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Yappi.com writer PERRY TWP.—Tears were in the eyes of 90 young men that made the long walk back to their locker room after the post-game handshake with the Division I defending state finalist Massillon Tigers. What has truly been the best turnaround season in all of Stark County had come to a saddening close. After all, no one expected much out of the 2006 Panthers after seasons of 3-7 and 4-6. But all the time during those two seasons of trial and tribulation, this program stayed close and bonded through a period of patience through the determination of one man. Enter Perry Panthers head football coach John Miller. Say what you want, it is a fact that this man is happily married with two daughters. But at the same time, he became the father of 90 young men that wore a Perry jersey for 11 weeks this year. The seniors on this year’s team were sophomores when they endured the losing seasons stated. But what no one knew was that they were patiently awaiting their time. While they endured the talk that they were not going to be a factor this year, these seniors relied on their determination to pull them through the tough times. That, mixed in with their patience is a big reason why they were 9-2 this season. Make no mistake about it; it is safe to say that Miller found his calling with a program and a community that cared about not just him but the players and coaches also. That is what was missing greatly during a brief stint at Canton McKinley. Not trying to turn this into a bash-a-thon of where he was an assistant for 16 years and then a head coach for three years, but the Perry High School community and the Perry Township residence has truly welcomed Miller and his team with open arms, which is expected of a rich community that supports their football. And no one is more appreciative of that than the man stalking and prowling the sidelines himself. “We as coaches love these kids and they fight hard. They never pointed the finger at one another at all,” an emotional Miller said. “Our school, team, and fans are second to none.” This writer learned a great deal about Miller in many more ways than one. It was on a warm afternoon seven years ago that this person did not want to talk to anyone in the aftermath of Canton McKinley’s 35-7 home loss to Massillon that saw them lose the Victory Bell. What was maddening about this setback was the sight of the fans booing the team back to the locker room in the darkest moment of that season. Monday afternoon after that traumatic loss, being the man that he his, Miller calmly took me aside for a moment and talked about the importance of not feeling sorry for yourself. It was then that the realization hit me that you cannot worry about what others say. In addition to that as well, it is because of him that this has become the profession that has become my personal heart and soul. It was six years ago that the biggest mistake made on my part nearly turned into a costly one. It wasn’t long that a story had been submitted two weeks after two games without Miller having seen it. Enduring the worst tongue lashing, it was then that as this is being written that personally, that it was clear I didn’t want to talk to Miller again afterwards. Clearly being in the heat of the moment, my mind wasn’t thinking straight. After being barely talked into going home and thinking about it by our adviser, it hit me that “if you really don’t want to talk to him again, that’s fine with yourself but you better take a large step back and think about the chance you are taking.” Not for nothing, but had this young man decided not to talk to Miller after that blunder, who knows what happens next. It was then Miller taught me the same thing he teaches his pack of Panthers at Perry: Accountability. That means taking responsibility for your actions. Knowing you made a mistake and learning from it. And that is evident when the Panthers played on game nights. Yes, there some mistakes they made but if you are making a mistake but you do it at full go there is nothing to be ashamed of. And despite a tough loss to Massillon, these Panthers can take pride in the fact that they went toe-to-toe with the state finalist Tigers and gave it all they had. “This has been a great year. This is the best group that I have been around,” Miller said. “Our kids will never quit or back down from a challenge.” People that play for John Miller learn not just lessons on the football field but they also learn the assets of surviving in life too. At times, people will be faced with adversity. The ones that overcome it are the ones who learn from whatever bitter happenings they face and come back a better person. The ones who fail to overcome it are the ones who didn’t because when times were against them, they lacked heart. Case in point: Perry absorbed a 38-20 loss to undefeated Canton McKinley. But they got up off the ground, brushed themselves off, and came back an even better team in beating Jackson and winning the last three games of the season. Perry players do not lack heart. And credit just doesn’t go to Miller on this stance but it also goes to the eight other coaches who devote their time to the young men on the field and anyone can believe that they all will run through a wall for these young men. They also will fight for these young men. “Our coaches did a good job of getting these kids prepared every week. They are like to them a family,” Miller added. Perry leads with determination. And they win with determination. That determination through three seasons has allowed them to have the breakout year that they had and set the tone for future years to come with Miller as the heart and soul of the Perry Panthers program. Don’t judge Miller for three seasons at Canton McKinley and his record against Massillon. Judge him and the staff for the fatherly approach they take with the 90 men that wore Perry on their jerseys this year. Judge them on how they taught life lessons to these young men. Judge them for making these players better men for the future. Nine coaches and 90 sons is all you need to know about the Panthers as players and coaches. With the exception of Massillon, their fans support them better than probably any other fan base in Stark County. And that was evident when parents, band, coaches and players embraced and huddled for the singing of the Perry alma mater one last time. Tears were in the eyes of 90 young men as they returned to the locker room. Their coaches who became their fathers for 11 weeks hugged them tightly. That bond between the players and coaches is a reason why in the next nine months these Panthers under the iron will of the strong-chinned John Miller will fight once again for a Federal League championship. The players formed a circle one last time and chanted “P…E…R…R…Y…Fight, fight, fight.” That fight in the Panthers is a reason why the 2006 season of the Perry Panthers was successful even in defeat. |
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