Advertisement

Miller named to pre-season all-MWC teams

Share

Two football publications selected Kwayde Miller to pre-season all-conference teams.

Athlon Sports and Phil Steele’s 2016 College Football Preview chose Miller, a 2012 Ramona High School graduate who is expected to be San Diego State University’s starting left tackle, to the pre-season Mountain West Conference third team.

“To me that stuff really doesn’t matter,” Miller said. “It’s not really like a big thing in my mind.”

Miller noted that being chosen to an all-conference team at the end of the season would be a more significant achievement, although he believes he can accomplish that goal if he continues to perform at the level he has been doing during the Aztecs’ pre-season practices.

“It won’t be very hard, too, when you have a running back like Pump (Donnel Pumphrey) to make you look good, especially with the O-line we have,” he said.

Three of last year’s five starting offensive linemen, including Miller, are part of the 2016 Aztecs.

“It’s still the same on the left side,” he said. “We have a pretty close bond.”

Miller, left guard Nico Siragusa and center Arthur Flores are all seniors this year. Miller and Flores became starters in 2015, while Siragusa also started all of the Aztecs’ 2014 games.

The other two starting offensive linemen from 2015 were seniors.

“The new guys are on the right side,” Miller said.

One of those new offensive linemen isn’t exactly new to the unit. Valley Center’s Daniel Brunskill will be making the switch from starting tight end to offensive lineman, although Brunskill was more of a blocking tight end than a receiving tight end during his first three years with the Aztecs.

“I feel like we’re going to have another successful year,” Miller said.

Last year the Aztecs finished the season with an 11-3 record, including victories in the Mountain West Conference championship game and in the Hawaii Bowl. San Diego State won all eight MWC games prior to defeating Air Force in the contest for the conference championship.

Every team desires to be the defending conference champion, although every other team in that conference sees its game against the defending champion as a benchmark.

“It makes us a target,” Miller said.

Miller noted that the Aztecs don’t think of themselves as targets but rather focus on each of the season’s games.

Pre-season practice began Aug. 8.

“We’re starting to get in our groove,” Miller said.

The Aztecs open their season Sept. 3 at home against the University of New Hampshire.

“I think by the end of camp we’re going to be looking pretty good,” Miller said.

Advertisement

At a time when local news is more important than ever, support from our readers is essential. If you are able to, please support the Ramona Sentinel today.