The newest Corpus Christi ISD High School faces the original Corpus Christi High School when the Veterans Eagles face the Miller Buccaneers at Buccaneer Stadium Thursday night.
The winner will be in the 14-5A-DI driver’s seat for the district championship.
CC Veterans (5-2, 4-0 in 14-5A-I, #4 in the 5A-IV-DI Padilla Poll) opened in 2015 as the third of four Veterans high schools in South Texas. The Eagles became a regional power almost immediately; after one losing varsity season in 2016, they have advanced to at least the third round every year since. CC Veterans has played for a region championship each of the last three years, winning in 2020.
Elijah Durrette leads the Eagles with 1699 yards passing for 19 touchdowns and 3 interceptions; he’s also the Eagles’ third leading rusher. Alejandro Guerrero has 36 catches for 531 yards and 4 touchdowns; Jaiden Castaneda has run the ball 73 times for 634 yards and 4 touchdowns. Josiah Lewis leads the defense with 5 sacks.
“They’re the hardest playing team we’ve faced this year,” said Miller coach Justen Evans.
While CC Veterans is open for its seventh year, Miller High School has served seven generations, opening in 1894. Miller/Corpus Christi High’s football history includes four state championship game appearances – including victories in 1938 and 1960 – but the Buccaneers had 14 consecutive losing seasons before Evans became the head football coach in 2017. The program has revived, winning six playoff games in the last three years.
Although the 2022 Miller offense is characteristically explosive, averaging almost 49 points per game, Evans highlighted a defense that has allowed just over 13 points per game; many of those points came late in games that were already decided.
Experienced young talent has helped; Miller’s defense returns five sophomores who played as freshmen. The Buccaneers have 33 sacks for the season, led by sophomores Lamarcus Cullum (6.5) and Steven Richardson (5).
“(Lamarcus) got a lot of playing time last year, then he grew, and there’s his work ethic, so he had a really good summer.”
Miller (7-0, 4-0 in 14-5A-I, #3 in the 5A-IV-DI Padilla Poll) has so many strong players, they’ve rotating quarterbacks Jaedyn Brown, a junior, and Trevor Long, a sophomore – “it would be an indictment to sit either one” – and even two kickers, sophomores Christian Torres and Jose Alvarez.
“This is the deepest (Miller has) been since I’ve been here,” said Evans.
While Long has over 1000 yards passing, and Brown is only 41 yards short of that, sophomore Corey Holmes has 63 rushes for 640 yards, and Lonnie Atkism has 28 catches for 701 yards.
“We’re playing okay,” Evans demurred.
Thursday’s game is a rematch of a 3rd round playoff game in 2019, won by Veterans 56-49.
Mark Kusenberger
October 17, 2022
Read more from Mark on his blog at https://mkusenberger.wixsite.com/website/blog