By Mike London

mike.london@salisburypost.com

SPENCER — North Rowan linebacker Khor’on Miller tore an ACL in his final high school game, but he’s still more upbeat than an army of aerobics instructors.

Informed that he was co-defensive player of the year, along with Salisbury defensive end Jaden Warren, for the Post’s All-Rowan County football squad, Miller was pleased, but not shocked.

After all, he tackled everything in sight — except officials and cheerleaders.

“I’m not surprised about player of the year, not really,” he said cheerfully. “I was able to execute what I wanted to do most games. My team had a great year and I had a great year. I broke the record for tackles in a season at North Rowan.”

Don’t get the idea that Miller is boasting. He’s not cocky, he’s confident. Without the complete confidence that you can tackle anything that moves, you can’t do what Miller did.

Warren piled up sacks. Most sacks are impactful plays, as just about every sack forces a punt or means a turnover on downs.

Miller piled up tackles, and while not all tackles are impactful — you can stop a back after a 15-yard gain and get credit for a tackle — a high percentage of Miller’s tackles were difference-making.

Miller flew off the edge for a great defense, while Miller was a rock in the middle of a very good defense. Completely different roles, but both had monumental seasons that should make them All-State candidates for their classifications.

Miller was All-Central Carolina Conference for the second time. The final tackle tally for Miller as a senior was 179 stops, with 144 solos.

Most linebackers dream about having a 13-tackle game. Miller’s average night was 13 tackles.

North’s 4-2-5 defensive scheme is designed for Miller to make tons of tackles as the “Eagle” linebacker. With the aid of the linemen in front of him who took on blockers and kept him free, he made them.

Jeremiah Alford, the talented quarterback who played linebacker next to Miller, made 87 tackles, 92 fewer than Miller, but second on the team.

“It was like Khor’on was in on every play,” North head coach Josh Sophia said. “Every team that played against us felt his presence.”

Miller struck hard and struck early. He tried to let opponents know it would be a long night on their first offensive series.

Miller suffered a broken leg as a freshman, but he started making his presence felt for North football as a sophomore.

As he got older and larger, he moved from the edge to the middle. Miller packs 195 pounds onto a compact 5-foot-10 frame and is built like a tank. He has excellent strength, good speed, flawless instincts and quick reactions.

“The biggest things I have going for me are my drive — no one is going to outwork me — and my eyes,” Miller said. “I’ve got really good football eyes. You can read a lot from the stances of the guards and the running backs. I can read plays early. I know where the play is supposed to go and I know where I need to get to.”

North (11-3) had a solid, early-season win at Anson. It wasn’t a road game many people expected North to win, but Miller came up big. He had four tackles for loss.

Miller had 16 tackles the following week against TW Andrews, an athletic team from High Point. That looked like a 50/50 game going in, but the Cavaliers pulled out a 20-14 victory.

The Andrews game began a streak for Miller. He had double-figure tackles in North’s last 11 games.

After North stumbled and barely edged South Davidson, only the guys on the North bus thought the Cavaliers could win at Thomasville, a team that had come close to knocking off Salisbury. But the Cavaliers upset Thomasville, a victory that would change the trajectory of their season. Miller’s fumble recovery at historic Cushwa Stadium was huge. So were his 14 tackles.

“Khor’on did a lot for us,” Sophia said. “As a fullback on offense, he’s a heck of a blocker and a physical runner. But it was on defense where he always stood out. That Thomasville game, like most of our games, he was right in the middle of everything.”

After taking-care-of-business Central Carolina Conference victories against East Davidson and West Davidson, the Cavaliers took on a vastly improved Lexington team that was talented enough to challenge them.

North beat the Yellow Jackets 21-14. Some of Miller’s finest moments came in that game. He had a season-high 18 tackles, with 17 solo stops. He had two sacks. He forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.

“I remember seeing a gap, shooting into the hole and forcing a fumble,” Miller said. “That was a great night.”

Salisbury drilled the Cavaliers the next week, but even in that setback, Miller had a dozen tackles.

Then North made its playoff run to the fourth round.

Miller was credited with 2.5 sacks against Corvian Community School in the second round.

In the third round, North beat a Mountain Heritage team with a great running QB, a team that was probably the best the Cavaliers beat all season. Miller was everywhere, making 16 stops.

The Cavaliers couldn’t slow down Robbinsville in the fourth round, even with Miller making 14 tackles.

“Those big mountain boys had a strong offensive line,” Miller said. “And that running back (Cuttler Adams) is a heck of an athlete.”

Near the end of the Robbinsville game, Miller went down with the knee injury.

“A lineman rolled up on my knee,” Miller said, wincing at the memory. “I know I’ve got surgery and rehab ahead of me, but it’s just a temporary setback. It’s not going to stop me from playing college football. There are coaches coming in to talk to me and my coaches. And they’ve got film.”

They’ve got film of 179 tackles.

Miller will miss the wrestling season. That’s painful for him. He was CCC champion at 182 pounds as a junior. Wrestling helped him become a great football player because wrestling taught him the value of leverage. In both sports, the lowest man wins.

Sophia is optimistic about next season, but he acknowledges that Miller isn’t a guy you can easily replace.

“He’s one of the best kids we’ve got in our program,” Sophia said. “A great young man, one of the best people I’ve had a chance to coach.”