No. 12 Spartanburg coach Chris Miller returns home to face No. 25 Byrnes

Video: Top 10 Games of the Week

They moved Friday's national showdown between South Carolina powers Spartanburg (S.C.) at Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) to Thursday night due to expected bad weather.

It might help with anxiety for Spartanburg head coach Chris Miller as well.

No, per conversation or outward appearance, the 57-year-old Miller appears extremely calm and cool. But inside, the former Byrnes head coach, who led the Rebels to four state championships and national acclaim before leaving in 2012, must be doing somersaults.



Not only are some of his former players still at Byrnes, but his son and daughter graduated from school there. He still lives in Lyman, about a 10-minute drive to Byrnes, which is 5-0 and No. 25 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.

Spartanburg, a defending state champion, is 5-0 and ranked No. 12.

"Of course it's emotional," he said Tuesday by phone. "I spent a lot of time over there. You go back and play against the kids you taught, it pings at your heart a little."

He started his coaching career at Byrnes in 1981 and was the program's defensive coordinator and associate coach for three seasons before taking over for highly successful Bobby Bentley as head coach in 2007.

Miller won four state crowns in six seasons, compiled a 78-11 record and played a national schedule before taking the job just 20 minutes down the road in Spartanburg, a place where he helped win a state championship in 2001 as an assistant coach. He was an assistant for the Vikings from 1998-2004.

"I was just looking for a new challenge," Miller said of his switch from Byrnes to Spartanburg. "They had great administration and facilities. My kids had grown up and it wasn't an easy choice. It was just a time of life thing and another opportunity."



Spartanburg won five state titles under coach Doc Davis from 1991 to 2001, but then struggled from 2007 to 2012, going a combined 30-44 before Miller took the reigns. He's brought over five assistants from Byrnes.

"There was a lot of work to do," he said. "But it was exciting and fun to try to turn things around."

After a 6-6 season, Miller led the Vikings to a 12-3 mark last season and the AAAA Division II state title. They started the season at No. 18 in the MaxPreps Preseason Xcellent 25 and have climbed behind a high-powered offense that averages 46 points and 465 yards per game (371 through the air).

Senior quarterback Austin Scott (106 of 156 for 1,810 yards and 22 touchdowns) is a National Player of the Year contender and a three-year starter. Clemson-bound running back Tavien Feaster has been more effective as a receiver (21 catches, 446 yards, six TDs) than a rusher (41-299-4).

Last season, Feaster (6-foot, 193 pounds) was one of the nation's few combined 1,000-yard rushers (1,153 yards and 15 TDs) and receivers (1,016 yards and 11). He's rated the nation's No. 1 all-purpose back by 247Sports.

"We changed everything on both sides of the ball," said Miller, who heads up the defense like he did at Byrnes. "Spartanburg was a dominating running football team when we got here and now we're a dominating throwing team. They ran a 4-3 defense and now we're 3-4.



"We basically installed the same things we had at Byrnes. We also tried to change the culture and the work ethic. And we added a strength coach."

Miller anticipates seeing mirror images of the Vikings when they face off against Byrnes, which features dual-threat quarterback Micah Young (6-0, 180) along with talented receiver Chavis Dawkins and back Jaylan Foster.

Young and Dawkins connected for touchdowns on their team's first three plays in a big 31-29 win over previously ranked Mallard Creek last month.

"It's really like we're playing ourselves," Miller said. "It's the same system. Many of our coaches taught them and they basically installed the same thing, with some minor differences."

Miller hopes for a different outcome than the two previous games against his former team. Byrnes won the 2013 game against Spartanburg 35-3 and last season it pulled out a barnburner of a game, 45-41.

Though the personal nature between coaching staffs is intriguing, Miller said the game is much bigger than that.



"It's No. 1 and 2 in the state right here in the same county," he said. "Both teams are nationally ranked. It should bring a lot of attention to South Carolina, so that's a good thing. It's definitely a big game and carries a lot of pride in the region.

"It's what you put all the work in for. Both sides have put in a lot. As a competitor, this is what you want. It's exciting. I can't wait."