- April 24, 2024
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After finally making the team on his third try, senior Ryan Miller (13) earned playing time against Spruce Creek. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas senior Ryan Miller (13) brings the ball downcourt. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Ryan Miller cheers a defensive stop. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Sophomore guard Tariq Shakir led the Pirates with nine points. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas sophomore Chris Roberts. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas senior Dawson Tanner drives to the basket. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jude Lukaszewski at the free throw line. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Demetrius Headley (14) passes the ball. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Rene Corvo. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Spruce Creek's Grant Zeiler had several dunks in the game. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas coach Henry Robinson doesn't like what he sees. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Tariq Shakir (3) guards Tyrese Walker. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Trey Williams. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Spruce Creek's Grant Zeiler dunks. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas guard Tariq Shakir drives through Hawks defenders. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Tariq Shakir takes the ball to the basket. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jude Lukaszewski shoots a free throw. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Ryan Miller doesn't give up, whether it's in the classroom, on the track or on the basketball court.
Miller, an accomplished track and field athlete for Matanzas, hasn't had much of an opportunity to get on the basketball court. Not with people watching.
That changed on Dec. 20 when the senior played extensively for the first time in his brief high school basketball career.
Miller decided to go out for the team as a sophomore. He was cut. He tried again as a junior. He was cut again. He was told he wasn't good enough. Miller didn't believe it.
"Coach (Donald) Lockhart didn't believe in me," Miller said. "But I kept trying, and the new coach felt I could do it."
Henry Robinson took over this season for Lockhart, who resigned to coach at Pedro Menendez. To Robinson, keeping a kid like Miller was a no-brainer.
"You can't cut a kid that works as hard as he does," Robinson said.
But through the first five games Miller might have played a total of five minutes, Robinson said. With the Pirates losing to Spruce Creek 47-20 after two quarters in the Kiwanis Holiday Shootout, Robinson decided to put Miller in the game. He didn't change the outcome of the 77-38 loss, but he did show that he belonged.
"He's a great kid, a great student, and he's one of my hardest workers, if not the hardest worker. He never complains," Robinson said. "Tonight we needed a pick-me-up, and he answered the bell. He played great defense. He dove on the floor. He kept us upbeat. He gave us energy in the second half that we didn't have in the first half."
Miller hit 2 of 4 shots for four points, grabbed three rebounds (including two offensive boards) and added a steal and an assist.
"I came in, and I tried to help on defense as much as I could," he said. "I showed coach I could do it. It was my chance to redeem myself."
"You can't cut a kid that works as hard as he does."
HENRY ROBINSON, Matanzas boys basketball coach on Ryan Miller
Miller will be a captain on the track team this spring, said Matanzas track and field coach Tim Kane. His top event is the 400 meters, but he also competes in long jump and high jump. He competed at regionals in the 4x400 relay last season.
"He's a great kid. He works real hard. He's dependable. He's everything you look for in a track athlete," Kane said.
Robinson said he always shows up early for basketball practice, which isn't always the case for athletes in their secondary sport. Kane said Miller has been joining the track team in its off-season conditioning program in addition to participating in basketball practice.
"Tonight he showed what he could do," said sophomore guard Tariq Shakir, who led Matanzas with nine points. "He was sprinting up and down the court. He hustles."
The Pirates fell to 0-6. But this was the first game they lost decisively. They lost their first five games by a total of 31 points, including a pair of two point losses, and lost this one by 35. The Hawks' three-quarter-court press wreaked havoc, causing 32 Pirate turnovers.
"This was our first bad game," Shakir said. "They're a team that doesn't stop moving. When they're not moving, the ball's moving."
Four players scored in double figures for the Hawks (6-4): Tyrese Walker (14 points), Jacob Lohman (14), Grant Zeiler (12) and Cameron Reynolds (10). The 6-foot-4 Zeiler was able to get inside repeatedly for dunks.
The Pirates were not originally scheduled to play Spruce Creek in the shootout, but after Creekside pulled out, Matanzas played Spruce Creek instead of Palatka on Dec. 20. The Pirates sat out Dec. 21 with Palatka beating Menendez 62-31 in the first game and St. Augustine edging Spruce Creek 58-52 in the nightcap.
