By Solomon Crenshaw Jr. | Alabama News Center
Miles College Coach Sam Shade’s squad travels to face No. 1 Valdosta State (10-0) on Saturday at noon Central (1 p.m. Eastern) in the second round of the playoffs. The game will be available on ESPN Plus.
Miles continued a historic season last Saturday by hosting and winning for the first time in the NCAA Division II playoffs, taking down Carson-Newman 14-13 at Albert J. Sloan-Alumni Stadium.
During a press conference this week, Jaih Andrews got a chance to celebrate – his 22nd birthday.
The senior wide receiver on the Miles College football team remembered a sleepover with friends when he turned 9. This particular birthday fell on the day of the Alabama-Auburn football game and Andrews was a big Alabama fan.
“My mom, she actually went to the Iron Bowl game,” Andrews recalled. “It just so happened to be the year that Cam Newton came back from 21-0 (actually 24-0) and won the game.
“She brought me back a picture of the scoreboard because she’s an Auburn fan,” the Miles wideout said. “That’s my most memorable birthday present. I didn’t really like it and I didn’t really want it, but it was the most memorable.”
Derrick Davis, a freshman running back out of Pleasant Grove High, sings in the Miles Choir. Tuesday, he led the team in singing happy birthday to Andrews and others on the team who were born in November.
This year, Andrews shared his favorite birthday present with his fellow Golden Bears.
“I got my birthday wish already,” the Ramsay High School product said during a Tuesday press conference. “I wanted to be playing football on my birthday, so I’m very thankful for that.”
At 10-2, Miles has established a record for most wins in a season, eclipsing the 9-3 mark of the 2019 team. The team’s current 10-game win streak is the best single-season streak at Miles, surpassing the eight-game string of 1950.
Shade, in his third season at Miles, earned his first Coach of the Year award in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). Coincidentally, Shade’s first season included the only previous meeting between Miles and Valdosta State – a 55-7 home loss.
But Shade adheres to the principle that past performance is not indicative of future results.
“The thing about football (is) each team and each season is different,” he said. “That was the 2022 edition of the Miles College Golden Bears, and this is the 2024 edition of the Miles College Golden Bears. It’s two different teams.
“Some of our coaches weren’t here during that time,” Shade continued. “A number of players weren’t here. There’s really not a lot that we hang on that game. I haven’t even watched that game. Some of our coaches haven’t watched it because we’re so different now than we were then. And they’re different also. Valdosta is different.”
The coach said the bright lights and big stage of the playoffs don’t intimidate his squad.
“I feel like we’ve been in playoff mode for a long time this season,” he said. “When we went down to Tuskegee, we were definitely in playoff mode because we felt like we needed to win and keep winning in order to have a chance to get a home playoff game, to get at least to the fourth seed.”
And then there was the environment of the Tuskegee game, which Miles won 37-7 to take the SIAC crown.
“There were like 40-something thousand that bought tickets at Tuskegee,” Shade said. “I feel like our guys, we can go on the road and play just about anywhere. The crowd’s not going to get us. I don’t think the stage bothers our team.
“The stage doesn’t get too big because these guys enjoy it,” the coach continued. “There’s no pressure. There’s no feeling a little tight or tense. They just enjoy going out playing. I think when you get to that point, you’re past the pressure.”
Tickets to Saturday’s playoff game are available via the Miles Golden Bears website. Tickets are $8 for those 65 or older and young people from age 5 through college age. College students will need to show their school ID. General admission for everyone else is $12 with reserved seating going for $20.
