DOYLESTOWN — Noah Miller didn't have a lot of individual expectations going into his first season as Central Bucks West's starting quarterback.

"The only expectation coming into the season was to come in and win games and have fun doing it," Miller said.

With Friday night's 35-7 victory over intradistrict rival Central Bucks East at War Memorial Field, Miller and the Bucks closed out the regular season 8-2 overall (6-1 in the Suburban One League National Conference) heading into the PIAA District One Class 6A playoffs. The Patriots' season ended at 4-6 (2-5 SOL).

CB West increased its all-time lead against CB East to 42-15. The Bucks have won the last seven head-to-head meetings.

Miller carried 10 times for 78 yards and had a 20-yard touchdown run, as well as two passing touchdowns to senior Devin McGowan (26 and 19 yards) on Friday.

Miller has rushed for 821 yards on 132 attempts (6.2 average) and eight touchdowns this season, in addition to passing for 707 yards on 41 completions with nine TDs and one interception.

"Noah’s ability to lead with passion and purpose is uniquely special," said CB West head coach Rob Rowan. "He's the best leader we've ever had. He practices like every night's Friday.

"... His relentless positive energy and high standards allows him to attack every day with the intention of getting better. And that is what he has done from the very moment he’s taken the reigns of the offense."

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Miller also had 30 tackles (19 solo), two for loss, at cornerback, as well as two pass breakups, prior to Friday.

Miller's coach thoroughly appreciates what he does for the Bucks.

"He leads our offense with poise and confidence," Rowan said. "He’s a dynamic weapon both with his feet and his arm.  He is an elite communicator ensuring we are always in sync on the back (defensive) end. ... He is a coach’s dream and deserves all the success that has come his way this year as he has worked tremendously hard throughout his time in our program."

Miller, a 17-year-old Doylestown resident, cites the 21-10 win over Neshaminy on Sept. 27 as perhaps his finest performance of the 2024 season. He ran the ball 19 times for 123 yards and scored one touchdown rushing and one on a 2-yard pass to senior running back Ryan Clemens.

"We were dealing with some injuries, so I felt like that was probably the best game with the way I led the team," Miller said. "I'm not always going to fill the stat sheet, but I always try to work toward being the best leader I possibly can be."

Miller just committed to playing college football at Division III Dickinson, where he could wind up being a nickel cornerback and majoring in business management.

He's hoping there will be plenty of games left in his high school career with CB West before thinking more about moving on to the next level.

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"It's been a ride," Miller said. "I've played with some of these guys since Pee Wee days with Lenape Valley. It's awesome being on this stage, playing with these guys and the chemistry we have. I love these guys."

The Bucks' only two losses this season have been via a 39-yard touchdown pass on the game's final play to undefeated Central Bucks South (22-17) and against Souderton (20-13) in Week 3 when the Big Red scored the game-winning TD with 77 seconds remaining.

Given the Bucks' regular season, Miller is optimistic that his team can make a deep playoff run after reaching the district championship in 2022 and semifinals a year ago.

"I'm not much of a what-if guy," Miller said. "… If we were to see these guys again, we feel we'd be ready for them. Our improvement from Week 1 has been astronomical. We're at a stage where we think we can compete with anybody in the district."

What it means for Central Bucks East

The Patriots needed a win to qualify for the district playoffs. They were willing but couldn't take advantage of some early opportunities or stop the Bucks when they needed to.

What it means for Central Bucks West

The Bucks finished the regular season 8-2 and will host a first-round playoff game against No. 14 Pennsbury on Friday night.

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Key play

Central Bucks East fumbled the ball and CB West senior Ryan Clemens recovered on a second-and-goal play from the 3-yard line with the Bucks leading 7-0 late in the first quarter.

By the numbers: Central Bucks East vs. Central Bucks West

CB West senior Devin McGowan scored a pair of receiving touchdowns on 26- and 19-yard plays from Noah Miller. On the 26-yarder, he caught the ball in the flat, made two defenders miss and bolted into the end zone. McGowan had three receptions for 47 yards and two carries for 47 yards, so he averaged 18.8 yards the five times he touched the ball on offense.

CB East sophomore running back Mike Price (190 carries for 1,250 yards, 6.6 average) is the Patriots' first sophomore to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since Alex Gibson (1,236) in 2013. He had 123 yards on 21 attempts and a 34-yard TD in the fourth quarter vs. West while taking a lot of direct snaps.

Game Balls

CB West senior Ryan Clemens ran for a game-high 148 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown, as well as recovered a fumble, was again solid on defense and converted all five extra points.

Bucks sophomore running back Shane McGuire nearly scored on the game's final play, when he was ruled down at the 1-yard line after a 41-yard jaunt around left end.

They said it

"We want to be playing our best football at this time of the year," said CB West head coach Rob Rowan. "We're definitely playing significantly better football than we were in the first half of the season. … We're excited about where we're at heading into the playoffs."

"We're very banged up and we're young," said CB East head coach John Donnelly. "I just told the kids I'm super proud of the way they played whistle to whistle all year long. … They (the Bucks) execute very well. You can't make mistakes against them."

What's next for Central Bucks West?

The Bucks will open the PIAA District One Class 6A playoffs Friday night (7) at War Memorial Field against No. 14 Pennsbury. West won at SOL National foe Pennsbury 27-6 on Oct. 4.

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly is a sports columnist for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: High School Football: CB West's Miller leads way for Bucks