PRC’s Miller wraps up interesting grid career Friday
Published 8:28 pm Thursday, October 26, 2006
A strong case can be made for Ram Miller as Pearl River Central’s Most Valuable player this season.
Actually, Miller may be the only prep player in the nation that could arguably be the best player on three different teams over the past three seasons.
Miller, the Blue Devils’ senior fullback, will wrap up his prep football career Friday night, when PRC hosts Bay High in the season finale for both teams.
Miller enters the game with 1,088 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns for the 3-6 Blue Devils.
“I’ve enjoyed this season, it’s been a lot of fun but I wish we could have won some more games,” Miller, the son of Randy and Cindy Miller, said. “You just have to make the best of things when things happen in your life. It’s been a lot of adjusting.”
And adjusting is something Miller has had to do quite a bit of in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Two seasons ago, Miller was the starting fullback for Chalmette (La.) High, rushing for almost 900 yards and leading the Owls to a 9-1 record and a berth in the state playoffs.
Miller earned all district honors as Chalmette advanced to the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs.
Then, as he prepared for his junior year, just after the season opening jamboree, the largest natural disaster ever slammed into the Gulf Coast and litterally wiped away his hometown and with it his home.
So Miller and his family evacuated to just outside of Dallas for a while, before settling into Miden, La., just outside of Shreveport, for the remainder of the football season.
Miller entered school on Wednesday, and the school was beginning its footbal season two days later.
That Friday night, Miller was in the starting line-up. “I basically had two days to learn the offense, and I was thrown into the thick of it Friday night,” Miller added. “The starting fullback had gotten hurt and they needed me right away.”
Miller went on to eran all-district honors again last seasn, picking up over 700 yards rushing while splitting time later in the season with the original starter after he returned from his injury.
Miller helped guide Minden to the Class 4A state playoffs, falling in the first round of the playoffs.
As fall gave way to winter, Miller and his family began trying to get back home in the wake of the killer storm.
The family had a FEMA trailer in St. Bernard Parrish, and Miller decided to return there to finish out the school year and play baseball for St. Bernard Unified School, which basically brought the four high schools in the parrish together.
But, fortunately for PRC, that wouldn’t be the end of Miller’s journey.
Several of Miller’s childhood friends had relocated to Pearl River County in the aftermath of the storm, and a group of them ended up at Pearl River Central.
So, with Mike Lehmann, Eric Delaune and Joey Perot already playing for the Blue Devils, Miller decided that’s where he would finish his career.
“I knew (Chalmette) it wasn’t going to be the same for a long time, if it ever is,” Miller added. “So we found a nice house here in a nice neighborhood, and I already had friends here so it was the right thing to do.”
Miller got to Carriere just in time to join new head coach Jeremy Weir’s first squad.
“He’s been a solid player for us,” Weir said. “During the game, he wants the ball all the time. We’ve rode him more than anyone else this year. On Friday night, he truns it on and he’s done well.”
Miller has been the workhorse for the Blue Devils, averaging just under 19 carries and right at 120 yards per game.
“I set getting 1,000 yards as a goal this season because I was close as a sophomore and it was something I wanted to do,” Miller added.
Miller said that relocating to Pearl River County was made easier by the school family at PRC and the Carriere community.
“Everyone was very supportive from the start,” Miller sadi. “The coaches and the fans and the players, everyone really welcomed me and we’ve made the best of things.”
Miller plans to play baseball for the defending Division 8-4A champion Blue Devils in the Spring, but still has one game on the gridiron left.
“It’s been an interesting season,” Miller concluded.
Just like Miller’s has been an interesting career.