Unlikely star shoots, wins, grins
After tough times, Vincent Miller savors a 23-point game that put Clearwater in today's final.
By MEYLA HOOKER
Published March 11, 2005
CLEARWATER - It has been a long time since Vincent Miller's baby face radiated so.
Miller has been styling a permanent grin since his career-high 23-point performance against Clermont East Ridge on Wednesday in a state semifinal win.
If Clearwater High wins the Class 5A boys basketball title today, the kid who loves sleep, home cooking, math class and the Kill Bill movies may never stop smiling.
"I just can't stop," Miller said. "We are actually going to state. It's been really hard, but for the first time I feel like I contributed to something important."
Miller deserves this moment.
The unheralded senior guard, who averaged five points for the Tornadoes going into Wednesday's game, has had his share of misfortunes.
Miller was 3 when his father was killed in a car accident. Nine years later, his mother was also killed in a car accident.
Miller, his four sisters and two brothers suddenly found themselves in the care of relatives.
"Growing up has been real hard," Miller said. "But I've had a lot of support."
Raised by his aunt and uncle, Willie and Sympathy Clark, the 5-foot-8 guard learned to take nothing for granted.
The family got to stay together, but with one condition, said Willie Clark: They had to go to church.
The family attends Triumphant Holiness Church of God for All People in Odessa on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
And Miller loves every moment of it.
"All of them have come through a lot," Willie Clark said. "We are tremendously proud of Vince. He has just blossomed. He has never given us any problems. When I couldn't find him at 10 o'clock some nights, I knew exactly where to find him. He would be shooting baskets by himself in the dark at the basketball court."
Throughout his career, Miller has played in the shadow of superstar cousins Darius Hart and Cruz Daniels. But Miller, the quiet one in the group, never complained about his role.
"It would have been easy just to quit on a lot of things," Clearwater coach Jack Coit said. "But he has really done well and keeps his head up. To go through what he did and still be okay is amazing."
It's no coincidence Miller saved his best for the most important game of his career. After all, producing in big games seems to run in the family. Hart had 44 points in the team's region semifinal win over Fort Myers. Daniels had 12 points and seven blocks in the region final victory over Boca Ciega.
"That was one of the more outstanding performances I've seen in a clutch situation," Coit said. "He has one of the nicest jump shots of any kids I've ever coached, so he is capable. He just timed it correctly, that's for sure."
Clark said Miller's quiet demeanor often bothers people, but they are immediately comforted when they see the broad smile on his face.
The same smile that has been stuck there for two days.
The same smile that has helped erase some of the pain.
"This is really the first time I've smiled and talked about it," Miller said. "I'm a church boy and we are going to state. How can I stop smiling?"
Meyla Hooker can be reached by phone at 727 445-4224 or e-mail her at mhooker@sptimes.com