By Rick Assad
It seemed that from anywhere on the football field, Burbank High’s Chase Miles was going to play an important role on offense and defense.
This was true on numerous occasions as the senior wide receiver had 30 receptions for 587 yards and a second-best 11 touchdowns.
With Miles on the field, the Bulldogs finished 9-3 and second place in the Pacific League behind Muir.
Burbank advanced to the second-round of the CIF Southern Section Division VI playoffs.
Miles, who played two seasons for the Bulldogs, was named all-league first team and second team, did whatever it took for the team to succeed.
“What I provided to make the team successful was my leadership and communication on the field,” he said. “I am a very talkative person, and I feel that helped a lot in football as I would communicate all the time on defense and help teammates who didn’t know the plays on offense.”
Miles, who also played outside linebacker and strong safety, averaged nearly nine tackles per game and was tied for second place in that category and had with three interceptions for second on the team and contributed and six breakups.
Why did Miles, who wants to play Division I college football, stand out among so many talented players on the Burbank team?
“I think I was able to do so well because I had great teammates around me,” he explained. “No matter if I messed up or made a great play they always had my back which made me up my play too.”
Getting to this point wasn’t easy and Miles was willing to take whatever steps necessary to make this past campaign a successful one.
“The journey started all the way from spring ball when we first started practicing for the season in the weight room,” he stated. “There were a couple new faces but everyone still worked hard and wanted to win a championship. Then in summer ball we played high competition every week, playing teams like Sierra Canyon and Cathedral, as we thought this was a great way to better ourselves, and it did.”
Miles continued on what it took to get better each and every game.
“Then as the season rolled around we had our scrimmage which was great, as everyone got playing time and performed. Then as the season progressed we faced a couple of setbacks like losing to Muir [58-28], but we kept our heads up and persevered, winning out until the playoffs,” he stated. “In the playoffs against Lancaster it was a hard fought team win [52-43], as it was a really close game and it took the whole team to come out on top.”
Miles then added: “Against Roosevelt, although it didn’t end how we wanted it to [14-13], everyone played their hearts out and we all came together as a team,” he said. “Overall the season was amazing as we all had one goal in mind and fought hard to accomplish it.”
Hector Valencia is in his second stint as Burbank’s head coach.
“Chase has one of the highest football IQs we’ve had the privilege to coach. Always able to correct and help players align properly. He has the respect of all the players because they see his work ethic and see that he is not all talk,” he said. “He truly backs it up in the weight room and is one of the strongest pound for pound players.”
Being prepared mentally and physically was crucial for Miles who wanted to excel regardless of the opponent.
“I approached every game the same way. I would start by watching film and dissecting who their best players are and what plays they run the most frequently,” he said. “Then I will identify which plays could give us trouble and how we can play to stop it. On game days, I always come out about an hour early to stretch and prepare for the game.”
Valencia also noted that Miles was smart and willing to help other players.
“He had a grade-point average above 3.0 and was always at practice and has the ability to play any position on the field,” he said. “On top of that he was one of the hardest hitters we had. He was fun to have on the field because he had an electrifying presence about him.”
Valencia continued: “He truly goes out of his way to help other players in the program without anyone telling him to do it. He will truly be missed, yes as a player, but more as a person,” he noted.
Burbank wasn’t a one-man team and that every player pitched in.
“We were all really in sync because we have all known each other since we were young,” Miles stated. “We used to play against each other constantly and in seven-on-seven we would play together so we had chemistry built up already. It also helps that we train together too.”
Miles’ prep football career is over but not the lessons reaped.
“What I learned from high school football is perseverance and always keeping your head up,” he said. “You never know what can happen in football, so no matter the outcome, you have to always be able to bounce back.”
Miles talked about what playing football means beyond just playing the game.
“The best thing about high school football is that it prepares you for life,” he said. “It shows you that there are ups and lows and you need to be able to deal with that and come back better.”
During the most recent season, a few contests resonated strongly with Miles.
“The games that I feel stand out would be Westwood and Galena, as we played two top 75 schools in the state of Nevada and Arizona and dominated,” he stated.
The Bulldogs defeated Westwood 41-27 and the following week knocked off Galena 52-9.
Miles had people in his corner and that meant everything.
“My mom [Cristal] is the person who helped me become the player that I am,” he said. “Throughout my whole life, she’s always been there to encourage me and help me even when I’m down. In football, she’s always there to help me with anything I need to succeed.”
As this season has concluded, Miles knows that it was special, and he hopes to make even more at the next level.
“What I will miss the most are the memories I made,” he said. “Whether at Chaminade or Burbank, I made a ton of memories with my teammates on and off the field.”
And that cannot be taken away.
