By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
(Part one of a series)
With the 2004 sports year in the books, here is a look back at some of the notable moments that occurred.
January
* Greenville captured the championship of the T.R. Miller Holiday Basketball Tournament with a 77-59 victory over the host T.R. Miller Tigers.
W.S. Neal finished 0-3 in the tournament after a 72-32 loss to Pace (Fla.) in the seventh place game.
Area players on the all-tournament team included T.R. Miller's Greg Bogan, Trey Paul and Kreij Bougard and W.S. Neal's Marcus Folmar.
* The Jefferson Davis Community College Warhawks basketball team won its Alabama Community College Conference opener with a 101-82 triumph at Marion thanks to 26 points from Greg Dickinson and 24 from Norvell Coleman.
* Former T.R. Miller Lady Tiger basketball standout Deanna Jackson was drafted by Indiana in the WNBA supplemental draft after her previous squad, Cleveland, folded.
* The T.R. Miller Lady Tigers basketball team wrapped up the Class 3A Area 1 regular season championship with a 71-24 triumph over Clarke County behind 21 points from Ashley Samuel.
* The T.R. Miller Tigers basketball team earned a share of the Class 3A Area 1 regular season championship with Clarke County when it beat W.S. Neal 45-36.
T.R. Miller and Clarke County both finished the Area season 3-1. The Tigers were then named as the Area Tournament host through a coin toss.
* Lady Tigers basketball senior Ashley Samuel surpassed the 2,000 career points mark with a 27-point outburst in T.R. Miller's 63-30 win over Greenville. Samuel also passed Felicia Jackson for second place on T.R. Miller's career scoring list behind Deanna Jackson's 2,398 points.
* JDCC's Norvell Coleman erupted for 42 points, but it went for naught when the Warhawks fell to Southern Union 97-89.
February
* Greg Bogan's three-pointer at the buzzer gave the T.R. Miller Tigers a 49-46 win over a Red Level team that had been ranked seventh in the state in Class 2A.
T.R. Miller held Auburn recruit Frank Tolbert way below his season average with 14 points before he fouled out.
* W.S. Neal running back Alphonso Gross and wide receiver Marcus Folmar along with T.R. Miller tight end Trent Davidson all signed with Division I schools on the first day of college football's signing period.
Gross inked with West Virginia, while Folmar signed with Louisville. Davidson put his name on the dotted line with Alabama.
W.S. Neal tackle Chris Johnson and fullback Jeremy Burch also signed national letters of intent. Johnson committed to Itawamba Junior College, while Burch chose Waldorf.
* The W.S. Neal Blue Eagles basketball team snapped a 25-game losing streak over two seasons when it prevailed at Pleasant Home 56-51. Marcus Folmar led the Blue Eagles with 26 points.
It was the first win for W.S. Neal in more than a year since it beat J.U. Blacksher back in January of 2003.
* After they started the season 7-9, the T.R. Miller Tigers assured themselves of a winning season when they won at Monroe County 54-52 in their regular season finale.
* The T.R. Miller Lady Tigers ended the regular season with a 13-game winning streak and a 24-2 record after they beat Monroe County 60-19.
* The JDCC Warhawks baseball team picked up its first win of the season in its second day of competition when it knocked off Pensacola 8-1. John Ryan Steele provided the big blow, a three-run homer.
* The JDCC Warhawks basketball team had one of its best perimeter days in school history with 16 three-pointers in a 103-80 win over Marion. John Madison and Randall Burno both hit seven treysto lead JDCC's three-point attack.
* The season came to an end for both the W.S. Neal boys and girls basketball teams in the opening round of the Class 3A Area 1 Tournament held at T.R. Miller.
The Lady Blue Eagles lost to Clarke County 73-21 and finished the season 3-16. The Blue Eagles lost to Clarke County 76-50 and finished 1-22.
* W.S. Neal football coach Shane Smothers declined an assistant coaching position with Muscle Shoals High School. Smothers had been one of three finalists for the head coaching position.
* Both the T.R. Miller Tigers and Lady Tigers basketball teams won Class 3A Area 1 Tournament championships.
The Tigers knocked off Clarke County 67-45 behind 25 points from tournament most valuable player Greg Bogan.
The Lady Tigers also beat Clarke County, 63-35, for their crown behind 27 points from tournament most valuable player Ashley Samuel.
* For the second straight year, T.R. Miller's boys basketball season ended with a loss to Francis Marion in the sub-regional round. This time the Rams posted a 55-38 win in Brewton. The Tigers, who won nine of their last 12, finished their season 16-12.
* The T.R. Miller Lady Tigers earned a berth in the regional with a 51-29 win over Francis Marion in the sub-regional round. Joy McCorvey's 19 points led T.R. Miller.
* T.R. Miller's Antonio Gomez received the top Male Athlete Award at the boys Class 1A-4A state indoor track meet.
Gomez won the long jump with a leap of 20-11 1/2 and the 55 meter high hurdles in a time of 7.9. Gomez was third in the high jump at 5-6.
* T.R. Miller sophomore Joy McCorvey reached the 1,000 career points plateau when she scored 10 in the Lady Tigers 67-29 win over Tarrant in the first round of the Southwest Regional held at Mobile.
* The Lady Tigers basketball team captured the Southwest Regional championship and a berth in the Class 3A state tournament with a 33-22 win over Sumter County.
Tournament most valuable player Ashley Samuel led T.R. Miller with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.
March
* The T.R. Miller Lady Tigers basketball team finished runner-up at the Class 3A state tournament when they fell to Abbeville 40-33 in the championship game.
The loss snapped an 18-game winning streak for T.R. Miller, which finished the season 29-3.
The Lady Tigers had advanced to the championship game with a 44-34 win over DAR in the semifinals.
Ashley Samuel and Joy McCorvey were both named to the All-State Tournament Team.
* W.S. Neal freshman baseball player Justin Smith reached base safely 12 straight times to start the season.
* The JDCC Lady Warhawks softball team won its first game of the season after an 0-14 start when it beat Pearl River (Miss.) at the Pensacola Tournament.
* T.R. Miller pitcher Patrick Sorrells fanned 17 and tossed a one-hitter in the Tigers 16-2 win at W.S. Neal. It was Sorrells' first game against the school where he had formerly attended.
* The T.R. Miller Tigers track team won six of nine events to capture its own Relays.
* The JDCC Lady Warhawks softball team won its eighth straight and ninth in its last 12 games when it swept a twinbill against Iowa Lakes 5-2 and 7-1. This came after the Lady Warhawks began the year 0-14.
* For the second straight year, T.R. Miller basketball player Ashley Samuel was named the Class 3A Player of the Year. Samuel averaged 23.7 points a game and finished her career with 2,197 points, second on the school's career scoring list.
* JDCC basketball player Greg Dickinson made the All-Region 22 Team. Dickinson averaged 19.8 points a game, but was injured most of the Alabama Community College Conference season.
* W.S. Neal pitcher Cody Anthony was originally credited with a no-hitter, but a scoring change made him settle for a one-hitter in a 10-0 win over J.F. Shields.
April
* The W.S. Neal girls tennis team won its first ever match when it beat Greenville 5-4.
A sweep of the three doubles matches by W.S. Neal's teams of Tawnya Henry and Jullian Crutchfield, Kara Scurlock and Maggie Crutchfield, and Charity Thompson and Jessica Madsen proved decisive.
* T.R. Miller hurdler Antonio Gomez got the opportunity to compete in the invitational division of the Mobile Challenge of Champions.
Gomez, who finished fifth in the invitational division, won the open division race the day before.
* The W.S. Neal softball team won its first ever game on the field when it beat McKenzie 16-6.
Jessica Madden, Abbie Howard, Amber Cutts and Erika Davis all three hits to lead the Lady Blue Eagles.
W.S. Neal had actually gotten its first ever win a few days earlier by forfeit when Hillcrest canceled its season.
* The T.R. Miller Lady Tigers softball team beat Class 2A
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power Flomaton for the first time when it rallied for a 4-3 win.
Jamie Peacock delivered a key two-run triple.
* JDCC softball pitcher Leslie Presley faced the minimum in a two-hit, 8-0 win over Chattahoochee Valley.
* The T.R. Miller Tigers baseball team finished in a tie for the Class 3A Area 1 championship with Clarke County. The Tigers were awarded the number one seed out of Area 1 through a coin toss.
Clarke County earned its share of the title through an 8-1 win over W.S. Neal. That loss eliminated the Blue Eagles from qualifying for the state playoffs.
* The T.R. Miller Tigers baseball team captured the Escambia County Tournament championship when it beat Escambia County 15-2 in the finale. The Tigers went unbeaten in the round robin event. W.S. Neal went winless and finished fourth.
T.R. Miller's Brad Lannom was named the tournament most valuable player.
Other area players on the team included T.R. Miller's Kurt Prater, Patrick Sorrells, Jordan Ball and Joseph Turner along with W.S. Neal's Brandon Douglas.
* T.R. Miller Lady Tigers pitcher Halie Ellis returned from a 17-day layoff after a fracture in her non-pitching hand with a one-hitter on a 11-0 victory over W.S. Neal.
* T.R. Miller's baseball team overcame a 6-0 hole to beat Dadeville 13-9 in the opening round of the Class 3A state playoffs. Jacob Salter fueled the comeback with a single, three doubles and four RBIs.
* Both the T.R. Miller Tigers and Lady Tigers track teams won their respective sectional meet held at T.R. Miller.
Antonio Gomez won individual sectional titles in the 110 meter high hurdles, 300 intermediate hurdles, long jump and triple jump.
W.S. Neal finished fourth in the boys standing led by Chris Johnson's first place finish in the shot put.
The Lady Tigers went one-two in the 100 and 200 meter dashes with Joy McCorvey and Jasmine Sanford.
W.S. Neal, which got a first place mark from Abbie Howard in the discus, finished fourth.
* The T.R. Miller Tigers baseball team had its season come to an end with a 6-4 loss to Montgomery Academy in the second round of the state playoffs.
The Tigers' 23 wins were the second most in school history.
* T.R. Miller golfer Tripp Owens finished runner-up at the Class 3A Section 1 Tournament at Montgomery. Owens shot an even-par 72.
* The T.R. Miller Lady Tigers softball team won its first ever Area championship when it beat Clarke County 13-1.
T.R. Miller had earlier beaten Clarke County 7-6 in the second round and W.S. Neal 11-0 in the first round.
The Lady Tigers used three different pitchers, Leigh Cooper, Rebekah Neal and Halie Ellis, to win the title.
* The T.R. Miller Tigers track team captured its second straight state championship.
Antonio Gomez set a new state record en route to the 110 meter high hurdles championship with a time of 14.6. Gomez also won the triple jump championship with a leap of 44-5.
Teammate Skylar Fountain won the long jump crown with a mark of 22-0.
W.S. Neal's Chris Johnson won the state shot put championship with a throw of 46-7.
* The T.R. Miller Lady Tigers track team took third place at the state track meet.
Jasmine Sanford broke her own state record in the triple jump with a first place leap of 36-4 1/2.
T.R. Miller's 1600 meter relay team of Sanford, Joy McCorvey, Keonshaye Lane and Aja McConnico also won the state championship with a leap of 4:17.22.
* The T.R. Miller Lady Tigers softball team broke the school record for wins in a season when they beat Abbeville 10-3 in the first game of the first round of sub-regional play.
It was T.R. Miller's 15th win of the season. The 2002 team had previously held the old mark of 14 wins.
T.R. Miller later added to that record and advanced to the second round of sub-regional play when it ousted Abbeville 18-0.
Jamie Peacock had five hits and two RBIs to lead T.R. Miller for the day, while Erin Byrne muscled up for four hits and seven RBIs. Terri Lynne Peacock, Rebekah Neal and Leigh Cooper also had four hits for the day.
* The T.R. Miller Lady Tigers softball team advanced to the state tournament for the first time in school history when they swept Montgomery Catholic 2-0, 2-1 in the second round of sub-regional play.
Rebekah Neal threw a one-hitter in the opener, while Halie Ellis tossed a four-hitter in the nightcap.
* T.R. Miller golfer Tripp Owens finished third at the Class 3A state meet, one stroke shy of the state title. Owens had rounds of 82 and 73 for a two-day score of 155. Owens had the best second day score.
* The T.R. Miller Lady Tigers softball team went two and out at the Class 3A state tournament.
The Lady Tigers lost 9-2 in the opening round to Danville. They were then eliminated in the consolation round 9-8 by West Blocton in 11 innings.
T.R. Miller finished the season with an 18-8 record (later boosted to 21-8 by three forfeit wins).
* Needing a sweep at Alabama Southern in order to qualify for the state playoffs, the JDCC Warhawks baseball team settled for a split. JDCC finished 30-26 for the season.
* The Braves captured the Brewton Little League age 9-10 regular season championship,
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while the Indians won the age 11-12 crown.
* The Cubs won the East Brewton Age 9-10 regular season title, while the Cardinals won the age 11-12 title.
* T.R. Miller baseball player Brad Lannom landed a spot in the Lions Club State All-Star Tournament. Lannom did not make an out in two weekends of play.
T.R. Miller's Kurt Prater, Patrick Sorrells and Joseph Turner also competed in the series.
* The Brewton Braves won the Age 9-10 City Tournament championship with an 8-0 win over the East Brewton Cubs.
Conner Denton belted two homers and a triple to lead the Braves.
* The Brewton Royals beat the Brewton Reds 5-1 for the Age 11-12 City Tournament championship.
Corey Rilling struck out nine and two hits to lead the Royals.
* JDCC softball second baseman Katie Lambert was named to both the All-Alabama Community College Conference Team and the All-Region 22 Team. Centerfielder Nichole Young also made the All-ACCC Team.
* JDCC baseball player Brent Childress made the All-ACCC First Team as a designated hitter along with relief pitcher Dustin Blakely.
First baseman Chris good and pitcher John Ryan Steele made the All-ACCC Second team.
* T.R. Miller first baseman/pitcher Trent Davidson received Honorable Mention on the Class 3A All-State Team.
* Eddie Brundidge joined the T.R. Miller football coaching staff as a linemen, linebackers and special teams coach. Brundidge, who had a previous coaching stint at T.R. Miller, had previously been the head coach at Jackson.
* The Phillies captured the Babe Ruth season championship with a 12-3 record. Becker Denton of the Expos won the season batting championship with a .581 average.
* Rosters for the Brewton and East Brewton Little League All-Star teams were announced.
Brewton's 9-10 -year-olds included Randy Davis, Conner Denton, Tyler Etheridge, Collin Graves, Collin Langford, Wesley Maddox, Louis Miller, Shawn Odom, Christian Purvis, Parker Reiss, Kameron Winn and Aaron Yuhasz.
East Brewton's 9-10-year-olds included Dillon Anthony, Taylor Ballard, Ben Bounds, Keith Bradley, Hayden Cooper, Dalton Evans, Brewer Grimes, Reid Johnson, Houston Pace, Luke Smothers, Logan Williamson and Trent Wright.
Brewton's 11-12-year-olds included Paul Busby, Jacob Gunter, Bryant Jernigan, Robert Knowles, Terez Lane, Cameron Miller, Nicholas Moore, Wil Riggs, Corey Rilling, Trent Robinson, Brian Sims, Cody Swain and Stephen Warren.
East Brewton's 11-12-year-olds included Conor Batson, Cody Bradley, Stephen Frazier, Dodson Herrington, Shane Jerkins, Gary McGraw, Paul Miller, Joshua Palmer, Tyler Sawyer, Dylan Smith, Joseph Strength and Trenton Taylor.
*Rosters were set for the Brewton Babe Ruth 13, 14 and 15-year-old all-star teams.
The 13-year-olds included Taylor Berry, Evan Burkett, Jacob Cannon, Mabry Cook, Grant DeFrancisco, John Mathieu, Justin Payne, Garrett Robinson, Mikey Roye, Sam Sharpe, Houston Simmons, Jamar Travis Corey Williams.
The 14-year-olds included Kyle Baggett, Wesley Booker, Tyler Brown, Derek Busby, Casey Butts, Bobby Freeman, James Freeman, Christopher Griffin, James Hamric, Drew Lambert, Stephen Murphy, Aaron Nelson, Jake Smith and Will Waters.
The 15-year-olds included Jimmy Conner, Jared Cooper, Bracken Davis, Becker Denton, Matt Hamric, Travis Holland, Mackie Jackson, Aaron Lambert, Kendall Land, Brandon Odom, Baxley Raines, Tanner Shehan, Brad Smith, Edward Taylor and Allen Williams.
* David McCollum was hired as the new head boys basketball coach at W.S. Neal High School. It was McCollum's first head coaching position.
* Roger Chapman succeeded Gerald Davidson as T.R. Miller Quarterback Club president.
* The Brewton Babe Ruth 13-year-olds All-Stars beat Monroeville 11-5 to claim the district championship.