Tigers Back on the Field: T.R. Miller Football Returns as Brewton Recovers From Hurricane Isaias

JACKSON, Ala. — After a week and a half without school or practice, the T.R. Miller football team is back on the field following Hurricane Isaias, giving the storm-battered Brewton community a familiar rallying point as recovery continues across Escambia County.

The Tigers made the trip north to Jackson in Clarke County to face the Jackson Aggies after a long and uncertain stretch away from the game. Storm damage in Escambia County forced schools to close, and T.R. Miller students did not return to class until Thursday. For head coach Ronnie Cottrell and his players, simply getting back on the field was a victory of its own.

Two Players’ Families Lost Their Homes

The storm hit close to home for the program. Cottrell said two of his players lost their homes in Hurricane Isaias, and the closure of schools made it difficult for coaches to reach their athletes in the days that followed.

“It’s one of the toughest situations. There was a lot of devastation in our town. And we’re a very small community, but we’re a very close community,” Cottrell said.

Cottrell described how the shutdown cut the team off from one another at a time when coaches most wanted to know their players were safe.

“And when they closed the schools, we kind of lost contact with our players. Not being able to practice, not being able to find out how they were. We had two families that lost their homes, pretty much. And so, just checking on them was hard,” he said.

Even so, the coach said the team was fortunate the damage within the program was not worse.

“But I just feel blessed that we didn’t have more damage within our team. And we’re glad to be able to play in a football game the magnitude of a Jackson,” Cottrell said.

Playing for Their Community

According to Cottrell, his players were eager to get back to football, and not only for themselves. The Tigers wanted to give their hometown something to cheer about after days of cleanup, damaged homes and disrupted routines.

In small Southern towns like Brewton, high school football often serves as a gathering place, and Friday night games bring together families, alumni and neighbors. After a storm that upended daily life for many residents, the return of T.R. Miller football offered a sense of normalcy, even with the game being played on the road.

The matchup at Jackson also carried weight on the field. Cottrell referred to it as a game of real “magnitude,” and Jackson, like T.R. Miller, is a small-town program with deep football tradition in southwest Alabama.

A Storied Program With a Familiar Coach

T.R. Miller is one of the most accomplished high school football programs in Alabama. The Tigers’ trophy case includes Class 4A state championships won in 1984, 1991, 1994, 2000 and 2002, four of them under longtime coach Jamie Riggs, and the program has long ranked among the winningest in state history.

Cottrell took over the program in April 2025, when the school named him head football coach and athletic director, succeeding Brent Hubbert, a Hall of Fame coach who announced his retirement earlier that year. Cottrell is a T.R. Miller alumnus and former player for the Tigers.

His coaching career has taken him far beyond Brewton. Cottrell spent nine seasons on Bobby Bowden’s staff at Florida State, where he served as recruiting coordinator and was part of the Seminoles’ 1993 national championship team. He later worked at the University of Alabama as assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach. At the high school level, he led Godby High School in Tallahassee, Fla., to a state championship in 2012 and won another state title at Mobile Christian in 2023.

That experience was put to a different kind of test this month, as Cottrell and his staff worked to keep the team connected and focused while many of their players’ families dealt with the aftermath of the storm.

Recovery Continues Across Escambia County

The football team’s return comes as Escambia County residents continue to recover from Hurricane Isaias, which struck the area more than a week ago.

In East Brewton, the storm destroyed at least one trailer home, and a local business owner estimated that around six families in that area lost their homes. Some businesses have stepped in to help, including a local storage company offering discounted storage so families can protect what belongings they have left.

Outside relief groups have also arrived. Operation BBQ Relief, a Missouri-based disaster relief organization, served hot meals at the Walmart in the area on Monday, Oct. 19, and volunteers with Just the Crumbs Ministries of Sumrall, Mississippi, traveled to the area to provide food and help with cleanup.

On Monday, Oct. 19, Alabama Department of Transportation contractors began debris removal along impacted interstate, state and U.S. routes in the hardest-hit areas of ALDOT’s Southwest Region, which includes Conecuh, Escambia, Monroe and Wilcox counties. Residents can help crews by following ALDOT’s guidelines:

• Place storm debris at the curb without blocking the roadway or storm drains.
• Separate vegetative debris, such as logs, branches, plants and unbagged leaves, from construction debris, such as fencing, siding, lumber and concrete blocks.
• Do not stack debris against trees, utility poles, fire hydrants or meters.
• Household trash and garbage will not be collected by debris crews.

ALDOT contractors are handling debris along state-maintained roads, while cities and counties are coordinating pickup along the roads they maintain.

Back Where They Belong

For T.R. Miller, the road back to the field was longer than any bus ride to Clarke County. Players went days without seeing teammates or coaches, and some went home to houses that were no longer livable. Their return to the field showed what Cottrell described as the heart of Brewton: a small community that remains close, especially when times are hardest.

As the cleanup continues in Escambia County, the Tigers are hoping their play on Friday nights can give their neighbors a reason to come together and cheer.