RAY SWANSON | KEYSTONER Happy Father's Day to Coach Dave Miller

Father's Day is a very appropriate time to honor former Sharon High School basketball standout Dave Miller.
In a way, he has served as the father of hundreds of young basketball players in his 35 years of coaching on the prep and collegiate levels.
During his coaching career in Maryland, Miller has guided Poolesville to the 1978 Class C championship game. And later at Walkersville, he led his Lions' team to Class C state titles in 1984 and 1986.
At present, he is coaching on the collegiate level at Frederick Community College, where he continues to remain on the winning track.
In his overall coaching record, he has gained more than 500 basketball victories. He is one of the Maryland area's most successful basketball coaches.
The beginning
Dave began his coaching career at Poolesville (12 years) and then moved to Walkersville, leaving that position in 1993 to move up to collegiate ball at Frederick Community College.
On Feb. 1, 2003, Dave was introduced into the Frederick County YMCA's Alvin G. Quinn Sports Hall of Fame, along with seven other area sports figure who have contributed greatly to the area's sports scene.
In his first 11 years at Poolesville, where his team continually had to play larger schools, he posted a 123-139 record.
Then at Walkersville, he won 224 and lost but 73.
On the collegiate level, he shows a 158-115 record.
In 33 years, he has had just six losing seasons, only one since he departed from Poolesville.
One of his former players at Walkersville was Derek Shackelford, who had some nice words to say about his former coach.
"I think the big reason for his success is that he cares for his players," Shackelford said. "He treats them as people first and not basketball players."
Recalling Miller's games
I remember covering Miller's games at Sharon High when the Tigers were operating under the late Tiger coach Bud Laycock and Dan Bennett.
Dave was a keen competitor then and his attitude most certainly spilled over into his coaching career.
Miller's wife, Lois, sees some changes in Dave's composure since he joined the collegiate ranks.
"He is more intense now and he yells more than he did in high school," she said with a smile.
In his early coaching years, he even had to drive his teams to away games.
"I even had to take classes on driving the school van," Miller said.
Miller graduated from Sharon High in 1964 and Edinboro State in 1968 after making the team as a walk on.
He eventually earned a scholarship and was team captain his senior year. It was then that he decided on coaching at Poolesville.
Dave is the son of Shirley Miller and the late Russell Miller of Memorial Boulevard, Sharon.
Missed the bus
Shifting the subject to high school track, here is an interesting slice of life.
I don't know his name, or if he won, placed or lost, but his story is one for the books.
The young Greensville high School athlete, competing on the Trojan 4x800 relay team in the District 10 Track and Field Championships staged at Hickory High recently, apparently missed the team bus to go to the meet.
What should he to do? Get out the old bicycle?
Yes, that's what he decided. Whatever it takes. He competed in the event, about 15 miles later.
Hickory's Paul Sanders verified the story saying he saw the boy's bicycle chained up down below the Hornet track. Talk about endurance, backbone grit and fortitude. This Greensville High athlete had 'em all.