PRAIRIE GROVE, Ark. — Ethan Miller isn’t necessarily the loudest player on the Prairie Grove football team.
“It’s surprising his quiet demeanor,” said Danny Abshier, head coach at Prairie Grove. “He doesn’t talk much above a whisper.”
Instead, Miller lets his play do most of the talking.
“He’s not a great big guy, but he’s really strong for his size,” Abshier said. “He plays big, plays loud.”
Gravette heard Miller’s play loud and clear on Friday.
The senior half back ran for 154 yards on six carries, with not one but two rushing touchdowns that each went for at least 50 yards (62 yards and 50 yards).
His strategy was pretty simple:
“Look for the open hole,” Miller said. “And every time we do something big, hype it up so everybody is in a good mood.”
On top of his offensive explosion, the Tigers’ senior added an interception on defense in the 50-28 win.
“Last year, I wasn’t able to play on defense and I missed it a lot,” Miller said. “So, I’m trying to excel on both sides this year.”
Helping him do that, is what he does as soon as he gets on the bus right after the game:
“First thing I do is get on YouTube and watch the whole game,” Miller said. “Everything that I do good, I try and rewatch to see what I did, watch the whole game and see if I could’ve done that, fixed it.”
That sort of dedication and attention to detail, has helped him become one of the leaders of the team.
“He’s not a rah-rah guy, but what he says means something if you listen to him,” Abshier said.
“I remember my sophomore year, just looking up to all the seniors, so I try and carry that on,” Miller said. “Make sure that everyone feels welcome.”
So even if Ethan isn’t the loudest player on the team, his presence still speaks volumes.
“He’s just all around good for us,” Abshier said. “He’s good for the team.”