Neuqua Valley senior Miles Miskel has never been one to stay still.
Or move slowly.
“My parents told me I started running before I started walking,” he said. “Obviously, I don’t remember that, but that’s what they say.”
“I don’t know how to explain it, but ever since I was little, I was always running around. I wouldn’t crawl. I’d always be running.”
Which is why last spring was so frustrating for Miskel, who missed the outdoor track season with a pulled hamstring. He could only watch as the Wildcats finished second at the Class 3A state meet.
“I wish (the injury) didn’t happen,” Miskel said. “Most of my friends down at state were like, ‘Man, if you had ran, we would have had a shot at state.'”
Miskel’s hamstring has healed, and his speed remains. That’s good news for Neuqua Valley football coach Bill Ellinghaus, who is planning to utilize the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Miskel as a receiver and a defensive back again.
Miskel was the only two-way starter for the DuPage Valley Conference champion Wildcats (8-3, 5-1) last season. He is one of the few returning starters from a terrific defense that allowed just 8.5 points per game.
“This year we’re going to have more two-way starters, probably three or four, but Miles will be a key part of it,” Ellinghaus said. “He’ll hopefully play every game on both sides of the ball.
“He really had a great summer. He did a great job for us playing corner and some safety for us this summer, and he’ll play receiver for us.”
Speed helps Miskel on both sides of the ball, but it’s far from his only attribute.
“He’s got the closing speed that you can’t coach, but he’s also very driven,” Ellinghaus said. “He sees the ball go up in the air, and he goes and gets it offensively, and then defensively he understands the game very well.
“So he understands what an offense is trying to do, and that’s been a real positive for him and for our team.”
Miskel and senior Carter Stare, who also will play both ways, give the Wildcats two potentially game-breaking receivers. But their impact will be just as important on defense, where Miskel is the only returning starter in the secondary.
“My goal right now is to be all-conference on both sides of the ball, and I think I can do that easily,” Miskel said. “Now that I’m at safety, I can make a lot more tackles and contribute more to the defense.
“As a corner, I feel like I was just guarding people. I feel like I’m going to have a bigger impact on defense as well as offense.”
Miskel had 15 tackles and broke up eight passes last season. Those numbers are sure to rise.
“The experience that he had was great because he was around other kids who were part of a great defense,” Ellinghaus said. “Now you know what it takes to be a great defense again. I think he will relish that and be one of the leaders on defense.”
It will be interesting to see where Miskel makes a greater impact for the Wildcats, who start the season with a nonconference home game against Oswego on Aug. 25. Does he have a preference between offense and defense?
“I can’t ever really answer that question because I just love both ways,” he said. “They have their own advantages.
“I have my pros and cons on both sides, and I say they equal out. I want to win all of my battles on the field, so when I see the ball, it’s just a natural instinct to go and get the ball.”
Miskel, whose father, Tony, played running back at Ferris State, has been getting some scholarship offers from Division I Football Bowl Subdivision programs, although for different positions. UConn is recruiting him as a receiver, while Akron wants him as a safety.
He said he is committed to maintaining — and even improving — his speed.
“A lot of it is genetics, but in all honesty, it was hard work too,” Miskel said. “Ever since I was little, my parents always say hard work beats talent, so I’ve got to work so I can stay the fastest man on the field.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.