By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Note: Key information provided by respected Windham historian and alumni chapter president George Belden. A special and sincere thank you from Portage Sports to George Belden.

The Windham Hall of Fame will induct two new members this weekend.

Jerry Miller and Jerry Kiser are the Class of 2022 and will be recognized on Friday during the Bombers’ boys basketball home game against Champion.

Miller graduated in 1965 and was a three-sport standout for the Bombers, playing football (receiver), basketball (point guard) and baseball (infielder).

Miller, who was noted as the tallest point guard in Portage County, helped lead the 1964-65 basketball team, which was coached by Bob Jordan, to a 22-2 record. He played alongside fellow standouts Greg McDivitt Sr., Roger Stier, Bruce Rininger and Ray Ruff.

Miller also regularly drew the assignment of guarding Windham’s opposing team’s best player.

“Jerry Miller, our captain, is the guy who carries this ball club,” Bob Jordan told a newspaper reporter. “He’s the best defensive player in Portage County.”

The 64-65 Bombers advanced to the regional championship and Miller was named All-Portage County League.

He was also All-PCL in football for the 1964 Bombers team that finished second overall in the league.

In baseball, Miller lettered all four years under head coach Leo Kot. During his senior season, Miller led the team in batting average and was named All-PCL.

As a senior, Miller was the team captain for the basketball, football and baseball teams.

After graduation, Miller worked as the Vice President of Operations in the plastics industry. He has since retired and lives in the south with his wife Lisa. The couple have four children and two grandchildren.

Kiser graduated in 1972 and played four years for the Bombers’ football team. While he made an impact on the gridiron as a player, his impact as a coach has stretched over three decades.

He began as Windham’s line coach in 1989 and eventually became the program’s defensive coordinator, helping lead the team to the playoffs four times between 1999 and 2003.

Kiser was named the head coach from 2006-2009. He remains an assistant coach at the high school and is also the junior-high coach.

Kiser was also Windham’s baseball head coach for 13 years, beginning in 1993, building the Bombers into a state power.

Under Kiser’s guidance, the Bombers won 10 sectional titles, three district championships and reached the Final Four two times.

The 2002 Windham baseball team finished as the Division IV runner-up.

Kiser recently retired from Harbison-Walker, working for the company for almost 50 years. He has been married to his wife Kim since 1974 and they have two children and four grandchildren.