School work, a job, basketball and track kept Ethel senior Takia Miller busy, at least until the premature end of the school year. But she is not bitter about not being able to compete in the state track meet nor enjoy many of the memorable events that are part of a senior's final year of high school.
“I feel like God has something planned for us,” she said. “He is going to make us stronger as a class.”
Despite her diminutive stature – she's 4-foot-11 – Miller has played varsity basketball for four years and was the Lady Tigers' starting point guard this year.
“She's one of those players who kind of fills the stats sheet in different ways with her hustle and her leadership,” said Ethel coach Corey Parish. “I doubt if she has missed a game or a practice in two years. She's always there. She gets hurt in games and you have to carry her off the court. Still, she will be back in a little bit. She's durable.”
It was not always easy for Miller, at least not in her own mind. “I was really discouraged when I started. I thought I wasn't good enough.”
She credits Parish for changing her outlook. “He was there to encourage me. At times when I thought I wasn't good enough, he was there to push me even harder and tell me that I would be on top one day. He told me that he was proud of me and that made me feel better.”
Parish said, “She is a huge reason we have been district runner-up and made the second round of the playoffs in basketball over the past two seasons. Takia leads our team in minutes played, three pointers made and is second in scoring at 7.5 points per game.
“On top of all that, she is an excellent and hard-working student with a wonderful attitude, and she holds a job at Popeye's while doing all this. She will be missed greatly by Ethel High School and the Lady Tiger program.”
In track she runs the 400, finishing eighth at last year’s 1A state meet, and legs on the 800 and 1600 relays. “With her stature, she might not be built for the 400, but she works extremely hard at getting herself in shape every year and she's a valuable member of the 4 by 200 and 4 by 400 teams,” said Parish, who also coaches girls’ track.
The 800 team won South State last year and was third at the state meet, helping the Lady Tigers to a 10th place finish.
“Basketball has always been my heart. I just love watching it.” she said, adding that Kobe Bryant was her favorite player.
Track, she said, is really fun. “You get to meet new people and you get to experience new things.”
On top of all this is her job at the Popeye's in Kosciusko. Before the shelter in place order, she worked five days a week beginning at 4 p.m. and sometimes staying until closing. Now she has been cut back to one or two days a week.
Her boss and her coaches enabled her to juggle job, sports and school work by working around her many schedules.
She has tried to keep busy since school closed, running when she can. “I have been running errands for my mom. I clean and cook around the house, stuff like that. I don't like being bored, sitting at home.”
Miller plans to attend either Holmes Community College or East Central Community College, with a goal of being a physical therapist.
