AHSAA PLAYOFFS: Trinity avenges 2024 loss with win over T.R. Miller
Trinity quarterback Land Sharpless runs to daylight in the Wildcats’ first-round win on Friday. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
Last year’s season ending loss to T.R. Miller in the second round of the state playoffs was certainly on the minds of the Trinity players when they took the field on Friday for a playoff game with the Tigers at Ragsdale-Boykin Field.
“It definitely fired us up, looking forward to getting back at them and we definitely did that tonight,” Trinity senior Luke Hall said. “We kind of wanted to send a message to the state, that we’re not the team we were at the beginning of the season. We’re definitely a new team and we’re getting scary.”
Hall had a touchdown reception, an interception and a fumble return for another touchdown as the Wildcats won a physical defensive battle with the Tigers 24-8 in the first round of the 3A state playoffs.
Trinity (9-2) won its sixth consecutive first-round playoff game and will travel next Friday to Smiths Station to play Glenwood School (9-2), a 43-10 winner over Thomasville, in the second round of the playoffs.
“I think last year they made it a little bit more physical than us,” Trinity coach Brian Seymore said. “That’s something we worked all week on (at practice), trying to be physical on both sides of the ball and I thought we accomplished that.”
If you like physical old-style football, Friday’s game was the place to be. Points were hard to come by and both teams struggled to find any offensive rhythm against their opponents’ defense.
“We’ve got a young football team,” T.R. Miller coach Ronnie Cottrell said. “I’m very proud of them. We played a good football team tonight. I think what Coach Seymore has done here is amazing. I played them here a couple of years ago when I was at Mobile Christian and they have really built a good program.”
Trinity, benefiting from a personal foul penalty against T.R. Miller at the end of a play, turned the first down into a jumpstart for the offense, marching 80 yards in 11 plays on the game’s first possession. Tillman Clements, who had 80 yards on 25 carries, broke a pair of tackles on a 12-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
T.R. Miller picked up a pair of first downs on its initial possession and it looked as if the Tigers might answer Trinity’s drive with one of their own when Cole McMillan’s sideline pass was intercepted by Reed Daniel and returned 28 yards to the T.R. Miller 35.
On the next play, Land Sharpless found Hall behind the defense for a touchdown and a decisive 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
“We played a good football team,” Cottrell said. “They’re going to take advantage of that.That was a big play for them, but the score was 14-0 at the half and we drove down the field and had a chance to get back in it.”
The Tigers marched quickly into Trinity territory but the drive stalled and T.R. Miller turned the ball over on downs at the Trinity 33-yard line. Trinity then capped an 11-play drive with a Ryan Basile 39-yard field goal and a 17-0 lead.
T.R. Miller was held to 18 total yards in the first half and 48 total yards through the first three quarters, preventing the Tigers from entertaining any hopes of a rally.
“I think it was mostly them up front,” Cottrell said. “They were able to pressure our quarterback and had a couple of picks. We didn’t play well enough to win. You can’t turn the ball over as many times as we did against them. I thought they did a good job defensively.”
Trinity made it 24-0 midway through the fourth quarter when McMillan went to pass and the wet ball slipped out of his hands. Hall quickly scooped up the ball and ran 60 yards to the end zone.
“The elements definitely played a factor in this game,” Hall said. “I got lucky. I came on a delayed blitz. The ball was right in front of my face, so I took it and just ran.”
A 45-yard kickoff return by Marquice English led to a T.R. Miller touchdown seven plays later on TJ Hanson’s 3-yard keeper with 3:41 left but Mackin Roth recovered the ensuing onside kick to help the Wildcats kill the momentum. T.R. Miller’s final drive ended with a Max Vaughn interception in the final minute.
“I’m proud of our defense,” Seymore said. “We missed some opportunities early but I thought our defense did an outstanding job. I love the grit this team shows. I think we’re a real scary team right now because of the simple fact that they’re hungry. They’ve played a lot of close games and they know how to win in those types of games.”
Last year’s playoff meeting with T.R. Miller was a roadblock. This year’s encounter might be more of a benchmark for the ever-improving Wildcats.
“It just shows we can play with anybody,” Hall said. “Nothing can stop us if we’re executing and rolling.”