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STATESVILLE — When Statesville’s Greyhounds are in need of speedy, efficient transportation, they don’t head for the bus stop. Instead, they jump on the back of a 5-foot-10, 160-pound limousine named Myron Miller and see just how far he can take them.
Miller made four huge plays to take the 2A Hounds to a 21-16 opening night win over Davie County on Friday in a sledgehammer of a game that the War Eagles could just as easily have won. Miller scored three TDs — the biggest one on a busted play — and added an 80-yard pass reception.
“Our youth showed tonight,” said War Eagle coach Doug Illing, who came in with a patchwork offensive line, a green defense and Nick Propst subbing at quarterback for Dan Sullivan, who has an ailing shoulder. “We’ve got good athletes, but the game experience just isn’t there. Miller, on the other hand, is an experienced playmaker , and he’s always ready to make plays.”
Davie started the game like it might go undefeated this season, steaming 67 yards for a score shortly after the opening kickoff. The line plowed holes for Mike Clement and Justin Goode and quarterback Nick Propst hit Rod Tenor with the first of their six spectacular hook-ups. Goode got the TD, romping in standing up over the right side.
Statesville came right back to score on Miller’s 15-yard run, but Josh Pfaff and Mikey Arnold surged through to block the extra point to keep Davie on top 7-6.
Davie’s defense, especially linebackers Neil Rice and Patrick Lowery, dominated the rest of the first half. Statesville had all of one first down in the second quarter and that one came on a bizarre play. Arnold rejected a Greyhound punt and punter Dion Dacons scooped up the ball and rambled 24 yards.
A 51-yard David Wooldridge punt set up a Davie safety, as Rice buried Statesville QB Justin Poirier in the end zone for a 9-6 War Eagle lead. Davie’s defensive work gave the offense a chance to take control of the game shortly after that, but sophomore tailback Mike Clement fumbled the ball on the Statesville 4 with 1:16 left to play in the half.
At halftime, Statesville coach Roger Bost felt like his team was still in good shape, because his team was controlling the line of scrimmage.
“Yeah, down three we felt pretty lucky at half,” said Bost. “We knew our defense could play. We just needed to move the ball a little.”
The third quarter was filled with more head-banging defense. Davie finally seized momentum when soph defensive end Kyle Gustafson planted Hound back Corbey Jones on a fourth-and-one gamble by Bost at midfield. Three plays later — one of them a crawling, sprawling catch by Tenor of a deflected pass — Davie was at the Statesville 4, once more poised to put the game away.
It didn’t happen. Propst lost the handle on an exchange and a fired-up sea of Hounds pounced on the football.
“We just couldn’t stick it in,” said Illing. “No excuses, we just didn’t punch it in.”
After that, it was Miller time. Suddenly, he was bursting down the near sideline, turning a short flip from Poirier into an 80-yard gain. He would have gone all the way if safety Ben Allred hadn’t somehow bulldogged him down from behind. But a few plays later, the Hounds were barking with a first and goal at the Davie 1 as the fourth quarter began.
But Arnold and Jon Goode threw Jones back to the 5. Poirier was stopped for no gain and then threw an incomplete pass to bring up fourth down.
“We just bowed our necks and stuffed them down there,” said Illing. “Everything was going the way it was supposed to.”
Down three, Bost waved in the field goal unit.
Then Davie got a huge break — a muffed snap. Well, at least it would have been a huge break if anyone other than Miller had been Statesville’s holder. The bungled snap literally snapped Davie’s back when the elusive Miller dribbled the ball a few times and then blew past War Eagle defenders for the touchdown that put Statesville ahead for the first time at 13-9.
“It was just a fluke play,” sighed Illing. “I don’t really know what else you can say.”
“Yeah, it looked like disaster didn’t it,” said a smiling Miller. “But I saw a little hole and I took it in. I was just doing what I could. Sometimes football is a crazy game.”
It got crazier for desperate Davie when Propst was intercepted byMel Nesbit with 2:41 left. That play briefly deflated the War Eagles.
“Our defense went back out there after the interception not quite as intense as it had been,” said Illing. “And then Miller did it again.”
This time Miller scooted by the War Eagles for a 53-yard score. It was 21-12 after a successful pass for two extra points.
Propst found Tenor, who had six catches for 185 yards, with a scoring strike with just 1:03 remaining to give Davie one last reason to hope for a miracle, but when Statesville covered the ensuing onside kick, it was all over.
“I feel good that we put ourselves in position to win against a good football team,” said Illing. “I feel bad that we couldn’t finish the job. We just couldn’t contain Miller when we really needed to.”
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NOTES:Statesville’s Chad Martin and Joey Rucker destroyed Davie’s ground game in the second half and led five sacks of Propst. Davie had a net gain of only 44 yards on the ground. ... Tenor was unbelievable, making catch after impossible catch, many of them against Miller, who doubled as a cornerback. “Tenor,” said Illing, “was a warrior.” ... Davie has another tough one next week at Mooresville.
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