Mighty Miele?
ADAMS TWP — After his fine sophomore season in 2008, some believe Mars fullback Austin Miele will make history before he graduates.
But he's already done it.
Miele began last season as the team's starting wingback, but moved to fullback midway through 2008 when senior Shane Kaclik was lost with a leg injury.
By the end of the season, which included a trip to the WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinals, Miele became the first sophomore in school history to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a season, gaining 1,080 yards and adding nine touchdowns.
The numbers earned Miele a spot on the Butler Eagle's Sweet 16 Offensive All-Star Team.
Could he be the next to earn the Butler Eagle Scoring Trophy?
"He gained yards for us as a wingback before moving to fullback," said Mars head coach Scott Heinauer. "But 1,000 yards as a sophomore, that's an achievement. We've had some great backs, but they never accomplished that."
The coaches knew Miele would play a big part in the team's future, even before the 2008 season officially began.
"We scrimmaged Beaver Falls last year and on the very first play, Austin took the ball and ran 80 yards for a touchdown," said Planets running backs coach Scott Pfeiffer. "He showed us from day one that he knew the offense and had a lot of ability."
Heinauer planned to move Miele to fullback in 2009, but the switch came early because of Kaclik's injury.
"The switch wasn't all that hard to make because I knew the playbook," said Miele. "Plus, I had played fullback on the freshman team."
The ground game has been the focal point of Mars' offense since Heinauer became head coach in 1992. But if teams thought Miele was tough to bring down last year, they're in for a surprise.
"He's improved his speed," said Heinauer. "He ran a 4.5 in the 40 (yard-dash) this summer."
"I spent the offseason working to build speed and strength," Miele said. "My goal is 1,500 yards this season. That's what Shane was shooting for before he got hurt and that's what I'm going for. I'd also like to get to 20 touchdowns."
Miele, who also plays basketball and is a sprinter and long jumper on the track and field team, didn't only make an impact while carrying the football. He also led the Planets with 13 receptions for 193 yards, including two scores.
"He's our best runner, blocker and receiver," said Pfeiffer. "There's no weaknesses in his game. He's a complete player."
And he's only a junior, which begs the question: Where will his name be on Mars' all-time rushing list two years from now?
Will it be right beside names like Billy Bair, Brad Mueller and Paul Ferrese?
"I'm not even close to what those guys did in their careers here," said Miele. "I'd like to be there when I'm done, but I try not to think about it. Most of my yards come from the guys up front."
