- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 445,412
- Reaction score
- 44
CUMBERLAND — Avery Miller did everything she could to bring Allegany team success, her coach Jim O’Neal said, and it has earned her individual success.
The four-sport standout led Allegany to 21 wins and topped the area in points, rebounds, assists and steals, garnering her Area Player of the Year honors, which was chosen at a meeting of the area’s head coaches on Wednesday.
“Avery winning Player of the Year is well-deserved,” O’Neal said. “She worked hard. She’s a great teammate. She’s a great athlete. Most importantly we can count on her every day in and day out to perform and do everything that we needed to have team success.
“Everything she does is to win. She’s a competitive person. She works year-round.”
The Player of the Year honor is Miller’s third, winning two in soccer: Player of the Year in 2022 and Offensive Player of the Year in 2023.
The senior is now a four-time All-Area first-team performer in basketball and soccer, four-time All-City and four-time Western Maryland Athletic Conference first team.
Miller has been voted WestMAC basketball Player of the Year three times by the conference’s coaches.
She is just the fourth Allegany girls Area Player of the Year and first since Leah Wormack captured the honor in 2009. DeTonio DeGross won it in 2008 and Cassie Murray did so in 2000.
“I remember my freshman year and how great the seniors treated me, Jordan Chaney, Rachel Bush and Faith Stevenson,” said Miller, who has a 4.43 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. “They always had my back. They always worked hard. They were the best teammates. I knew that was the way I always wanted to be. I love all the girls I played with. They will always be my friends.
“Coach O’Neal and his assistants coach (Cassie) Murray and coach (Cameron) O’Neal were always looking for ways to make be better. They never let me settle. I learned to love practice and the whole process of trying to improve. I apply that in every sport I play.”
Miller saved her best season on the hardwood for last, leading the area with 540 points (21.6 per game), 260 rebounds (10.4 rpg), 159 steals (6.4 spg) and 105 assists (4.2 apg).
She finished her career with 1,730 points — second in school history behind the 1,803 scored by Tracey Little from 1996-2000.
Miller, who scored 19 points per game across her four-year career, had 930 rebounds (10.2 rpg), 411 steals (4.5 spg) and 362 assists (4.0 apg) and averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds in playoff games.
Miller finished as the all-time greatest soccer goal scorer in Allegany history with 93, and she also etched her name into the basketball record book.
Miller broke a number of marks held by Murray, now an Allegany assistant coach, setting all-time marks in career steals (411), single-season steals (159) and single-game steals (12, twice).
“She’s the best athlete that’s gone through Allegany in my opinion,” said Murray, who is now fifth in program history with 1,292 career points.
“It would be easy for her to show up and not go full speed, not come to every summer thing, not come to practices. That’s not the case, and it makes any team she’s on better. It made our team better because she’s so competitive.”
When Murray was asked about Miller breaking the coach’s records, Murray joked, “I still might fight her one day, but I’ll let her go through college first.”
That college career will continue at Penn State University on a full-ride track and field scholarship.
Miller is a 10-time track state champion and can set a new state individual title record this spring. She is also a New Balance and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympics national champion in the heptathlon.
Beyond individual successes, Miller’s Allegany teams won, no matter what kind of talent was around her.
The Campers were 67-24 with Miller on the floor, going 21-4, 15-8, 17-5 and 14-7 over the past four years.
A natural point guard, the 5-foot-7 Miller was tasked with spending more time down low this season with little post presence, which was made possible by the addition of freshman point guard Braylin Bosley to the squad.
“I’m not easy on the kids,” O’Neal said. “No matter what I asked her to do, she didn’t say a word. It’s ‘yes coach,’ and she did whatever we asked her to do for four years. We can’t express what she did for our program, and we’re so happy for her and her future success.”
When teams tried to press Allegany, the gifted athlete would put her head down and weave through contact up the middle of the floor.
Defenses focused so much attention on Miller’s drives, it often left shooters wide open in the corner, something evident by Allegany frequently having players atop the 3-point shooting leaderboard over the last four years.
“In all four years she was here, we were very successful,” O’Neal said. “We won a lot of games. She was the focal point, and to her credit, as she got older her assists also increased. Being able to find our teammates in spots they were able to score and to play off that ability.
“No matter how much teams focused on her, we could have success.”
Avery’s uncle, Brett Miller, won area football Player of the Year in 1992 as the quarterback at Allegany. He played tight end on the 1991 football state title team and was also a member of the state championship-winning basketball team in 1992-93.
Her father, Brian Miller, was an All-Area tight end and kick returner at Allegany on the 1988 football state championship team and was an outfielder for the 1989 baseball state title-winning team.
Both would likely be the most athletic person in any other family, but Avery Miller has performed at a level that may never be seen in this area again.
“My entire career I never missed a game for injury,” she said. “I don’t think that was luck. I thank God for that.”
Continue reading...
The four-sport standout led Allegany to 21 wins and topped the area in points, rebounds, assists and steals, garnering her Area Player of the Year honors, which was chosen at a meeting of the area’s head coaches on Wednesday.
“Avery winning Player of the Year is well-deserved,” O’Neal said. “She worked hard. She’s a great teammate. She’s a great athlete. Most importantly we can count on her every day in and day out to perform and do everything that we needed to have team success.
“Everything she does is to win. She’s a competitive person. She works year-round.”
The Player of the Year honor is Miller’s third, winning two in soccer: Player of the Year in 2022 and Offensive Player of the Year in 2023.
The senior is now a four-time All-Area first-team performer in basketball and soccer, four-time All-City and four-time Western Maryland Athletic Conference first team.
Miller has been voted WestMAC basketball Player of the Year three times by the conference’s coaches.
She is just the fourth Allegany girls Area Player of the Year and first since Leah Wormack captured the honor in 2009. DeTonio DeGross won it in 2008 and Cassie Murray did so in 2000.
“I remember my freshman year and how great the seniors treated me, Jordan Chaney, Rachel Bush and Faith Stevenson,” said Miller, who has a 4.43 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. “They always had my back. They always worked hard. They were the best teammates. I knew that was the way I always wanted to be. I love all the girls I played with. They will always be my friends.
“Coach O’Neal and his assistants coach (Cassie) Murray and coach (Cameron) O’Neal were always looking for ways to make be better. They never let me settle. I learned to love practice and the whole process of trying to improve. I apply that in every sport I play.”
Miller saved her best season on the hardwood for last, leading the area with 540 points (21.6 per game), 260 rebounds (10.4 rpg), 159 steals (6.4 spg) and 105 assists (4.2 apg).
She finished her career with 1,730 points — second in school history behind the 1,803 scored by Tracey Little from 1996-2000.
Miller, who scored 19 points per game across her four-year career, had 930 rebounds (10.2 rpg), 411 steals (4.5 spg) and 362 assists (4.0 apg) and averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds in playoff games.
Miller finished as the all-time greatest soccer goal scorer in Allegany history with 93, and she also etched her name into the basketball record book.
Miller broke a number of marks held by Murray, now an Allegany assistant coach, setting all-time marks in career steals (411), single-season steals (159) and single-game steals (12, twice).
“She’s the best athlete that’s gone through Allegany in my opinion,” said Murray, who is now fifth in program history with 1,292 career points.
“It would be easy for her to show up and not go full speed, not come to every summer thing, not come to practices. That’s not the case, and it makes any team she’s on better. It made our team better because she’s so competitive.”
When Murray was asked about Miller breaking the coach’s records, Murray joked, “I still might fight her one day, but I’ll let her go through college first.”
That college career will continue at Penn State University on a full-ride track and field scholarship.
Miller is a 10-time track state champion and can set a new state individual title record this spring. She is also a New Balance and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympics national champion in the heptathlon.
Beyond individual successes, Miller’s Allegany teams won, no matter what kind of talent was around her.
The Campers were 67-24 with Miller on the floor, going 21-4, 15-8, 17-5 and 14-7 over the past four years.
A natural point guard, the 5-foot-7 Miller was tasked with spending more time down low this season with little post presence, which was made possible by the addition of freshman point guard Braylin Bosley to the squad.
“I’m not easy on the kids,” O’Neal said. “No matter what I asked her to do, she didn’t say a word. It’s ‘yes coach,’ and she did whatever we asked her to do for four years. We can’t express what she did for our program, and we’re so happy for her and her future success.”
When teams tried to press Allegany, the gifted athlete would put her head down and weave through contact up the middle of the floor.
Defenses focused so much attention on Miller’s drives, it often left shooters wide open in the corner, something evident by Allegany frequently having players atop the 3-point shooting leaderboard over the last four years.
“In all four years she was here, we were very successful,” O’Neal said. “We won a lot of games. She was the focal point, and to her credit, as she got older her assists also increased. Being able to find our teammates in spots they were able to score and to play off that ability.
“No matter how much teams focused on her, we could have success.”
Avery’s uncle, Brett Miller, won area football Player of the Year in 1992 as the quarterback at Allegany. He played tight end on the 1991 football state title team and was also a member of the state championship-winning basketball team in 1992-93.
Her father, Brian Miller, was an All-Area tight end and kick returner at Allegany on the 1988 football state championship team and was an outfielder for the 1989 baseball state title-winning team.
Both would likely be the most athletic person in any other family, but Avery Miller has performed at a level that may never be seen in this area again.
“My entire career I never missed a game for injury,” she said. “I don’t think that was luck. I thank God for that.”
Continue reading...
