Rebels with a Cause
Byrnes High School has received extensive recruiting attention for several of their players, as the Rebels have lost only one game over their last two seasons.
By Paul Gable
Updated: September 9, 2009
Chris Miller can remember sitting down and watching a DVD of the James F. Byrnes High School football team playing national power Belle Glades out of Florida and thinking one thing.
"It was pretty unreal to think that ESPN came to Duncan, [South Carolina] for a high school game," Miller said.
Miller and Byrnes have had that effect on America and the high school football landscape recently, but it wasn't always the case.
Miller, who has been the Rebels' head coach the last two seasons and is in his second stint with Byrnes, can remember a time when everyone enjoyed playing the Rebels.
"We had a few down years for one reason or another," Miller said.
Championships and a Drought
Byrnes claimed its first state title in 1976 on the Class 3A level and the success continued in the 1980's with the Rebels earning crowns in 1982 and 1986, but after that, Byrnes underwent a bit of a championship drought.
In 1990, former Presbyterian College Blue Hose standout Bobby Bentley was named an assistant coach and slowly began laying the groundwork to build the program back up.
Along the way was Miller, who was an assistant for six seasons before leaving for stints at both Broome and Spartanburg high schools.
"I was at Byrnes when Bobby was the quarterback, and we were friends then. We kept in touch a good bit, and I was excited to know him and then have an opportunity to coach with him," Miller said.
Bentley became the head coach in 2004, a post he held until 2006 when he left for Presbyterian.
During his 12 years, Byrnes captured four straight Class 4A Division II titles from 2002 to 2005 and became one of the top teams not only in the Palmetto State, but in America, something Miller is not surprised with.
"The tradition has carried on from the past players and is passed down each year. The players have really stepped up and played hard. I think the kids get excited about playing the big games, and I don't think they think about the pressure," Miller said.
With the championships have come a legion of faithful fans, nicknamed the "Nixon Nuts," along with one of the premiere high school stadiums in the Southeast.
In 2007, Byrnes underwent a $2.8 million overhaul of its athletics complex. The school's fieldhouse features a 150-seat auditorium, team meeting rooms, a player's lounge full of televisions, a 5,800 square-foot weight room and a 150-person locker room.
As for the fans, Miller says his team is "fortunate" to have a following of fans who are willing to put their names on a waiting list for the right to buy seasons tickets.
"Our fans are a big boost for our kids, especially when we play at home. Our stadium seats 10 to 12,000 people and every Friday night when we are at home, the stadium is packed. We play games at either 7:30 or 8 p.m. and there are people lined up at the gates beginning at 5 p.m. Anywhere we go, our fans are there. I remember us playing in Ohio and filling our sidelines with fans. We are fortunate to have that kind of support," Miller said.
In addition, Byrnes has also found itself on ESPN for several nationally televised games.
"It's big to play on TV, and our kids will never forget it. A lot of them won't go on to the next level, so it is huge for them to experience this," Miller said.
With that said, Byrnes has had quite a few players advance to the next level. Over the last seven recruiting cycles, 11 prospects have signed scholarships with BCS power schools. Since the class of 2005, the Rebels have sent 10 players to either SEC or ACC schools, including quarterback Will Korn, who is at Clemson University.
It's Miller Time
In 2006, after serving as the Rebels' defensive coordinator for seven seasons and a key engineer of four state crowns, Miller got his chance to show what he could do as a head coach. With fans waiting with baited breath, Miller opened up by winning 29 of his first 30 games as head coach and has claimed back-to-back Class 4A Division I titles.
"I've never sat back and thought about what I have accomplished as a head coach. What I want is for our kids to be successful. I love to win state championships, but I want to make sure ours learn the right way of doing things, and that is huge," Miller said.
With only one loss on his resume, Miller prefers to give the credit to his players rather than to himself.
"The players each year are very excited about keeping everything going that has been built before them. They challenge themselves to take over when the others leave each year. Our coaches do a great job of continuing to motivate the players and get their all each year," Miller said.
As for whether or not he felt pressure to continue the foundation Bentley established, Miller said there was some.
"I never showed it, but I felt some pressure. Bobby and I are very different. I told everyone who I was and I wasn't going to change my ways. All I wanted to do was keep it rolling, and I have been fortunate to do that," Miller said.
Last December, the Rebels upended Sumter High School 31-21 to capture another championship.
The win came thanks in part to the performance of running back Marcus Lattimore, who rushed for 305 yards on 38 carries and amassed four touchdowns.
On the game's second play, he got outside and ran 69 yards for a score. He added touchdown runs of 13, 50 and three yards in the second half.
"Anytime you win the state championship, you feel like it was pretty good," Miller said of last season.
The Rebels do have some key holes to fill as the likes of linebackers Daniel Cleveland and Skylar Franklin are gone, along with receiver Ricco Sanders and the entire offensive line.
Despite the losses to graduation, Byrnes does has some talent back this year beginning with Lattimore, who has offers from Alabama, LSU, Penn State, Michigan, Tennessee, Notre Dame, UGA, Florida State and UNC among others.
Over the last two seasons, Lattimore has carried the ball 589 times for 4,150 yards rushing.
Other top players back on offense include receivers Jazz King and Torian Richardson along with quarterback Chas Dodd.
Defensively, the Rebels are leaning on the play of linemen Brandon Willis and Corey Miller.
Willis notched 114 tackles and 13 sacks last year as a junior and has drawn attention from Florida State, UGA and UNC.
Miller, on the other hand, has registered 109 tackles the last two seasons and has offers from Clemson, California, Florida State, LSU, Michigan State, Nebraska, UNC, Notre Dame, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
With the start of the 2009 season weeks away, Miller is entertaining a question that never gets old.Can Byrnes go for the three-peat again?
"Our expectations and goals are the same every year. We have got to get back to the state title game this year. We lost a great group, especially along the offensive line. Our kids are working hard and are excited," Miller said.
"It was pretty unreal to think that ESPN came to Duncan, [South Carolina] for a high school game," Miller said.
Miller and Byrnes have had that effect on America and the high school football landscape recently, but it wasn't always the case.
Miller, who has been the Rebels' head coach the last two seasons and is in his second stint with Byrnes, can remember a time when everyone enjoyed playing the Rebels.
"We had a few down years for one reason or another," Miller said.
Championships and a Drought
Byrnes claimed its first state title in 1976 on the Class 3A level and the success continued in the 1980's with the Rebels earning crowns in 1982 and 1986, but after that, Byrnes underwent a bit of a championship drought.In 1990, former Presbyterian College Blue Hose standout Bobby Bentley was named an assistant coach and slowly began laying the groundwork to build the program back up.
Along the way was Miller, who was an assistant for six seasons before leaving for stints at both Broome and Spartanburg high schools.
"I was at Byrnes when Bobby was the quarterback, and we were friends then. We kept in touch a good bit, and I was excited to know him and then have an opportunity to coach with him," Miller said.
Bentley became the head coach in 2004, a post he held until 2006 when he left for Presbyterian.
During his 12 years, Byrnes captured four straight Class 4A Division II titles from 2002 to 2005 and became one of the top teams not only in the Palmetto State, but in America, something Miller is not surprised with.
"The tradition has carried on from the past players and is passed down each year. The players have really stepped up and played hard. I think the kids get excited about playing the big games, and I don't think they think about the pressure," Miller said.
With the championships have come a legion of faithful fans, nicknamed the "Nixon Nuts," along with one of the premiere high school stadiums in the Southeast.
In 2007, Byrnes underwent a $2.8 million overhaul of its athletics complex. The school's fieldhouse features a 150-seat auditorium, team meeting rooms, a player's lounge full of televisions, a 5,800 square-foot weight room and a 150-person locker room.
As for the fans, Miller says his team is "fortunate" to have a following of fans who are willing to put their names on a waiting list for the right to buy seasons tickets.
"Our fans are a big boost for our kids, especially when we play at home. Our stadium seats 10 to 12,000 people and every Friday night when we are at home, the stadium is packed. We play games at either 7:30 or 8 p.m. and there are people lined up at the gates beginning at 5 p.m. Anywhere we go, our fans are there. I remember us playing in Ohio and filling our sidelines with fans. We are fortunate to have that kind of support," Miller said.
In addition, Byrnes has also found itself on ESPN for several nationally televised games.
"It's big to play on TV, and our kids will never forget it. A lot of them won't go on to the next level, so it is huge for them to experience this," Miller said.
With that said, Byrnes has had quite a few players advance to the next level. Over the last seven recruiting cycles, 11 prospects have signed scholarships with BCS power schools. Since the class of 2005, the Rebels have sent 10 players to either SEC or ACC schools, including quarterback Will Korn, who is at Clemson University.
It's Miller Time
In 2006, after serving as the Rebels' defensive coordinator for seven seasons and a key engineer of four state crowns, Miller got his chance to show what he could do as a head coach. With fans waiting with baited breath, Miller opened up by winning 29 of his first 30 games as head coach and has claimed back-to-back Class 4A Division I titles.
"I've never sat back and thought about what I have accomplished as a head coach. What I want is for our kids to be successful. I love to win state championships, but I want to make sure ours learn the right way of doing things, and that is huge," Miller said.
With only one loss on his resume, Miller prefers to give the credit to his players rather than to himself.
"The players each year are very excited about keeping everything going that has been built before them. They challenge themselves to take over when the others leave each year. Our coaches do a great job of continuing to motivate the players and get their all each year," Miller said.
As for whether or not he felt pressure to continue the foundation Bentley established, Miller said there was some.
"I never showed it, but I felt some pressure. Bobby and I are very different. I told everyone who I was and I wasn't going to change my ways. All I wanted to do was keep it rolling, and I have been fortunate to do that," Miller said.
Last December, the Rebels upended Sumter High School 31-21 to capture another championship.
The win came thanks in part to the performance of running back Marcus Lattimore, who rushed for 305 yards on 38 carries and amassed four touchdowns.
On the game's second play, he got outside and ran 69 yards for a score. He added touchdown runs of 13, 50 and three yards in the second half.
"Anytime you win the state championship, you feel like it was pretty good," Miller said of last season.
The Rebels do have some key holes to fill as the likes of linebackers Daniel Cleveland and Skylar Franklin are gone, along with receiver Ricco Sanders and the entire offensive line.
Despite the losses to graduation, Byrnes does has some talent back this year beginning with Lattimore, who has offers from Alabama, LSU, Penn State, Michigan, Tennessee, Notre Dame, UGA, Florida State and UNC among others.
Over the last two seasons, Lattimore has carried the ball 589 times for 4,150 yards rushing.
Other top players back on offense include receivers Jazz King and Torian Richardson along with quarterback Chas Dodd.
Defensively, the Rebels are leaning on the play of linemen Brandon Willis and Corey Miller.
Willis notched 114 tackles and 13 sacks last year as a junior and has drawn attention from Florida State, UGA and UNC.
Miller, on the other hand, has registered 109 tackles the last two seasons and has offers from Clemson, California, Florida State, LSU, Michigan State, Nebraska, UNC, Notre Dame, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
With the start of the 2009 season weeks away, Miller is entertaining a question that never gets old.Can Byrnes go for the three-peat again?
"Our expectations and goals are the same every year. We have got to get back to the state title game this year. We lost a great group, especially along the offensive line. Our kids are working hard and are excited," Miller said.
Also See
Resize
Print
E-mail
Save/Share +
Comment 
Football.com readers have posted 0 comments about this item.
View All Comments 
POST A COMMENT You must be logged in to leave a comment.
Log in | Register
POST A COMMENT You must be logged in to leave a comment.
Log in | Register
Sponsored Ads
Foreclosure Home Auctions
Sign Up Now for Free Notification! Never Miss An Auction In Your Area
www.USHomeAuction.com
Fresh Foreclosures
We provide an ongoing list of FRESHLY foreclosed homes.
www.lendermustsell.com
Trivia Duathlons
Are You Smarter Than the next guy? Take Our Trivia Duathlons!
www.Trivia.com
Foreclosure Home Auctions
Sign Up Now for Free Notification! Never Miss An Auction In Your Area
www.USHomeAuction.com
Fresh Foreclosures
We provide an ongoing list of FRESHLY foreclosed homes.
www.lendermustsell.com
Trivia Duathlons
Are You Smarter Than the next guy? Take Our Trivia Duathlons!
www.Trivia.com
Contact | Jobs | Advertise l Feedback
Partnerships | Media Requests l Gear | Links | Password Reminder
Home | NFL | NCAA | Draft | Preps | Video
Copyright 2009 Football.com. All rights reserved. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Polices
