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   The best of the best in Alabama High   
  School Football over the past 100 seasons.






Rivalries 


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           Brewton is situated directly in the fork of Burnt Corn and Murder Creeks. Just to the eats of town is Fort Crawford, where General Andrew Jackson made a stop on his memorable campaign during the Creek Indian war. Murder Creek got its name in the 1800s through the massacre of a small trading party by the Creek Indians.

           Burnt Corn Creek got its name from the incident of the burning of corn belonging to the traders a few miles above Brewton. Later one of the culprits was caught and hanged on the very spot.

           Brewton was called one of the wealthiest towns in the United States in the early twentieth century. There were two large lumber manufacturing companies that drove the local economy along with other businesses that took advantages of the natural resources in the area. A ride through the town reveals spectacular homes dating back over 100 years.

           Fast forward 100 years and Brewton is know for having one of the greatest high school football rivalries in America. The annual meeting between T.R. Miller and W.S. Neal schools - known as The Battle of Murder Creek - remains a spectacle. When these two teams play every available seat at the stadium is filled hours before the scheduled kickoff.

           While T.R. Miller is in Brewton, W.S. Neal is actually in East Brewton. Two miles and Murder Creek divide the two schools. It is a blended community with Neal, a county school, being considered "blue collar" and Miller, a city school, more "white collar".

           Even though it's T.R. Miller against W.S. Neal on the football football, it's also Brewton against East Brewton. It is something the larger cities around Alabama would know nothing about.

           T.R. Miller first fielded a football team in the fall of 1926 and was the only high school in the town. In 1946 it was decided that a new school was needed for the community. The debate raged about where to build the school. Finally it was decided the new school would be in East Brewton.

           Time has changed the two communities over the years but the roots run deep. Children can't wait to don the Columbian Blue and Gold of the Eagles or the Red and Black of the Tigers. The stereotype jokes have prevailed over the past sixty years.

         As Neal fans crossed the bridge in 1988, Miller fans greeted them with a big sign "Welcome to the City". Miller won that game 13-7 in double overtime. Other incidents have included the occasional thrown egg and prematurely lighting the other school's bonfire before it could be used for the pre-game pep rally.

            Miller won the first three games in the series and built a 10-3 advantage by the fall of 1959. The Eagles won the next seven games to knot the series up at 10-10. By 1973, Neal had gained a 15-12 advantage in the series but all that was about to change.

            Since 1973 Miller has owned the rivalry with a 38-6 record against their neighbors. In 1995 both teams entered the game with perfect record for the only time in the series. Miller was 8-0 and Neal sported a 9-0 record. The Tigers came out on top 18-14 but just four weeks later found the Eagles once again on their playoff schedule in the semi-finals of the state playoffs. 

            The Tigers had little trouble in the rematch, winning 34-14. In 1996, W.S. Neal came to Brewton with another perfect 9-0 record but this time they defeated Miller 36-14 complete the second undefeated regular season in the school's history. Once again the two teams met in the semi-finals of the 1996 playoffs and Miller got a measure of revenge by beating the Eagles 16-14 in East Brewton.

           There have been many other notable games along the way. In 1985, Neal came in with only 19 healthy players and a 2-7 record. The Eagles defeated the defending state champions 6-3.

           When the stadium lights are turned off following the annual game between Miller and Neal, this rivalry will not be over. It will continue for 12 months until the two teams line up again when nearly everyone of the expected 5,000 fans (both towns have a population of approximately 3,600) squeeze into their seats at the stadium.




Total Meetings:  73
Series Record:  T.R. Miller leads 51-22-0
Home Record: T.R. Miller: 24-11-0
                        W.S. Neal: 11-22-0
First Meeting:  11/22/1946, T.R. Miller 25, W.S. Neal, 0
Last Meeting:  10/30/2015, W.S. Neal 26, T.R. Miller, 17
Longest Winning Streak:  T.R. Miller 12 (1986-1996), W.S. Neal 7 (1959-1965)
Biggest Wins:  T.R. Miller 55-0 (2008), W.S. Neal 38-0 (1949)

Biggest Upsets:  1985 - T.R. Miller (6-2) was upset by W.S. Neal (2-7) 6-3




T.R. Miller vs. W.S. Neal
2015 W.S. Neal 26-17 T.R. Miller
2014 T.R. Miller 18-17 W.S. Neal
2013 T.R. Miller 28-0 W.S. Neal
2012 W.S. Neal 34-26 T.R. Miller
2011 T.R. Miller 26-14 W.S. Neal
2010 T.R. Miller 56-24 W.S. Neal
2009 T.R. Miller 34-0 W.S. Neal
2008 T.R. Miller 55-0 W.S. Neal
2007 W.S. Neal 14-8 T.R. Miller
2006 W.S. Neal 42-35 T.R. Miller
2005 T.R. Miller 34-22 W.S. Neal
.
2004 T.R. Miller 38-7 W.S. Neal
2003 T.R. Miller 20-14 W.S. Neal
2003 # T.R. Miller 31-14 W.S. Neal
2002 T.R. Miller 39-6 W.S. Neal
2001 T.R. Miller 28-0 W.S. Neal
2000 T.R. Miller 21-7 W.S. Neal
1999 T.R. Miller 49-0 W.S. Neal
1998 T.R. Miller 38-7 W.S. Neal
1997 T.R. Miller 17-14 W.S. Neal
1996 W.S. Neal 36-14 T.R. Miller
.
1996 # T.R. Miller 16-14 W.S. Neal
1995 T.R. Miller 18-14 W.S. Neal
1995 # T.R. Miller 34-14 W.S. Neal
1994 T.R. Miller 33-0 W.S. Neal
1993 T.R. Miller 20-13 W.S. Neal
1992 T.R. Miller 14-0 W.S. Neal
1991 T.R. Miller 7-0 W.S. Neal
1990 T.R. Miller 42-14 W.S. Neal
1989 T.R. Miller 19-6 W.S. Neal
1988 T.R. Miller 13-7 W.S. Neal
.
1987 T.R. Miller 17-13 W.S. Neal
1986 T.R. Miller 47-0 W.S. Neal
1985 W.S. Neal 6-3 T.R. Miller
1984 T.R. Miller 27-0 W.S. Neal
1983 T.R. Miller 21-6 W.S. Neal
1982 T.R. Miller 29-21 W.S. Neal
1981 W.S. Neal 12-0 T.R. Miller
1980 T.R. Miller 20-7 W.S. Neal
1979 T.R. Miller 21-10 W.S. Neal
1978 T.R. Miller 34-7 W.S. Neal
.
1977 T.R. Miller 20-9 W.S. Neal
1976 T.R. Miller 21-15 W.S. Neal
1975 T.R. Miller 8-0 W.S. Neal
1974 T.R. Miller 13-12 W.S. Neal
1973 T.R. Miller 35-6 W.S. Neal
1972 W.S. Neal 22-6 T.R. Miller
1971 W.S. Neal 37-14 T.R. Miller
1970 W.S. Neal 22-16 T.R. Miller
1969 T.R. Miller 51-0 W.S. Neal
1968 W.S. Neal 32-17 T.R. Miller
.
1967 W.S. Neal 27-0 T.R. Miller
1966 T.R. Miller 25-14 W.S. Neal
1965 W.S. Neal 13-12 T.R. Miller
1964 W.S. Neal 7-0 T.R. Miller
1963 W.S. Neal 34-6 T.R. Miller
1962 W.S. Neal 39-6 T.R. Miller
1961 W.S. Neal 40-12 T.R. Miller
1960 W.S. Neal 20-7 T.R. Miller
1959 W.S. Neal 7-6 T.R. Miller
1958 T.R. Miller 20-6 W.S. Neal
.
1957 T.R. Miller 26-7 W.S. Neal
1956 W.S. Neal 20-7 T.R. Miller
1955 W.S. Neal 21-20 T.R. Miller
1954 T.R. Miller 19-0 W.S. Neal
1953 T.R. Miller 20-12 W.S. Neal
1952 T.R. Miller 21-0 W.S. Neal
1951 T.R. Miller 13-0 W.S. Neal
1950 T.R. Miller 21-14 W.S. Neal
1949 W.S. Neal 38-0 T.R. Miller
1948 T.R. Miller 19-6 W.S. Neal
.
1947 T.R. Miller 13-6 W.S. Neal
1946 T.R. Miller 25-0 W.S. Neal

# Playoff game

         

David Parker
  AHSFHS.org
  dparker@ahsfhs.org




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