Mead slows U-Hi

Big plays early on offense and stout defense throughout proved a winning formula for Mead football.

Bouyed by a 136-yard, three-touchdown effort from diminutive back Paul Miller, the Panthers built a quick 16-0 lead.

A late 80-yard drive sealed the 30-13 victory at University on Friday night.

In between, the defense, inspired by omnipresent middle linebacker Bryce Peters, kept the Titans and dangerous quarterback Tony Tabish in check for much of the night.

Every time U-Hi appeared to get something going, it seemed that Peters was in on a tackle for a loss that halted momentum.

“We like to fly around and have fun,” Peters said of Mead’s strength. “We knew with the rain they’d have trouble throwing. That’s their strength. If we stopped their run we knew we had it.”

Stop it they did, as the Titans managed a net 36 yards on the ground.

Miller, meanwhile, who said he is “5-foot-7, 150 pounds on a good day,” seemed best suited for the conditions, U-Hi’s natural-grass field rendered slippery by day-long rain.

He had a 53-yard run to set up his first score and the 16-0 start 7 minutes into the game. His second score made it 23-0 early in the second period.

After the offense bogged down and the Titans rallied to within 10 points, Miller had the big play of a 13-play march that sealed the outcome.

Miller took a toss and broke through traffic on the left side for a 30-yard gain that preceded his third score four plays later. His big night was backed by Mike Smith’s workhorse 26-carry, 82-yard game.

“There was a stretch, to be honest, where we let down,” Miller said. “But we found our fire in the fourth quarter.”

Mead struck quickly after forcing a three and out on U-Hi’s first series. Bo Tully somehow pulled down a pass in traffic, slipped out and burst 70 yards less than two minutes into the game.

The Panthers (6-2 overall and GSL) added two more points when a Titans fumble was batted backward, traveling 28 yards before it went through the end zone.

The Titans (5-3) had little offensive success until the third quarter, getting a pair of Aaron Gleason field goals each half, but cutting the score to 23-13 after recovering Miller’s fumble at the Mead 35. Two Tabish completions to back John Wright and Wright’s 2-yard score accounted for most of the yardage. Mead responded.

The lull, was a matter of being in poor field position, Mead coach Sean Carty said. So the Panthers went to their bread and butter, power running.

“We were in serious trouble,” Carty said. “We went back to what we know. We took little steps and it turned into an 80-yard drive.”