SPRINGFIELD – The No. 2 Springfield Millers took control of their first-round playoff matchup immediately this past Saturday.
Darissa Romero Ah-Sam’s smooth perimeter shooting, along with a stifling defense that forced numerous turnovers, made the game’s outcome feel obvious early. At the end of the first quarter, the Millers led 18-1. By the time the final buzzer sounded, they had secured a 65-22 victory.
The Millers defense has been outstanding all year. Down the stretch, it has gone to another level, as coach Joe Williamson’s team has held four of its past five opponents below 25 points.
“We just want to put constant pressure on teams, and not let them get comfortable,” Williamson said.
After the game, the Millers players cut down the nets to celebrate winning their second league title in Williamson’s five full seasons leading the program. The other time was in 2023, when the Millers went on to win the state championship. The league title is one, but there are other similarities between that team and this year’s team: both were stellar defensively and were young, but hungry. In 2023, the Millers were second in Class 5A, allowing 35.9 points per game, while this year’s team is fourth at 36.0.
“We were more of a zone team last year. But this year, we’re more similar to that state championship team because of our man-to-man defense and our intensity,” Williamson said.
In 2023, the Millers had only two seniors and seven of their 13 players were underclassmen. This year’s team also has two seniors, with five of 12 players underclassmen. Those five include first-team all-league freshman Nuari Filipe, and honorable mention sophomore Lia Jones.
There may be parallels, but the Millers have a long way to go to reach the heights of that 2023 team. Romero Ah-Sam and Williamson will be searching for their second state titles, and the path’s second step is against Crook County on Thursday.
