Northwest male athlete of the year: Scotty Miller, Barrington

As the boys track and field season started to wind down, Barrington coach Todd Kuklinski was reminded that he should enjoy the last few weeks of the season.

What made it even more special was he had the chance to watch one of the best sprinters in the history of the Mid-Suburban League in Scotty Miller.

"I sat and reflected about what he did and that every time he raced we came to expect something great from him," Kuklinski said. "Nine out of ten times, it did happen."

Broncos football coach Joe Sanchez reflected as well on the impact one of his star pupils had during the last season's Class 8A state football playoff run for Barrington. It was one play in particular that Sanchez will remember for some time.

During the Broncos' second-round playoff contest at Maine South, Barrington trailed early on 7-0. On the ensuing kickoff, as Sanchez described it, "you could just see a small little crack and he was through it and gone," Sanchez said. "In a flash he changed the whole game."

His unique ability to turn heads, draw a "wow" from the crowd and make others follow his lead is why Scotty Miller is the Daily Herald's Northwest male athlete of the year.

Miller was also the male athlete of the year for Barrington this school year.

"To me this is a very big deal," Miller said. "To be honored like this and to forever be known for what I was able to accomplish is something I never thought would happen, and I am so blessed."

The story for Miller started during his sophomore season. On the football field, he caught the eyes of the coaching staff during late-season workouts - so much so that he was called up to the varsity roster for the state playoffs.

"We were just watching him move through the drills and I had to ask my sophomore coaches, 'Who is this kid?" Sanchez said. "Three years later I look like a genius."

The move to bring Miller up was first on the defensive side, but later, with the move to offense and ultimately to the return spot, is when Miller began to show the elite speed and elusiveness that made him a player to watch.

"I can remember a few plays where he turned a simple play into a touchdown," Sanchez said. "One play in particular vs. Conant, he caught a screen pass and it was like he was shot out of a cannon."

And the Maine South game? Miller remembers that day for more than just the touchdown.

With the 21-7 win Barrington moved on in the playoffs, but later that night while celebrating with his friends, Miller had one more thing to celebrate.

"I was celebrating the win with my teammates and my phone rang - it was the receivers coach at Bowling Green offering me a full ride," Miller said.

Though his numbers of last season were certainly impressive - 17 total touchdowns, 1,361 all-purpose yards and captain of the all-area team - the recruiting picture hadn't been particularly busy for him. South Dakota State, North Dakota State and Western Illinois came calling, but in the end, Bowling Green felt like home. So two days later, he committed.

That decision meant Miller's track days would be coming to an end after high school, and what a legacy he leaves.

Miller advanced to the state meet three times in his career, earning six medals in his career in sprint relays and the individual 100 and 200 dashes.

During his final season, he turned heads like no sprinter in the history of the Mid-Suburban League. With each race, his 100 time kept dropping and dropping, making him one of the elite sprinters in the country. His 10.53 clocking will likely endure quite a while as the fastest ever in the MSL. Likewise for his 21.25 time in the 200.

One of his most memorable track moments came on the biggest stage of the season, in the state prelims of the 400-meter relay.

As the anchor, Miller took the baton from fellow senior Griffin Claes in fourth place. That changed in a moment that few in attendance at O'Brien Field that afternoon will ever forget. Like a flash, Miller blew by the field in a mind-blowing 9.96 anchor leg to lead the Broncos to the heat win.

"I had coaches come up to me after that telling me that was one of the most amazing relay legs they had ever seen," Kuklinski said. "You could just tell that the crowd was just in awe of what he did."

Unfortunately, one race later, while competing in the prelims of the 100 meters, Miller strained his right hamstring. It eliminated any hope he had of repeating the relay leg or running later that day in the 200.

"I learned that nothing ever is given to you - I learned that from my dad," Miller said. "It definitely didn't end the way I had hoped. I felt like I could have done some amazing things down there."

Though the finish to the football season and track season didn't end in storybook fashion for Miller, it hardly diminishes the accomplishments of one of the very best athletes to come through Barrington.

While football is now his priority, it's hard to picture Miller truly being finished on the track.

"I don't know that in a year or two he may not find his way to a track again, just to test himself," Sanchez said. "I know he will miss it and that would be expected because of the success he had."