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Centerville senior says farewell to football

Nick Miller’s choice to pursue wrestling in college made Friday his last gridiron clash.

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By Marc F. Pendleton, Staff Writer Updated 12:07 AM Sunday, June 13, 2010

CLAYTON — In a lot of ways, Nick Miller was always different from many of his high school football teammates at Centerville High School.

A ram-rod of a fullback, he packed 225 bruising pounds on a 5-foot-8 frame and delighted in whacking defenders.

“One guy can’t bring me down,” he said, not boasting.

There also was the slight beard, a fixture on his mischievous-looking mug since seventh grade.

Besides those attributes, what really made Miller stand out was his farewell to football on Friday, June 11, in the Miami Valley Football Coaches Association All-Star football game at Northmont.

End of an era

Unlike nearly all of his South teammates and North opponents, Miller enjoyed one last crack of the pads and said goodbye to football.

For many high school players like himself, that ended a long and indelible ritual that stretched from blistering hot summer days to the bitter cold of early winter. And that was just the season.

Later, the routine would extend year round, including scores of weight-room sessions, summer camps and “voluntary” workouts.

“I had such a good time playing all my life,” reflected Miller, the Division I state wrestling champion at 189 pounds.

“Football and wrestling consumed my life. They’re the two sports I loved the most. I chose wrestling because I loved it more.”

Miller hopes to land a wrestling scholarship to Notre Dame College at Cleveland. Regardless of what happens at the next level, he’s done with football.

That’s what made him the exception during the South’s 31-12 defeat of the North.

Most of his all-star teammates were anxious to begin their small-school college football careers like Springboro’s Jake Dwyer (Albany, N.Y.) and Georgetown (Ky.) signees Seth Millar (Waynesville), Josh Garner (Chaminade Julienne) and Justin Rickard (Franklin).

All Miller wanted to do was unload one last bash.

“I’ll miss it,” he said during first-half play.

“I de-cleated somebody already. He jumped for the ball and I just took his legs out.”

The best move

Ironically, Miller moved to Centerville as a freshman because of the Elks’ style of off-tackle offense. That forward hammering served him well, and he started his final two years in the backfield.

“I loved that offense,” he said. “It was more my running style. No moves, just pound it and keep on going.

“At Centerville I got hit every time, so I just got used to it. Ice heals everything.”

But he also has a deep family wrestling history. Winning state made it easy for him to finally make a choice of which sport to pursue.

“It would be hard for me to do both in college,” he said. “I had to choose one and I chose wrestling. I just liked it more. It’s more individual.

“If I do bad, it’s all on myself. I love the team aspect for football, but down the road I know I’ll miss wrestling more than football.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Joining the college ranks

Most of the recent graduates who played in Friday’s MVFCA Pigskin Classic All-Star football game will play college football. Their camps begin next month. The following is a sampling of their universal enthusiasm for playing at the next level:

Austin Fudge (Eaton): Quarterback was MVP of the Classic, completing 13-of-20 passes for three touchdowns and 183 yards. Headed to first-year program Lindsey Wilson College at Columbia, Ky.

“This makes you want to get to camp even faster and get things going and have a good college career.

“That’s what you work for from the time you’re little to the time your older. All the weight room you put in, all the practices, to get money to play football and help your parents out.”

Ben Raichle (Oakwood): Offensive lineman hopes to make up for a 1-9 senior season at Defiance.

“To go 1-9 at Oakwood, I can’t complete football on that note. We had only four seniors that played varsity and the rest were freshmen and sophomores. It was not a fun season. Oh, yeah, I’m really looking forward to this.”

Brad Sundstrum (Beavercreek): A talented receiver, at 6-foot-5, 215, he hopes to impress at Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College, where he’ll join Northmont running back Korey Ringer this season.

“It’s really exciting just to be able to play in college. A lot of my friends can’t play, so I’m blessed. This is a lot of fun.”

Keanon Woods (Belmont): At 6-3, 330 pounds, the lineman was the biggest player on the field Friday. Despite laboring in relative obscurity with the Bison, he hopes to make a big mark at DuPage, a junior college at Glen Ellyn, Ill.

“It’s always been my dream to play college football. I didn’t grow up wanting to go to a junior college, but I’ll take the best chance I have.

“I got a future in front of me, so I’m going to take advantage of it.”

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