SuburbanOneSports.com recognizes a male and female featured athlete each week. The awards, sponsored by Univest, are given to seniors of good character who are students in good standing that have made significant contributions to their teams. Selections are based on nominations received from coaches, athletic directors and administrators.
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Female Athlete (Week of Sept. 3, 2014)
Brianna Miles has main a mainstay in the defensive backfield of the Wissahickon field hockey team. As both a sophomore and junior, the now senior captain was the Trojans’ last line of defense at sweeper. This year, it seemed as though it might be a natural progression for Miles, an undisputed leader, to step into the role of center back. Instead, her sister – junior Kara Miles – filled the spot. “It was a little tough because it’s my senior year, and I was a captain and I really thought center back would be a good position where I could shine,” Miles said. That initial disappointment didn’t last long. “My sister is naturally a better runner than I am,” she said of her younger sibling. “I’m more a communicator on the team. In the end, I took a step back, I realized the best thing for the team was for us to play these positions.” That mature response, according to coach Lucy Gil, is typical of Miles. “She’s totally embraced the decision,” Gil said. “She supports her sister. She helps her with where she has to go. I don’t know what she said to herself, but she turned it around. She’s just a lovely person and an amazing defensive player.”
Miles provides veteran leadership in the Trojans’ backfield. “She’s very vocal, and that’s one of the reasons I like to put her all the way in the back because she sees everything,” Gil said. “She’s always managing the defense and managing the people around her, which is great. But also, even during practices, it’s like, ‘Come on guys, we have to get serious now. We have to get this.’ She knows what she’s saying, and she always leads them in the right direction.”
Miles aspires to one day be a nurse, an interest that was sparked by her mother – a nurse at St. Christopher’s Children’s Hospital. Because of the rigorous schedule her major will require, Miles hopes to continue her hockey career at the club level, but academics will always come first for a student whose weighted GPA is 4.85. She is a member of the National Honor Society, and for the past two years has been part of Wissahickon’s Future Business Leaders of America Club. She also is a member of a club called Wiss Pals that works with special needs children.
To read Miles’ complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/brianna-miles-0046183
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Sept. 3, 2014)
Want to see what Pennridge senior midfielder Justin Musco is all about? Hit the rewind button and go back about two years and hit play. That’s when Mark Wagner, the Eastern University soccer coach, brought the T3 program to Pennridge for a camp. On the final day, during a split-squad game, Musco suffered a bloodied nose that was initially feared to be broken. He came off the field, blood all over his face and shirt. “I figured he was done for the day,” said Pennridge coach Peter Valimont. “But he washed his face and said, ‘Coach, put me back in.’” This was not a game for anything other than a chance to play. The opponent was not Central Bucks East or Souderton. It was what it was, but he didn’t care. “Nine out of 10 kids would just sit and watch,” continued Valimont. “But that is what he is all about. It’s just the blood, sweat and tears. He’s not going to come off the field.”
After two years behind standout Chris Gross (Bloomsburg) on the varsity depth chart, the plan is for Musco to not come off the field much this year as the senior-heavy Rams look to find their way back into postseason. Unlikely to play in college, Musco is expected to play like there is no tomorrow. “I think he is realistic that this is just a high school thing, playing soccer,” said Valimont. “So he wants no regrets.” Although Musco is diminutive – Valimont says he is “5-8, 5-9 and 125-130 pounds – soaking wet,” his coach is expecting big things from a player who seems to always be around the ball. “When you look at his effort and ability, I’ll put it up against anyone in the league,” said the Rams’ coach. “And his attitude is going to be ‘it’s now or never.’”
Musco, though unassuming, has made the most of his high school experience, and it extends beyond being a year-round athlete (soccer, indoor track, outdoor track) all four years. In the classroom, the aspiring pharmacist has a 4.315 GPA. He is a member of the Key Club, which involves at least 50 hours a year of volunteering in the community. He is also an “ambassador” to the lunch staff, helping design a menu that meets guidelines while meeting the palates of his classmates. And somehow, he fits in 15 hours a week as a bus boy at Luberto’s, a local restaurant.
To view Musco’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/justin-musco-0046135.
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