Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Nedrose senior quarterback Ethan Miller (7) celebrates with sophomore offensive lineman Ethan Brevik (54) after a touchdown during Friday evening’s game against South Prairie in Nedrose.

With a palpable buzz drifting through the air, Nedrose senior quarterback Ethan Miller brought Cardinals fans to their feet on homecoming night.

Miller dashed down the field for two first-half touchdowns for Nedrose (2-2) during Friday evening’s 26-12 triumph over South Prairie (0-3). Although those rushes impressed the spectators, Miller’s act of sportsmanship at halftime left an indelible impact.

Nominated as a member of Nedrose’s homecoming court, Miller stood alongside senior linebacker Mick Kalamaha. Right before Kalamaha was crowned as homecoming king, Miller yelped with excitement and embraced his teammate.

The moment was fleeting, but it displayed leadership and character — two critical traits for not just quarterbacks, but all student-athletes.

“That’s my guy,” Miller said. “Me and Mick have been friends since we were in the seventh grade. There was no way I wasn’t going to do that for him.”

The Cardinals forced a fumble on the second play from scrimmage. Just a few minutes later, Miller sprinted down the field for a 30-yard score.

In the second frame, Nedrose junior running back Cameron Bailey plowed into the red zone. Bailey’s work on the ground set up Miller’s four-yard touchdown.

Holding a 12-0 lead at the intermission, the quarterback and his teammates enjoyed their unique opportunity to celebrate each other.

“A lot of these guys are pretty close,” Cardinals head coach Tommy Weidler said. “They’re good buddies. That’s something we talk about — doing stuff for each other. Doing stuff together as one unit. That’s just kind of a sign of what we’re trying to do as a group. We’ll be happy for one person’s success.”

Bailey provided some breathing room with a 38-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Eager to respond, the Royals began the fourth frame with their first score of the evening.

After senior wide receiver Kaden Korgel hauled in a touchdown pass, South Prairie trailed 20-6.

Nedrose countered with a score of its own. Junior defensive back Joe Roberts snagged an interception before sophomore running back Gavin Ball punched in a rushing touchdown.

Korgel added his second score with 35 seconds to play, but Nedrose snatched the ensuing onside kick. The Cardinals knelt out the clock with the 26-12 victory in hand.

“It was homecoming, so there’s a little extra to it for the boys,” Weidler said. “Now, we’re 2-0 in the region. That’s where we wanted to be after the first two games. We did a lot of things well tonight. There’s a lot of things we’ve got to work on and get fixed.”

While Nedrose students encouraged the players after the victory, Miller beamed with pride.

“I came out tonight with the attitude of trying to get everybody knowing that we need this one,” he said. “We’re seniors. This is our last chance. We’ve got to win this thing.”

Both teams will play road games at 7 p.m. next Friday. South Prairie will travel to Tioga, while Nedrose will face Des Lacs/Burlington.

Jimmy Lafakis covers Minot High School sports and Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JJLII30.