TOLEDO, Ohio — Emmanuel Christian boys basketball felt the anticipation inside Parmelee Gymnasium leading up to a matchup with Anthony Wayne on Tuesday night.
Not only did the Warriors pass their toughest test so far with an 85-72 win, but in the process, Nate Miles III earned himself WTOL 11's Athlete of the Week honor.
In just his third game of his sophomore campaign, the sensational sophomore elevated to a new height.
"I started off slow and I didn't think I would do that well," Miles said. "I started to get myself going with some quick rebounds and putbacks. I just started going crazy."
Although his focus remained on capping the night off with a team win, the guard couldn't help but realize his rising production throughout the contest.
"I looked up in the third with like five minutes left, I saw I had 29," Miles said. "So, I just wanted to keep going."
As the game drew to a close, his tally kept going up. When the final whistle blew, Miles finished with a career-high 42 points.
"He's an incredible young man," head coach Sed Harris said. "What stuck out is that he wanted it more."
A memorable performance for this Emmanuel Christian phenom who understands the importance of leading by example.
"To be a leader on the team and make sure everybody is doing what they need to be doing in order to execute," Miles said. "If I execute then all of them will execute too."
The Warriors are now 3-0 on the young season and will return to action for a conference battle with Cardinal Stritch on Saturday. With a talent like Miles who now has this impressive experience to lean on, there's no telling what the rest of the year will hold.
"For him, it just gives him an extra boost of confidence, especially as a young player," Harris said. "Once we get to the playoffs, he can begin to think about playing against hard teams and doing this or that. It's just another game, I'm prepared for the moment."
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