“I feel very blessed to have had so many opportunities,” Mills said. “That trip gave me a lot of time to think about everything. I want to be challenged, and I know the Air Force Academy will do that. I've thought about it a lot, and I feel good about my decision. I'm excited about it, and I'm looking forward to it.”
Another thing Mills feels good about is his upcoming senior season with the PHS football team. Mills and his teammates are eager to return to the field to make amends for what proved to be a difficult 2007 season in which PHS endured a 3-6 record. That mark came one year after the Panthers reached the pinnacle of the Class 4A football in Wyoming by winning the state championship.
Mills and company recently returned from a team camp at Blacks Hills State University, and he said the experience was a good one and should be a tone setter for the upcoming season.
“We did really well,” Mills said. “I think we surprised ourselves. A lot of what we're doing on offense is new to us, but everything seemed to click well for us. Last year was a tough season, but I think we'll do a lot better this time around. We've got a good group of seniors.
We're all really close, and we've got good chemistry. We aren't going to be very big, but I think we'll make up for that with our speed and aggressiveness. I think it will be a fun year.”
The good news for Mills is that the decision as to where he will pursue his college career has been made. That, he said, will eliminate something that had the potential to be a distraction during the season.
“That's a huge weight off my shoulders,” Mills said. “It's been a year since I got that first offer (from the University of Wyoming). It's been a long road, and I'm glad to get it done. Now I can focus on the upcoming season and a strong finish.”
Mills will enter the 2008 season after garnering All-State and All-Conference honors as a junior. During that campaign, he registered a team-leading five interceptions and paced the Panther defense with 16 defensive points per contest.
As a sophomore, he filled a number of key roles on both sides of the ball during the Panthers' 2006 state championship season. That year he was the Panthers' leading receiver with 24 catches for 409 yards and six touchdowns, which also placed him among the top pass catchers in the state. Defensively, he snagged four interceptions. He capped the season by earning All-State and All-Conference honors.