With reigning All-Metro offensive MVP Charles Perry (above) back running the ball
for Miller, the Buccaneers hope to hang on to the District 29-5A trophy.
A year ago, conventional thought was that Jim Gupton may have
to start looking for employment elsewhere outside the Corpus Christi Independent
School District.
In his first three seasons as Miller High School's football coach
and athletics coordinator, Gupton's teams combined for an unspectacular 3-27 record.
That included the ominous 0-10 mark compiled in Gupton's first year, the lone
winless season in school history.
Today, those figures are a distant memory at the school with the
state's fifth-smallest Class 5A enrollment (1,683).
"Coach Gupton stuck to his guns and it paid off. He did a great job,"
said Moody coach Steve Castillo, whose school ranks as the sixth-smallest 5A entry
in the state at 1,728. "He's in the same boat as us numbers-wise. He may have
some more linemen than us, but the numbers are about the same."
Coming off an 11-2 season, the Buccaneers enter the 2002 season needing
to fill some holes. But they'll do so as the reigning district champions.
"Miller's had some tough breaks in years past. But it seems like
they've got it together," said Victoria Memorial coach Wayne Condra, whose Vipers
are expected to battle Carroll for the district title. "I mean, three rounds in
the playoffs. That's something they're going to build on in the coming years."
Last year's All-Metro coach of the year, Gupton was rewarded with
a two-year extension on his contract and the gold and purple bull's eye now is
affixed firmly on the backs of the Miller players.
"I guess I would be feeling more at ease, but I'm one of these guys
where if people don't like me, I'll leave," Gupton said. "But the Miller community
has been great. I've never felt that way here.
"I've felt good about this all along. Who'd have thought we'd go
from 3-27 to 11-2?"
Making believers
Well, the Bucs themselves entertained those thoughts. The painstaking
process of reviving the once-formidable Miller program has included convincing
the players that winning ballgames not only was possible, but probable, given
the talent in the ranks.
"Ninety-eight percent is talent and two percent is ability," Gupton
said. "I've always said that."
And now, the players believe that the District 29-5A championship
is theirs until someone wrests it from them.
"It feels like we've got something to defend," senior running back
Charles Perry said. "All we can do is work hard."
"They won't to be able to hang with us," senior tight end Doug Tatum
said. "We're just too talented and we've worked too hard to roll over and di
e."
Added senior free safety-running back Sidney Miller: "Everybody's
gunning for us. We've heard the talk in the city, that everyone's going after
us."
Offensive replacements
Reaching the Division II regional final will attract that kind of
attention.
Miller's success isn't guaranteed this time around, however. Only
four starters return to an offense that totaled more than 5,300 yards last year.
The returnees, however, are key cogs with which Gupton can build
an offense.
It starts with Perry, the All-Metro offensive MVP and All-South Texas
first-team pick a year ago. One of two
Miller backs to top the 1,000-yard rushing plateau a year ago - the
departed Isaac Collier was the other - Perry ran for 1,775 yards and 25 touchdowns.
On Nov. 2, he set the school, CCISD and South Texas record for single-game rushing
by peeling off 412 yards in a 55-20 victory over Moody.
Two big reasons for Miller's offensive success, guard Robert McChester
and center Eric Leal, return. McChester earned first-team All-Metro and all-district
honors a year ago.
Tatum returns to his tight end position following neck surgery. A
second-team all-district pick a year ago, Tatum was named to Texas Football's
second unit on its preseason "Super Team."
"Doug Tatum's going to be a big plus to us," Gupton said. "He's going
to create some problems that we couldn't do last year because he was out so much."
The other positions will be manned by newcomers. Either Doug Romero
or O.J. Ayala will step in at quarterback. Seniors Cody Manski (6-foot-5, 260
pounds) and Chris Cantu (5-11, 290) are to man the tackle spots with Vinnie Pro
or place-kicker/punter Jose Quezada taking the center position.
Karlton Flowers is at an end spot and Miller or junior Lazrik Pettus
will join Perry in the backfield. Larry Moya is at the other receiver spot.
"With our offense, it's going to be a different star every night,"
Gupton said. "Sure, we're going to have to replace some people. But shoot, there
were 100, 120 of them out there. Somebody's out there."
Defensive experience
Miller's strength will be on defense, where seven starters return.
Sidney Miller picked up All-Metro and All-South Texas honors at free
safety. Miller led the Bucs with 144 tackles and four interceptions.
Perry and Gabriel Rivera - the latter was a first-team all-district
pick - also return in the secondary.
Senior Rader James, the 2001 All-Metro newcomer of the year, and
Eric Ramsey, a first-team 29-5A pick, return at the two defensive end positions.
Also returning are linebackers Richard Andrade and Juan Soliz. Andrade
was a second-team 29-5A selection.
Flowers or Pettis will play the other secondary position and Nick
Vargas steps into the third linebacker spot. Both projected starters at tackle
- Joe Lister (6-4, 260) and Darius Smith (5-10, 250) - are juniors.
"I think we'll be in the hunt," Gupton said. "I think we can play
for the district championship if things go right for us. We've got a group of
kids who aren't going to be satisfied. Everybody's going to be after Miller this
year anyway."
