“It’s Miller time,” a popular slogan from a beer commercial, could also have been a headline for the game when Jeff Miller’s Northern Lehigh Bulldogs recently played Trevor Miller’s Lehighton Indians.

The competition was not just between the teams on the court; it was on between the benches with a father and his son.

To say the Miller family’s involvement in the game of basketball has spanned many years would be an understatement. Jeff has had a basketball in his hands for as long as he can remember. He played youth and high school hoops at Lehighton. He has coached youth travel ball. He was an assistant coach at the high school. He was head coach at Lehigh Carbon Community College for six years, and then assisted at Northern Lehigh before becoming the Bulldogs’ head coach six years ago.

“I think I was bouncing a basketball before I could walk,” he said with a laugh.

His son Trevor played for Lehighton’s district semifinal team while his dad was an assistant coach there. Trevor began his coaching career as a Lehighton assistant before moving over to Northern Lehigh as an assistant to his father, and now has returned to take over the Tribe’s program.

“Needless to say, my dad has had a huge influence upon me when I played and now when I coach,” he said.

Jeff had two nephews play D1 basketball. Greg played at Delaware, and Daniel, a McDonald’s All American, played at Maryland before transferring to become a starter at Notre Dame. There’s also Trevor’s wife, Jackie, an assistant girls coach at state champion Boyertown, and Jeff’s wife, Donna, who occasionally keeps the scorebook for his home games. With that, anyone can see that the Millers’ family basketball history is still being written.

Jackie and Trevor are expecting a baby girl, and you can bet there will be a little basketball somewhere inside the crib soon thereafter.

The father/coach and son/player phenomenon has never been an issue with Jeff and Trevor.

“When Trevor was in the third grade he was already dribbling the ball with both hands,” said Jeff. “He grew up watching and learning the game at many different levels.”

“As a kid, I think I was more in the gym than I was at home,” said Trevor. “My dad was a very fair coach. He showed me no favoritism. I had to earn a starting spot on the team. He’s a disciplinarian, intense and demanding of his players, and so am I.”

Although he pointed out that they are not the same person, Trevor has adopted many of Jeff’s practice drills, and their style of coaching is very similar.

“He’s been a great mentor to me, and I’ve learned so much about offense and defense from him.”

“Trevor was my assistant at Northern Lehigh for three years, and I knew he was ready to become a head coach, so when the job opened up at Lehighton, our alma mater, I told him it was his decision, but my advice was there may never be this opportunity again.”

As fate would have it, Lehighton played Northern Lehigh on the day after Christmas in a holiday tournament game.

“Of course there was some kidding with each other across the Christmas dinner table,” said Jeff.

“It was certainly unique,” said Trevor. “The family decided to wear neutral-colored clothes so as to not show favoritism to me or to my dad.”

Keeping it all in the family, Donna Miller kept the scorebook for the game, which was won by the Bulldogs — who eventually defeated Jim Thorpe on a buzzer-beater to win the tournament.

“Of course I prepared my team to shoot against his 3-2 zone defense, but we didn’t knock down enough shots,” said Trevor. “After the game I asked him what I could do to improve my offense and he told me to go back to the gym and have my players keep shooting over zone defenses.”

“To look across the gym and see my son coaching in that game was a very proud father moment for me,” said Jeff. “To win the game was bittersweet, not just because of us, but Trevor had coached every one of my players when he was our JV coach at Northern Lehigh.”

Off the high school courts, the father versus son competitiveness continues.

“I finally beat him one time in a game of horse at the park,” said Trevor. “He seemed happy that I finally won one, but I could tell he wasn’t too happy.”

“We play golf a lot,” said Jeff. “Trevor is also the golf coach at Lehighton and he beats me most of the time.”

Jeff and Trevor talk on the phone three times a day and Jeff goes to see Lehighton play whenever there is no conflict in their schedules.

“He’s very helpful and he’s very positive in everything he says to me,” said Trevor about his father.

“He’s not just my son,” said Jeff. “He’s my best friend, too.”

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WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES ... The Palmerton boys and Panther Valley girls basketball teams had already doubled their win totals from a season ago before the calendar flipped to 2018.

Both the Bombers and Panthers are off to 4-5 starts after winning just twice a year ago.

The improvement for the two teams isn’t just noticeable in their win totals, however. Both teams have been much more competitive even in the games they have lost.

Last season, Palmerton was outscored by an average of over 13 points a game. So far this season, the Bombers have been outscored by an average of less than one point per game (53.2-52.6).

The numbers are even more dramatic for Panther Valley. A season ago, Panther Valley was outscored by an average margin of almost 23 points a game. This season, the Panthers are being outscored by an average of just over a point per game (42.2-40.9).

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BRUTTO PASSES 700 ... Marian girls basketball coach Paul Brutto continues to surpass milestones.

Brutto won his 700th career game on the varsity level when Marian defeated Lincoln Leadership Academy on Dec. 11.

Brutto’s win total now sits at 703 wins, including 557 with the Fillies.

Brutto started his coaching career at Shenandoah Valley, earning 146 wins during 10 seasons with the Lady Devils.

He took over at Marian in 1991, and has been with the Fillies ever since. Brutto’s teams have been a perennial powerhouse, winning numerous Schuylkill League and District 11 titles during his tenure. Marian has played in four PIAA championship games under Brutto, winning the state title in 2008 by beating Mount Alvernia.

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BACK-TO-BACK MILESTONE WINS ... Jim Thorpe girls basketball coach Rob Kovac had a memorable trip to Orlando, Florida last month when the Olympians played in the KSA Holiday Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Jim Thorpe won two of its three games in the tournament and both proved to be milestone victories for Kovac.

On Friday (Dec. 15), Kovac earned his 100th win as the coach of the Olympians when they beat Oley Valley.

The following day, he earned his 200th overall win as a varsity coach (99 at Panther Valley, 101 at Jim Thorpe) when the Olympians beat Lincoln Park Academy.

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IN GOOD COMPANY ... The 44 points scored by Rene Figueroa against Weatherly on Dec. 19 was among the best single-game scoring performances in Panther Valley basketball history.

Figueroa’s big night was tied for the second-highest total by a Panther Valley boys basketball player and the fourth-highest by a PV player overall.

Christy Phillips scored 46 points on Feb. 9, 1980 against Freeland, Jimmy Mikovich had 45 against West Hazelton on Feb. 4, 1986, and Marlene Basiago had 45 points against Shenandoah on Dec. 15, 1972. Jimmy Trusa (against Mahanoy Area on Dec. 28, 1973), Basiago and Phillips, all also had 44-point games as well.

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INDIAN 1-2 PUNCH ... Lehighton girls basketball players Skylynn Faust and Aubrey Blasiak are off to strong starts this season, which has allowed both of them to close in on milestone scoring marks.

Faust, who is the second-leading scorer (26.3 points per game) in the coverage area this season, needs just 14 more points to reach the 1,000-point mark for her career. The Indians travel to Pottsville today and will host North Schuylkill on Friday.

Meanwhile, Blasiak is the fourth-leading scorer (17.9 ppg) in the area. She has 854 points in her career and could also top the 1,000-point mark this year.