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Wayne QB shows old form in win over Centerville

Miller has a breakout effort against Centerville, with 4 TDs in returning Warriors to playoff contention.

Wayne High School quarterback Braxton Miller breaks into the open for a first-quarter touchdown against visiting Centerville in a Greater Western Ohio Conference showdown Friday, Oct. 23. It also was the Dayton Daily News Game of the Week.

Staff photo by Jim Witmer Wayne High School quarterback Braxton Miller breaks into the open for a first-quarter touchdown against visiting Centerville in a Greater Western Ohio Conference showdown Friday, Oct. 23. It also was the Dayton Daily News Game of the Week.

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By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer 2:04 AM Saturday, October 24, 2009

HUBER HEIGHTS — Braxton Miller might have been back in rhythm when he ran for a 49-yard touchdown on the game’s second play.

Or, it might’ve been the Wayne High School junior quarterback’s 23-yard touchdown strike to Seth Stuart in the second quarter that passed through the Centerville defense into the back of the end zone. Maybe it was Miller’s 51-yard touchdown run to seal it.

It took none of them, he said, for him to feel back to form.

“It was when we won the coin toss,” Miller said. “I got a big smile on my face, and I was just like, ‘Yeah, this is it.’ ”

Miller, considered one of Ohio’s top recruits in his class, busted out from his subpar statistics and a thigh bruise injury that kept him out of two games and slowed him for two others to run for 165 yards and four touchdowns, and throw for 155 yards and another score in leading Wayne to a 42-20 defeat of Centerville on Friday, Oct. 23.

He was aided by running back Anthone Taylor, who gained 122 yards, and the Warriors defense that stopped Centerville on fourth down three times in the red zone.

But Miller, with his legs and arm, broke out from his midseason malaise to aid Wayne (6-3, 3-1) to a tie with the Elks (7-2, 3-1) in the Greater Western Ohio Conference Central Division.

“I’ve said for two years he’s the best high school football player I’ve ever seen,” said Centerville coach Ron Ullery. “That’s playing against us, on TV, anywhere.”

Miller scored twice, on runs of 49 and 2 yards, in the game’s first 1:53 to give Wayne a quick 14-0 lead. Centerville rallied to tie the game at 14 with two scoring runs (4 and 10 yards) from quarterback Zak Bertram.

Wayne, though, got the Miller pass to Stuart before halftime and two more Miller fourth-quarter scores (6 and 51 yards) to make the playoffs a real possibility.

On the 51-yard run, with 7:08 left in the game to give Wayne a 42-14 lead, there was one person in the stadium who nearly matched him step for step: Wayne coach Jay Minton charging down the sideline.

“I think I had him beat,” Minton said. “We’ve been waiting for it all year, that explosion.”