Three Permian athletes made their college choices official Wednesday by signing national letters of intent at the Permian High School library.
Javorian “Brother” Miller signed to play football at Abilene Chrisitan University, while Ethan Easley (football) and Seth Higdon (baseball) both signed with Cisco College.
“All three of those guys are great guys and have been a very valuable part of our program,” Permian football coach Blake Feldt said.
Miller, who signed as a wide receiver, did a little bit of everything for the Panthers, taking snaps at wide receiver, slot back and quarterback in addition to returning kickoffs and punts. He finished his high school career with 2,462 all-purpose yards and 27 touchdowns rushing, receiving, passing and returning.
As a senior, Miller rushed for 267 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries, while catching a team-high 19 passes for 387 yards and six TDs in Permian’s run-based scheme. He also returned 13 kickoffs for 278 yards, averaging 21.4 yards per return, with a long of 73 yards.
“It’s just a great feeling,” Miller said of the end of the recruiting process. I would say it’s a great stress, too. A lot of people don’t get the opportunity and I’m just grateful for it. First of all, I just give all the glory and honor to God for putting me in this situation. It’s been a long time coming and I’m glad I got to fulfill my dream.”
Feldt said Miller’s contributions at Permian go far beyond statistics.
“It’s sad to see Brother go because he’s been such a huge part of our program over the last four years,” Feldt said. “But at the same time I can’t tell you how excited we are for Brother having the opportunity to go on to the next level and play at Abilene Christian. It’s a great fit for him. We’re really excited about the things he’s going to do over the next four years.”
Easley, the Panthers’ deep snapper the last two seasons, expressed a similar sentiment.
“It’s just a blessing to have the opportunity as a deep snapper to pursue the game I love,” he said. “I love the Cisco area. The people there are great, always nice to me. There’s nothing I can complain about at this point. Everything’s gone the way I planned. It’s all just been a dream come true.”
Feldt said Easley handles a role that is often overlooked unless something goes wrong.
“You may not have recognized Ethan very much because he didn’t screw up,” Feldt said. “We went through the entire season last year without missing an extra point. There’s a lot of things that go into that, but that play starts with the snap, so it starts with Ethan.
“Everybody needs a great deep snapper and he’s certainly one of those. I’ve never seen a kid that’s more dedicated to his particular craft. He did a great job for us and I know he’ll continue to do well at the next level.”
Higdon, who also played safety for the football team, joins a Cisco College program that reached the NJCAA World Series in 2012.
“It means a lot to me because I’ve always loved playing baseball,” said Higdon, a right-handed pitcher. “Cisco is the best opportunity for me. The baseball team has been pretty good. I love their coaches and I think the coaches fit my personality the best. I feel like I’ll have a lot of opportunities to achieve my biggest goals at Cisco.”
Higdon said going to a junior college offers several advantages from a career standpoint.
“Everyone that heard I’m going JUCO, they’ve all said that’s the best choice,” he said. “That’s where they had the most fun and met people they’re still close with. I feel like I’ll meet a lot kids.
“You can go to a four-year one year out or get noticed by MLB scouts.”
Higdon’s junior seasons in both football and baseball were shortened by injury.
“He’s been part of the baseball program throughout his entire high school career and he’ll do a great job at Cisco,” Feldt said.
Permian’s Seth Higdon, left, Javorian “Brother” Miller and Ethan Easley signed national letters of intent to continue their athletic careers Wednesday at the Permian High School library. Higdon will play baseball at Cisco College, Miller will play football at Abilene Christian University and Easley will play football at Cisco College.
By Sam Waller
[email protected]@oaoa.com
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Permian’s Javorian “Brother” Miller discusses signing a national letter of intent to play football at Abilene Christian University.
By Sam Waller
[email protected]@oaoa.com
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