Sports - Sports News

POSTED: Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

PREP FOOTBALL: Miller leads Squalicum into postseason

GRANITE FALLS - It didn't matter what number he was wearing. It didn't matter how muddy and chewed up the playing field got.

All that mattered to Squalicum running back Brad Miller on Tuesday, Nov. 3, were the white shirts and blue butts blocking in front of him.

"Our line was outstanding tonight," Miller said. "They were staying on their blocks all night. They came out low, hard and fast and just knocked them back."

With the Storm line opening up gaping holes in the middle of the Granite Falls defense, Miller was able to grind out 216 yards and two touchdowns and lead Squalicum to 31-6 Class 2A Northwest District play-in game victory.

The second postseason victory in school history sends the Storm, which tied a school wins record with its 6-4 mark, to a 2A Northwest District playoff game at Lynden. The winner of that 7 p.m. game on Saturday, Nov. 7, will receive a berth into the state tournament.

Squalicum can only hope that it gets another ball-controlled effort like it saw Tuesday, when the Storm gained 273 yards on the ground and out-gained the Tigers 342-104 in total yardage.

"Our game plan coming into tonight was to control the line of scrimmage and run the ball," Squalicum coach Reed Richardson said. "Miller definitely ran hard tonight, and the line did a great job up front."

The night didn't start off that hot for Miller, though, as he forgot his normal No. 26 jersey in Bellingham and was forced to wear No. 39.

To make matters worse, he lost 8 yards on his first carry.

But that was the only one of his 27 attempts that Granite Falls managed to hold behind the line of scrimmage. In fact, he had 11 carries go for 9 or more yards, as he picked up his first 200-yard game on a field that was more mud than grass by the final whistle.

"It was definitely muddy out there," Miller said. "That just makes you become more of a north-south runner, which is what my coaches have been trying to do anyway. I just followed the holes my guys made up front."

The few times a Granite Falls defender was able to square him up, Miller just went over the top. He twice hurdled a would-be tackler Knowshon Moreno-style.

With production like he had Tuesday, the question is what number will he be wearing on Saturday in Lynden?

"Unfortunately the jersey ripped there in the fourth quarter," Richardson said of the No. 39. "But we'll leave that up to him. He is a tremendous athlete, and he ran really hard tonight."

Miller got Squalicum on the board first with 2:24 to play in the first quarter, when he scored on a 1-yard run.

A 28-yard field goal by David Starkovich made it 10-0, before Miller added a 7-yard TD run with 5:30 to play before halftime to make it 17-0.

Quin Moore's 3-yard scamper on fourth-and-goal midway through the third quarter gave the Storm a 24-0 lead, and Evan Fenton added an insurance 2-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

The Storm defense held Granite Falls to 37 yards rushing on 25 attempts and sacked Tigers quarterback J.J. Campbell three times.

"We were bigger and faster than them, and our kids played really hard tonight," Richardson said. "The thing I was impressed with is the way they battled through some adversity there in the second half. We had a couple calls go against us, but they just kept playing hard. Last week, we had a few calls go the other way, and we lost our composure a little. But tonight, we just kept battling."

Battling through adversity is definitely something Squalicum will likely have to do Saturday in Lynden when they take on the NWC champions.

"We just need everyone to come out and play hard and stay focused," Miller said. "If we can do that, then hopefully some good things will happen."

Squalicum 7 10 7 7- 31

Granite Falls 0 0 6 0- 6

First quarter

Sq - Brad Miller 1 run (David Starkovich kick)

Second quarter

Sq - Starkovich 28 FG

Sq - Miller 7 run (Starkovich kick)

Third quarter

Sq - Quin Moore 3 run (Starkovich kick)

GF - Max Whitt 10 pass from J.J. Campbell (kick failed)

Fourth quarter

Sq - Evan Fenton 2 run (Starkovich kick)

Sq GF

First downs 18 8

Rushing Att-Yards 47-273 25-37

Comp-Att-Int 4-7-1 7-12-2

Passing yards 69 67

Penalties-yards 6-82 6-65

Fumbles-lost 2-0 2-1

Individual leaders

RUSHING - Squalicum: Brad Miller 27-216, Nikko Walker 10-40, Quin Moore 5-1, Evan Fenton 5-16. Granite Falls: Coty Walker 4-2, Dylan Wold 11-23, Daniel Scheiene 1-11, Steven Ottnes 2-5, J.J. Campbell 6-(-5), Jacoby Kummerfeldt 1-1.

PASSING - Squalicum: Quin Moore 4-7-1-69. Granite Falls: J.J. Campbell 7-12-2-67.

RECEIVING - Squalicum: Christian Foster 2-45, Jeremy King 2-24. Granite Falls: Max Whitt 4-41, Steven Ottnes 2-27, Jacoby Kummerfeldt 1-(-1).

PLAYOFF FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

NOV. 5

CLASS 1A NORTHWEST DISTRICT PLAYOFFS

Friday Harbor at Kings, 2:30 p.m.

Lynden Christian at Nooksack Valley, 7 p.m.

Meridian at Coupeville, 7 p.m.

NOV. 6

CLASS 2A NORTHWEST DISTRICT PLAYOFFS

Mount Baker at Archbishop Murphy (at Snohomish Veterans Memorial Stadium), 7 p.m.

Blaine at Cedarcrest, 7 p.m.

South Whidbey at Burlington-Edison, 7 p.m.

NON-PLAYOFF CROSSOVERS

Sultan at Sehome (at Civic Stadium), 7 p.m.

Bellingham at Lakewood, 7 p.m.

Mount Vernon at Anacortes, 7 p.m.

NOV. 7

CLASS 3A NORTHWEST DISTRICT PLAYOFFS

West Seattle at Ferndale (at Civic Stadium), 7:30 p.m.

DELETE IF SEDRO LOSES: Sedro-Woolley at Lakes (at Harry Lange Stadium), 7 p.m.

CLASS 2A NORTHWEST DISTRICT PLAYOFFS

Squalicum vs. Lynden, 7 p.m.