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By John Frederick
For the Mirror
Being 10 years younger, I came to know of Eddie Miller in a rather unusual way.
Hoping to compile a better historical record of the Bishop Guilfoyle Marauder boys basketball program, I began poring through the Altoona Mirror archives (on microfilm at the time) in 1974.
Though familiar with the teams of the previous eight seasons, dating back to my sister's senior year in 1967, much beyond that seemed like ancient history.
The Mirror acted as a time machine of sorts, introducing me to the teams and stars of the fifties and sixties.
It was the stroll through that time period that introduced me to Harold Steinbeiser, Len Zandy and Eddie Miller, three of the building blocks upon which a long-lived basketball tradition was built.
The Ruggery and Haigh brothers' place in this building project may seem far removed from those guys, now all departed, but I sense a connection.
Miller was the youngest of that triumvirate and they, and their teams, were the foundation on which the modern Marauders and their successes were built.
Eddie may have also been the most exciting to watch and still holds a place in Marauder history.
Through the first eight games of the 1963-64 season, Guilfoyle had won six times against a rugged schedule, and Miller had already piled up some impressive numbers.
A Jan. 3 contest at Bellwood-Antis, though, would be the most noteworthy. Verging on, but not quite a blowout after three quarters, Guilfoyle exploded for 31 fourth-quarter points, Miller scoring 22 by himself.
He ended up hitting 22 of 28 from the field, was a perfect 6-6 from the line and grabbed 19 rebounds.
The Mirror account of the game noted that four of his six misses were in close and a number of the makes were one-handers from the perimeter.
Imagine his total had he converted the four inside shots and gotten three points for the bombs beyond today's arc.
Even so, the 50-point outburst eclipsed Zandy's 41-point performance against Williamsburg three years before.
More amazingly, Miller's record still stands 58 years later.
His 28.6-point per game average remains among the highest ever in the region.
His legacy, however, stretched far beyond his basketball career at Bishop Guilfoyle or Ole Miss, for it was difficult to find a better person than Eddie Miller.
He and his equally kind and pleasant wife, Sue, raised three of the best kids you'll ever meet.
I had the pleasure of teaching his daughter Erin late in my career at Bishop Guilfoyle, and she was an extraordinary student on top of being a delightful young lady.
Eddie was a generous businessman, often quietly doing what he could to help those having difficult times.
And he was a supporter (both as a fan and financial backer) of both Marauder and Lady Marauder basketball for many years, even long after his two hard-working and unselfish basketball-playing sons, Ryan and Patrick, graduated.
One of my fondest memories is sitting with Eddie during Lady Marauder games after my coaching days had ended.
We'd often end up sitting next to each other in the front row in the corner of the Pleasant Valley Gym, quietly lamenting the Lady Marauders' mistakes and smiling with satisfaction when they played their best.
While I'll miss those courtside conversations, I also know Eddie will never be far from that first row of the bleachers, the court that he graced, or the people he touched.
Before spending time with Eddie Miller in the first row, John Frederick coached the Bishop Guilfoyle girls basketball team from 1981-91 and occasionally contributes to Voice of the Fan.