th straight victory in the series and 21st win in last 22 encounters.
The victory clinched the Region 1 championship for T.R. Miller and the loss eliminated W.S. Neal from playoff qualification.
* W.S. Neal running back Mario Daniel ran for 279 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead the Blue Eagles to a 26-22 Homecoming win over Headland.
* T.R. Miller's football team posted the seventh unbeaten regular season in school history when it beat Abbeville 42-6.
* The Jefferson Davis Community College Lady
Warhawks volleyball team earned a berth in the state tournament when it beat Central Alabama.
November
* W.S. Neal upset an 8-1 Southern Choctaw team 27-24 in it regular season finale and finished up with a 4-6 record. Marquis Barksdale threw a 71-yard pass to Johnathan Alexander with 1:53 left to win the game.
* Jefferson Davis Community College middle hitter Lucretia Merritt was named to the All-Region 22 Team, while setter Sonie Demko made the All-State Tournament Team.
* T.R. Miller honored longtime manager Andrew "Zeke" Johnson prior to its home football playoff game against West Blocton. Johnson hasbeen a manager with T.R. Miller athletic teams for 30 years. The Tigers made the night an even bigger success with a 48-19 victory.
* T.R. Miller football coach Jamie Riggs was selected to be an assistant coach in the North-South All-Star Game.
* The Tigers football postseason march reached the semifinals with a second-round 42-28 win over Springville and a 28-14 quarterfinal win over previously undefeated Midfield.
* W.S. Neal girls basketball coach Angela Carr won her debut with the program with a 35-30 triumph over Georgiana.
* On his third try, W.S. Neal boys basketball coach David McCollum picked up his first career coaching victory with when the Blue Eagles beat Northview (Fla.) 44-40.
* The T.R. Miller Lady Tigers basketball team began its season by winning the Fort Walton Beach Tournament crown. The Lady Tigers beat Niceville 40-34 in overtime in the finale.
December
* In a battle of unbeatens and the top two ranked teams in the state, the T.R. Miller Tigers football team had its season come to an end with a 21-14 loss to eventual state champion Oneonta. T.R. Miller finished the season with a 12-1 record.
* The T.R. Miller Lady Tigers basketball team captured the Escambia County Tournament championship with a 47-35 win over Escambia County in the championship game.
W.S. Neal went winless in the tournament at 0-3.
T.R. Miller's Joy McCorvey was named the tournament most valuable player. Other area players on the team included T.R. Miller's Jasmine Sanford, Keonshaye Lane and Krystle Smith along with W.S. Neal's Jessica Smith and Candi Williams.
* The T.R. Miller Tigers basketball team lost in the championship game of the Escambia County Tournament when it fell to Escambia County 80-61. W.S. Neal went winless in the event at 0-3.
Area players on the all-tournament team included T.R. Miller's Wade Jackson, Chris Byrd and Damien Jackson along with W.S. Neal's Cecil Thomas and Terrell Sanders.
* Mary Montgomery won the third annual T.R. Miller Holiday Boys Basketball Tournament with a 66-52 win over the host T.R. Miller Tigers.
W.S. Neal finished eighth in the tournament after a 47-31 loss to Andalusia.
Area players on the All-Tournament Team included T.R. Miller's Damien Jackson, Laine Lucas and Tye Walker along with W.S. Neal's Cecil Thomas.
* Pensacola overcame a 29-10 second half deficit to beat the T.R. Miller Lady Tigers 43-38 in overtime in the Pensacola Catholic Tournament semifinals.
The loss ended a 25-game regular season winning streak for T.R. Miller. Their previous last regular season loss was also against Pensacola.