After nine weeks of football, the 7-2 T.R. Miller Tigers will end their regular season this Friday night in their annual rivalry game against the W.S. Neal Eagles in the Battle of Murder Creek.
The Tigers improved to 7-2 last week as they rolled to a 48-7 region win over Montgomery Catholic.
Although the win was by 41 points, T.R. Miller Tiger head coach Jamie Riggs said there is room for improvement for his team.
“We are happy to get the win and there were some things we did really well in the game,” Riggs said. “We had some big punt returns and made some big plays in the passing game. We certainly did not play well defensively and we didn’t tackle well. We got the job done, but overall I am just always glad to get the victory and get home safely.”
As for the rivalry game this week in East Brewton against W.S. Neal, Riggs said the Eagles are a very improved team from last season.
“First of all, they are certainly an improved football team and there are several things that they do well,” Riggs said. “We will have to try our best to limit the things that they do well as much as we can. Another thing I have noticed about them is they have improved much over the last three and four weeks. They had a lot of problems occur earlier in the year with turnovers and things, but they are running the ball really well and they have the ability to throw it to (Ashton) Elliott and (Josiah) Nettles down the field, they are two big receivers that can catch the ball.”
Riggs said he has also been impressed with the Eagles’ defensive linemen.
“We have our work cut out for us and we understand that,” Riggs said. “Having being involved in well over 30 of these games as a player, assistant coach, or as head coach, I can tell you now, they are about to play the best game they have played all year. I understand that and we know that. We understand what the deal is.”
Riggs said although the Eagles have only one win coming into this game and are under a new head coach, it does not change the importance of the game.
“To me, its Miller-Neal and it is not hard for us to prepare at all,” Riggs said. “It is the biggest game of the year for us and it has just always been that way for me. Part of our goal is to try and be as good as we can be by the end of October because that brings (W.S.) Neal and the playoffs. So, that is always our goal and the things we do in the season hopefully will make us better and be able to beat Neal at the end. It is just that important to me. I am sure other people will look at that differently, but having grown up here and played in it, it is just always going to be that way to me.”
Game time is set for 7 p.m. at W.S. Neal Stadium in East Brewton.