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Buckeye QB commit spectacular in clutch, leads team to OT win

By ByBILL KURELIC, 08/19/18, 12:15PM MST

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Link to article: https://247sports.com/college/ohio-state/Article/Future-Ohio-State-Buckeyes-QB-Jack-Miller-came-up-big-in-the-clutch-leads-his-team-to-huge-OT-win-120809674/

Scottsdale (Az.) Chaparral 2020 quarterback and Ohio State commitment Jack Miller had the odds overwhelmingly stacked against him. But he came through in the clutch and did so in spectacular fashion.

On Friday night Miller and his running back teammate Darvon Hubbard played their first prep football games as Ohio State commitments, and it was a game neither is likely to soon forget. Certainly Miller won’t.

Chaparral moved up this season from 5A to 6A and on Friday night went against 6A Arizona state power Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton at Hamilton High School. Hamilton entered the game picked No. 5 while Chaparral entered the contest picked between No. 9 and No. 11 in the various polls. The game lived up to the hype.

Chaparral led for much of the game including a 27-16 lead in the third quarter. But the bigger Hamilton team was putting plenty of pressure on Miller during the second half and came back to take a 30-27 lead in the middle of the fourth quarter. Miller was getting hit often and Chaparral wasn’t able to sustain much fourth quarter offense.

But Miller and his Chaparral teammates had time for one last shot in regulation. They crossed midfield only to be pushed back to their own 30-yard line. Facing fourth down and 30 yards to go, Miller hit Marcus Norvell for a 33 yard gain and a first down. With only seconds to go in the game Chaparral connected for a 44-yard field goal to tie the game at 30-30 and seconds later it went into overtime. Earlier in the drive that tied the game Miller also connected on a fourth and 12.

In overtime Hamilton had the ball first at the Chaparral 10-yard line. Hamilton wasn’t able to get the ball in the end zone, but did connect on a field goal to take a 33-30 lead. Chaparral then got the ball on the Hamilton 10-yard line. After two incomplete passes, facing third and goal, Miller hit on a perfectly thrown back shoulder fade pattern towards the corner of the end zone. Touchdown. Game over - Chaparral 36 Hamilton 33 as the Chaparral team stormed from the sideline to the end zone to celebrate.

For the game the 6-foot-4 and 215-pound Miller threw for over 400 yards and three touchdowns. Hubbard rushed for two touchdowns as Chaparral won their season opener.

Miller is a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite. He is the country’s No. 61 overall 2020 prospect, the No. 5 pro-style quarterback and the No. 4 prospect in Arizona.