MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Getting offers to play sports after high school can be tough no matter the circumstances, but it can be especially difficult when transferring to a new school for senior year. 

Such is the case for John Milledge graduate Keontay Miles who really wanted to play basketball at the college level, but was having a tough time finding a home. The regular signing period usually begins in April each year, but many people don’t realize that after the big names sign there is still a great deal of recruiting that takes place. Players dreaming of continuing their careers attend workouts overseen by college coaching staffs in hopes of catching their attention. The JMA graduate was one such player until his hard work paid off in the form of a scholarship offer from Brewton-Parker College, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) member school located in Mt. Vernon. 

Miles accepted and will play at the varsity level for the Barons beginning in October.

“It means a lot because a lot of schools slept on me,” Miles said via phone interview. “They (Brewton-Parker) saw what I can do and gave me an opportunity.”

His former head coach said Miles’ upbeat makes him an asset to any team.

“He was a just a huge energy player for us in games and maybe even more importantly every day in practice,” said JMA head boys’ basketball coach David Gallagher, who coached Miles in his senior season. “He’s just a high-energy person who always had a great attitude and was very coachable. I had him in the classroom this past year as well and he had that same positive attitude every day at school. He’s just a great person to be around, so I was very happy for him to get the opportunity at Brewton-Parker.”

Miles averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds during the Trojans’ region portion of their 2016-17 schedule, which was a big boost to the team and helped them earn the Region 4-AAA championship. His high-energy play and hustle really benefited JMA on the defensive side of the floor as well as rebounding. 

“There were a couple of games where we were in desperate times and had to extend our defense, trap, and try to run the floor to create turnovers, that he came up huge for us in a couple of region games,” Gallagher added. “As he got more comfortable with our system he got a little bit more comfortable taking risks on the defensive end of things to create plays for us.

“I’m super happy that Keontay’s getting this opportunity to continue playing basketball. He worked his tail off to get this opportunity and he definitely earned it. I know he’s going to do well because he’s loving what he’s doing, so I wish him all the best.”

Miles and the Brewton-Parker Barons begin the 2017-18 season Oct. 27 at Warner University in Lake Wales, Fla.