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Saturday, October 24, 2009
Braxton Miller’s Big Day
HUBER HEIGHTS — There was probably only one person rooting for Wayne in Heidkamp Stadium on Friday, Oct. 23, who might have had to smile in half-disappointment with Braxton Miller’s breakout, 320-total-yard game against Centerville.
That was Javon Harrison, the Warriors’ backup freshman quarterback. By the time he entered, Harrison — like everyone else in the stadium — had watched Miller, the junior starter, run for 165 yards and four touchdowns and pass for 155 more yards and another score as Wayne topped Centerville 42-20.
Harrison had already proven his bright future at Wayne, and Wayne coach Jay Minton had talked during the week about how his play had given the Warriors another significant option on offense — that is, Harrison at quarterback and Miller at receiver or some other spot on the field — and many wondered how they would be used on Friday.
It turned out that Miller, seeming now fully healthy, was ready to take over.
It was a result that surprised almost everyone (even the Wayne fans would have to admit that). The Elks, entering the game, had lost only to Moeller 21-19 in Week 3, and Moeller had ascended to the state’s No. 2 ranking in Division.
Wayne, just the week before, had beaten Beavercreek (which is now 4-5) by a score of 9-5, and the Warriors needed to rally to even do that.
In that game, Minton had effectively used Harrison as a substitute for the highly recruited Miller, splitting Miller out at receiver instead of placing him under center. The Wayne offense, admittedly, had been sputtering.
Then came Friday. It was clear from the game’s first two plays — a 22-yard pass from Miller to Bear Westmoreland and a 49-yard Miller touchdown run — that Wayne was emerging from its offensive cocoon.
Miller’s left leg, as well, seemed to have a new life. He suffered what coaches called a deep thigh bruise in Week 4 against Trotwood-Madison, then missed the next two games before playing at a clear partial speed in the next two.
Hence the expectations for a close game, if not a similar score going Centerville’s way instead. The Elks had been winning games (including the previous week 32-0 against Northmont, a team that defeated Wayne) by nearly 40 points apiece.
Centerville moved the ball respectably against Wayne, but three stops on fourth down in the red zone stunted them on the scoreboard.
Wayne had no such trouble. Behind Miller’s legs and his arm — his tosses more accurate and powerful as the game progressed — the Warriors moved into a better playoff position, having entered the game No. 9 in the Division I, Region 4 computer points. With a season finale against Springfield remaining, things look much better for Wayne than they did three weeks ago after the loss to Northmont, 27-14.
Miller’s key plays
— A 49-yard touchdown run on the game’s second play.
— A 2-yard scoring run with 10:07 left in the first quarter to finish a short drive following a fumble on Centerville’s first play to make it 14-0 Wayne.
— A 23-yard touchdown pass to Seth Stuart with 5:22 left in the second quarter to make it 21-14 Wayne. The pass was fast and true, cutting through the Centerville defense into the back of the end zone.
— A 6-yard touchdown run to make it 35-14 Wayne with 11:55 left in the fourth quarter.
— A 10-yard completion to running back Anthone Taylor on a fourth-quarter drive that was decisive and direct to the right sideline. Despite the relatively small 10 years, Miller set up confidently, fired straight and kept the spiral tight, all of which had been missing at times in his throwing motion.
— A 51-yard touchdown run with 7:08 left to make it 42-14 Wayne and set the Heidkamp Stadium crowd into madness. It was joked afterward that Minton ran nearly as fast as Miller down the sideline in excitement during the run.
— And, finally, a kickoff return to the Wayne 38-yard line with 3:04 left, following Centerville’s final score, that looked for a moment like it could turn into more. After he was tackled, Miller clapped his hands together, seemingly frustrated that he couldn’t score a touchdown on a third avenue in an already impressive game.
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