Friday football observations: How a former Clemson student coach is helping Charlotte Christian score big

Back in 2008, when Charlotte Christian would ultimately beat Charlotte Latin 15-0 in the state championship game, Christian football coach Jason Estep struck up a friendship with Mike Miller, who was a student at nearby Covenant Day. Miller was buddies with several of Estep’s players and often found himself on campus.

Last year, Miller was a student assistant coach at Clemson, and he worked the national championship game when Clemson lost to Alabama. Miller graduated last December, just before the Alabama game, and was looking for a job after Clemson ended its season. Estep offered him the Knights’ offensive coordinator job after Steve Shaughnessy retired.

Miller, a former quarterback at Ala.-Birmingham, has installed a version of Clemson’s offense that has Christian rolling.

The Knights beat New Covenant 56-0 Friday night and are 7-0. Christian is averaging 45 points, nearly double what the Knights averaged in 2015, when their run of three straight N.C. Independent Schools championships ended in the state semifinals. In fact, this is the most points the Knights have averaged since 1994.

Christian is running an offense that looks similar in formation and approach to what Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s team runs.

“It was strategic planning to bring him in,” Estep said. “I knew that he knew the personnel we had and we figured it would be a good fit. I just didn’t think it would happen this quick. I thought it might take until next year for it to click. But Mike’s taking things he learned at UAB and things he learned from Clemson. It’s his own deal with a little spin on it.”

How Miller got to Christian is an interesting story.

During the fall of 2014, he met former Alabama quarterback Jay Barker while working a youth football game that Barker was helping coach. Miller told Barker he wanted to coach. A few months later, Barker called Woody McCorvey, Swinney’s old position coach at Alabama, where Swinney was once a walk-on receiver. McCorvey was now Clemson’s associate athletics director for football administration.

"I called Woody and told him about Mike because I thought they might be able to help him," Barker told Fox Sports. "I knew Woody would be impressed with him."

So, Miller ends up at Clemson a few days before the Tigers beat Oklahoma 40-6 in Orlando, Fla., at the Russell Athletic Bowl -- and McCorvey took Miller into Swinney’s office.

Miller told his story of being a walk-on quarterback at UAB, about earning a scholarship, about doing whatever he could to help at Clemson. Miller also told Clemson’s coach that he was staying in the area with family friends who happened to be friends of Swinney.

Miller got an intern job, and with some help from Swinney got a waiver to finish his degree under scholarship from UAB while working as a student assistant at Clemson. Ultimately, Miller became one of several staffers signaling in calls for the Tigers from the sideline.

Now, he’s taking what he learned and trying to help Charlotte Christian return to a state championship game.

“It’s a pretty interesting story,” Estep said. “He grew up in Charlotte and grew up with guys who played with me. We stayed in touch and I knew he was a good coach and we were able to bring him in. His scheme has helped. It’s allowing us to get our athletes the ball in the right spots and it’s a tempo offense, and our quarterback (Garrett Shrader) and running back (Justus Woods) are very good. And even though they were here last year, the scheme plays in their favor.”

Observations

▪ There are only two games in Mecklenburg County Monday after schools moved games up to Thursday or back to Monday because of Hurricane Matthew. No offense to Northside Christian or Christ The King, which play in Huntersville at 4:30 p.m. Monday, but the big stage will belong to Charlotte Latin and Davidson Day. They are ranked in the Observer’s Sweet 16 and serious contenders to win the N.C. Independent Schools state championship.

Davidson Day beat Latin 31-13 for the Division I state title last November, with Davidson Day coach Chad Grier beating his former high school coach, Latin’s Larry McNulty. After a long career that began in the 1980s, many close to McNulty feel the longtime coach could retire after this season, particularly after Latin brought in Justin Hardin as defensive coordinator. Hardin was head coach at Independence last season.

▪ I really don’t like the existing high school football overtime rules.

Each team gets the ball at the other teams’ 10-yard line. The teams get four downs to score. That’s too short a distance and often can lead to multiple overtimes. Friday night, East Mecklenburg blocked a Rocky River field goal attempt that would’ve won the game but instead sent it to overtime. In OT, East Meck didn’t score a touchdown on its first three plays and kicked a field goal on its fourth. Rocky River scored a touchdown and won.

Ten yards, as I said, is just too short. I like each team getting a shot, but let’s back them up to the 25. Starting next year.

Please.

▪ Statesville Christian’s Canaan Cox ran 15 times for 114 yards and Brennan Settle threw for 219 yards and a score in a 48-27 win over Village Christian Thursday. Statesville Christian (7-1) had 476 yards total offense.

Friday’s Roundup

Lincolnton 54, Bandys 28: Bandys was driving with a chance to take the lead with less than four minutes left in the first half. But after getting to the Lincolnton 26, Bandys fumbled. Lincolnton started a touchdown drive. When Bandys got the ball back it lost a fumble, which Lincolnton recovered in the end zone. So by halftime, the Wolves led 26-8. What could’ve been a close game became a blowout in a hurry.

Bishop Sullivan (Va.) 51, Providence Day 9: Bishop Sullivan dominated the Chargers in a game that was originally scheduled to be played at Campbell University in Buies Creek. With Hurricane Matthew expected to batter the coast, the game was moved to Charlotte with a 5:30 p.m. kickoff Friday. The Chargers have lost two of their past three games and have a bye next week before facing Charlotte Country Day on Oct. 21. That game could be a play-in game to determine the fourth and final playoff seed for the N.C. Independent Schools Division I playoffs, which begin Nov. 4.

Metrolina Christian 14, Rabun Gap (Ga.): Metrolina Christian trailed on the road at halftime. It rallied in the second half in a driving rain to improve to 4-3. Metrolina Christian won its second straight and plays rival Northside Christian at home next week. Rabun Gap is 2-5.

Cannon 41, Hickory Grove 0: Cannon led 21-0 at halftime and won easily on a rainy Friday. Cannon (4-3) ended a two-game losing streak and will play at High Point Christian next week. Hickory Grove fell to 1-6 and plays Arden’s Christ School next week.

Friday’s Top Performers

Julian Boddie, Providence: Panthers running back had 139 yards and four first-half rushing touchdowns on 20 carries. He gained 91 yards in the first half of a 44-0 win against Berry.

Tyshawn Carter, Rocky River: 16-for-29 passing for 225 yards and three touchdowns in an overtime win against East Mecklenburg. He hit Kendall Lewis with five passes for 109 yards and three scores.

Khamal Howard, East Mecklenburg: 39 carries, 218 yards two scores -- including a 76-yard touchdown run -- in an overtime loss to Rocky River.

Tyreik Morrison, East Mecklenburg: He had a 17-yard interception return for a touchdown and four pass break-ups against Rocky River.

Rocky Renteria, West Lincoln: 28-yard field goal with 1.4 seconds left to lift his team to a 24-21 win against Newton-Conover. West Lincoln improved to 5-2, its most wins since 2013.

Garrett Shrader, Charlotte Christian: 13-for-16 passing for 248 yards and four touchdowns in 56-0 win against New Covenant.

This story was originally published October 7, 2016 at 11:59 PM with the headline "Friday football observations: How a former Clemson student coach is helping Charlotte Christian score big."