A dazzling, 15-minute halftime fireworks show at Lee’s Summit West Friday night was pale in comparison to the fireworks displayed by Blue Springs junior Darrian Miller in a season-opening 48-13 victory over the Titans.
The third time Miller touched the ball he exploded for a 52-yard touchdown.
He added a 70-yard run, a 13-yard score and, before the halftime fireworks show, one of the area’s best runners carried the ball 14 times for 249 yards.
While he juked, and jived and dazzled – the one run everyone was talking about was a 13-yard first down effort in which he carried five would-be tacklers the last seven yards of the play.
“Darrian is as strong as an ox,” said teammate Keeston Terry, who had a pretty decent night with two touchdown receptions, a touchdown run and another score on a 53-yard fumble recovery.
“Nothing he does out there surprises me. You look at him, and think he’s tackled, and he’s gone for another 20 yards. He can carry an entire team on his back – he’s that strong.”
Added quarterback Jared Lanpher: “He amazes me. Carlos Anderson (who graduated in 2007) was a great back and Darrian reminds me a lot of Carlos. We’ll watch tape and he’ll make a move and I’ll think, ‘How did he do that?’ He doesn’t even know how he did it.”
Any time the 5-foot-10, 1980-pound junior touches the ball, it’s Miller Time for the Wildcats.
“He’s an amazing athlete,” Blue Springs coach Kelly Donohoe said. “But I’m going to work hard to keep him humble. I’m going to keep on him, and keep on him and make sure he does everything right because he could really be something special.”
Moments after the victory, Miller took off his shoulder pads and jersey and stood at midfield flaunting an upper torso that seems to be chiseled from granite.
“Put your shirt on,” quipped a teammate, “you’re embarrassing the rest of us.”
Donohoe caught the comment and smiled.
“I’d walk shirtless to school if I had a body like that,” Donohoe said, cracking up the players. “I’d teach my class shirtless if I had a body like Darrian Miller.”
Despite all the acclaim he has received the past year – rushing for more than 1,500 yards as a sophomore – Miller still feels uncomfortable in the spotlight.
“Can we go over here and talk?” he asks as we walk near the locker room. “I just don’t feel comfortable talking in front of other people. I don’t know why, I just don’t.”
But he feels comfortable in the presence of youngsters, like the young man who wanted to shake Miller’s hand after his big game.
“What’s your name?” asked Miller, and the youngster told him his name was Anthony.
Miller gave him a hug and they talked football while Anthony waited for a member of the Titans to come out of the home team locker room.
“That’s where I feel comfortable, talking with the kids,” Miller said. I might look like an adult, but inside I’m 8 years old waiting for the Saturday cartoons to come on TV.
“Tomorrow morning, I’ll be sitting in front of the TV watching QUBO – these educational cartoons. I love ’em.”
When asked about his performance, the first thing Miller did was turn the attention to the line.
“What about our line?” he asked. “We lost some great linemen (to injuries) in practice and Riley Hamilton, Cory Phillips and Myles Hicks, I think, all started their first varsity game and they were great.
“Jared did a great job running the offense, Keeston was Keeston and the defense was great.”
As he walked to the team bus, Miller looked over at his newest fan and said, “Anthony, what position do you keep?”
Anthony replied, “Quarterback.”
“You keep hitting those passes and have fun,” Miller said.
I don’t know which young player had the bigger grin on his face, Anthony or the young man who makes people smile both on and off the football field.
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A dazzling, 15-minute halftime fireworks show at Lee’s Summit West Friday night was pale in comparison to the fireworks displayed by Blue Springs junior Darrian Miller in a season-opening 48-13 victory over the Titans.
The third time Miller touched the ball he exploded for a 52-yard touchdown.
He added a 70-yard run, a 13-yard score and, before the halftime fireworks show, one of the area’s best runners carried the ball 14 times for 249 yards.
While he juked, and jived and dazzled – the one run everyone was talking about was a 13-yard first down effort in which he carried five would-be tacklers the last seven yards of the play.
“Darrian is as strong as an ox,” said teammate Keeston Terry, who had a pretty decent night with two touchdown receptions, a touchdown run and another score on a 53-yard fumble recovery.
“Nothing he does out there surprises me. You look at him, and think he’s tackled, and he’s gone for another 20 yards. He can carry an entire team on his back – he’s that strong.”
Added quarterback Jared Lanpher: “He amazes me. Carlos Anderson (who graduated in 2007) was a great back and Darrian reminds me a lot of Carlos. We’ll watch tape and he’ll make a move and I’ll think, ‘How did he do that?’ He doesn’t even know how he did it.”
Any time the 5-foot-10, 1980-pound junior touches the ball, it’s Miller Time for the Wildcats.
“He’s an amazing athlete,” Blue Springs coach Kelly Donohoe said. “But I’m going to work hard to keep him humble. I’m going to keep on him, and keep on him and make sure he does everything right because he could really be something special.”
Moments after the victory, Miller took off his shoulder pads and jersey and stood at midfield flaunting an upper torso that seems to be chiseled from granite.
“Put your shirt on,” quipped a teammate, “you’re embarrassing the rest of us.”
Donohoe caught the comment and smiled.
“I’d walk shirtless to school if I had a body like that,” Donohoe said, cracking up the players. “I’d teach my class shirtless if I had a body like Darrian Miller.”
Despite all the acclaim he has received the past year – rushing for more than 1,500 yards as a sophomore – Miller still feels uncomfortable in the spotlight.
“Can we go over here and talk?” he asks as we walk near the locker room. “I just don’t feel comfortable talking in front of other people. I don’t know why, I just don’t.”
But he feels comfortable in the presence of youngsters, like the young man who wanted to shake Miller’s hand after his big game.
“What’s your name?” asked Miller, and the youngster told him his name was Anthony.
Miller gave him a hug and they talked football while Anthony waited for a member of the Titans to come out of the home team locker room.
“That’s where I feel comfortable, talking with the kids,” Miller said. I might look like an adult, but inside I’m 8 years old waiting for the Saturday cartoons to come on TV.
“Tomorrow morning, I’ll be sitting in front of the TV watching QUBO – these educational cartoons. I love ’em.”
When asked about his performance, the first thing Miller did was turn the attention to the line.
“What about our line?” he asked. “We lost some great linemen (to injuries) in practice and Riley Hamilton, Cory Phillips and Myles Hicks, I think, all started their first varsity game and they were great.
“Jared did a great job running the offense, Keeston was Keeston and the defense was great.”
As he walked to the team bus, Miller looked over at his newest fan and said, “Anthony, what position do you keep?”
Anthony replied, “Quarterback.”
“You keep hitting those passes and have fun,” Miller said.
I don’t know which young player had the bigger grin on his face, Anthony or the young man who makes people smile both on and off the football field.
