By By Adam Robinson – Sports Editor
Losing to W.S. Neal two years in a row is not something new to T.R. Miller
While the Tigers have lost to W.S. Neal twice in a row before, it has never happened to T.R. Miller Tiger head coach Jamie Riggs.
Riggs is 19-3 against the Eagles, but until the 2006 and 2007 losses to W.S. Neal, Riggs was 19-1 against the Eagles, only losing to them in 1996.
After losing to the Eagles in 1996, Riggs and his Tiger team turned around and met the Eagles again in the playoffs and came away with a win.
This year, the Tigers enter the Battle of Murder Creek with a 9-0 record, have clinched their region championship and are set to host a round one playoff game against Dale County. W.S. Neal comes into the game with a 2-7 record and went 0-7 in their class 4A region 1 schedule.
Another thing Riggs said that his team needs to take notice of is the toughness of some of the W.S. Neal Eagle players.
Riggs said he has been impressed with how hard the Eagles have played.
As for his team's two game losing streak to the Eagles heading into Friday night, Riggs said the game has nothing to do with the past.
A win Friday night would be two-fold for the Tigers.
It would end their losing streak to the Eagles and it would accomplish something that only seven T.R. Miller Tiger teams have ever been able to do.
A win this Friday night would put the 2008 T.R. Miller Tiger team in a leagues with the 1941, 1969, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995 and the 2004 T.R. Miller Tiger team of an honor of posting undefeated regular seasons.
Three of those teams, the 1969, 1991, and the 1994 teams, went on to claim state titles.
While the game on paper would seem to have to go in the favor of the Tigers, a game still has to be played on the field. When asked about the key to a Tiger win: