Finally, a happy camper

Hanging out near the discus cage last Saturday at Glenbard West's Jim Arnold Invite, Wheaton North graduate Akim Millington waxed nostalgic.

"It's like home," said Millington, a former all-state offensive lineman and discus slinger.

"Football and track, it's what I do."

The big guy, who ended his college football career with Illinois in the Rose Bowl after leaving Oklahoma, looked and sounded alert despite an anxious, sleep-deprived Friday night -- the eve of the NFL Draft.

The 304-pounder was tense.

"I feel like I drank 30 Red Bulls," he said.

Realistically, Millington had hoped to be selected in the latter stages of Sunday's portion, rounds 3-7.

That call never came. But by Tuesday afternoon…

"I'm sleeping well," he said, having just hung up with his agent, who put the wraps on a free-agent contract with the New Orleans Saints.

The Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles all had shown interest in Millington up through the draft.

Millington said Baltimore called him Sunday, hinting he'd be chosen in a late round. Instead the Ravens took his former teammate at Oklahoma, back Allen Patrick, in the seventh round.

"I had no idea the Saints were looking at me whatsoever," he said.

Now he hopes to one day join the same rotation as his step-brother, All-Pro left tackle Jammal Brown, whom Millington backed up at Oklahoma.

"My mom's like, 'Here we go all over again, just like college,' " he said.

Yes and no. Millington has his degree in sociology with a focus in history. If football doesn't pan out he's ready to set out on a career as a school teacher and a coach.

On Tuesday, though, he found it hard to believe he was bound for an NFL rookie camp.

"I feel like I'm on Cloud 9 right now," Millington said.

His feet remain on the ground.

"Even though I signed a contract I'm going to go in every day like it's a job interview," he said. "Every single day is a job interview."

Simply fabulous

St. Francis middle blocker Megan Barnicle, bound for Notre Dame, and Naperville North outside hitter Colleen Ward (Florida) were named to Volleyball Magazine's 2008 girls "Fab 50" list. Their Sports Performance teammate, Kelly Murphy of Joliet Catholic, was named Fab 50 captain.

Yet another "SPRI" athlete, Benet junior middle blocker Jessica Jendryk, was among Volleyball Magazine's "25 Underclassmen to Watch."

The 2008 boys "Fab 50" list will be out in July.

Salute the Cadet

Over the weekend of April 10-13 in Akron, Ohio, Fenton junior Josh Castellano won the FILACadet Nationals in Greco-Roman wrestling at 135 pounds.

Castellano, who went 39-5 with the Bison this winter and reached the consolation bracket second round at the Illinois Class AA individual championships, was named the outstanding wrestler at the FILACadet meet.

In other wrestling news, the National High School Wrestling Duals: The Clash VII, will be held Jan. 2-3, 2009, in Rochester, Minn. Of the 32 teams, 22 finished 2008 ranked either first or second in their state within their class.

Along with Montini (No. 1 in Class AA by Illinois Matmen) and Glenbard North (No. 2), Neuqua Valley (No. 4) will represent Illinois, with Mt. Carmel.

The Century Club

With a 6-0, 6-0 win at first singles on Tuesday, Naperville Central senior tennis player Tyler Hoffman earned his 100th varsity win.

Field of dreams

Neuqua Valley's football field was among 20 nationwide and one of three in Illinois to earn the 2007 Field of Excellence Award from Pioneer Athletics.

Those responsible are head groundskeeper Jeffrey Pareja and his assistant, Doug Engfer, who had to submit their entry in December.

"The guys take great pride in what they've accomplished," said Neuqua Valley athletic director Barb Barrows.

"A lot of hours go into maintaining the fields. Unfortunately, a lot of times people don't take into account what goes on behind the game."

The groundskeepers must detail their maintenance procedures in addition to meeting the obvious aesthetic requirements. Photos are sent with the application.

A Pioneer representative scouted the field prior to Neuqua's 2007 football opener.

"They're looking for perfection, basically," Pareja said. "And at that point, right before the first game of the season, we were at that peak. And that's what they do expect at Neuqua."

Of course, rains struck the field hard, and Pareja, Engfer and a couple of assistants dug a drainage trench in the south end of the field. They've seeded and re-seeded the area to make it spiffy for 2008.

On Aug. 29 the Wildcats' home football opener against defending Class 8A champion Naperville North, Neuqua's field and its manicurists will be honored at halftime.

"It's a good honor," Pareja said, "because we've put a lot of work into this field."

Friendly rivals

Jeff Brooke and Jack LeGrand are among the nicest guys you'll find in prep sports.

They have been rewarded with coaching jobs at Wheaton Academy and Timothy Christian, respectively.

Brooke, 24, a former all-area athlete who graduated from Wheaton Academy in 2002 and from Taylor University in 2006, has been named the Warriors' boys soccer coach. He succeeds Dave Underwood, who will be heading to Sterling College in Vermont.

Brooke, three weeks shy of his first wedding anniversary with the Warriors' softball coach, the former Rachel Keating, worked with Victory Sports Camps upon his college graduation.

He returned to teach at Wheaton Academy, where for two years he was the sophomore boys soccer coach. He's assisting the typically strong girls team.

"I've found that the best way to lead young men is to demand that high level of excellence by building a team chemistry and accountability within the group," said Brooke, whose degree is in communications studies. A graduate degree in ministry leadership is halfway finished.

"It's so easy not to demand the best of yourself," he said.

Timothy Christian made the logical step of naming LeGrand as new varsity boys basketball coach.

LeGrand, whose eldest child, Kari, is a freshman at Timothy, was the 11-year assistant to Jeff Powers, who resigned his coaching spot after this past season.

The transition should be smooth. LeGrand has been Timothy's eighth-grade boys basketball coach at the same time, all along.

"The style or overall philosophy of the program is going to be the same," he said. "We want to make men of integrity at Timothy, that's the first and foremost thing."

LeGrand, a coach for 20 of his 42 years who countered Powers for a couple years at the eighth-grade level with Southwest Chicago Christian Schools in Oak Lawn, points to the things he and Powers share as coaches -- competitiveness, work ethic, maximizing potential.

But he realizes that being "good cop" to Powers' "bad cop," those days are done.

"I'm not naïve enough, I've been the good guy," LeGrand said. "My job's been to pick the kids up, pat them on the back. Jeff's job was to make the touch decisions. It's my turn now."