The Mountain Valley Class C Conference has named Seahawks cross country coach Nick Scott boys’ coach of 2021. Scott came off a two-season hiatus to coach the Boothbay Region High School/Wiscasset Middle High School boys to first place at the MVC Class C Championship, second place at Southern Maine Class C Regional Championship and fourth at the Maine Class C State Championship.

“It's fantastic to be coaching again,” said Scott in a Zoom interview. “Coaching is wonderful. It's just a great way to end the school day and the kids I get to work with are fantastic … It's a really pleasant team to be a part of.”

Scott started coaching cross country and track and field 16 years ago. After a season coaching middle school softball his first year teaching at Boothbay Region Elementary School, Scott moved on to the trails and track for 16 seasons and Nordic skiing for seven seasons, taking only a couple off over his entire career.

“Cross country is an interesting sport to watch especially when you run around and watch the race unfold at different points because it's so short and intense. But unlike almost every other sport out there, there are no time-outs, no pauses. Once the gun goes off, (the race is) on its way. Any coaching you're going to do has to essentially come beforehand. There's a lot of responsibility on athletes to be able to focus and carry through.” – Seahawks Cross Country Coach Nick Scott

The short gaps in 2013 and 2020-2021 were so he could be home with his family as wife Mandy underwent cancer treatments. With her remission and clean bill of health and the proliferation of vaccinations, Scott said he was comfortable coming back to the trails this season.

“It's an outdoor sport. Last year I was watching pretty carefully if there was any evidence of transmission in sports and it didn't look like there was in high school sports … especially with sports like cross country. I felt super comfortable.”

Asked about his athletes and the season’s progress just before the state championship, Scott praised their hard work. However, on the coach of the year award, Scott was quick to share the glory with co-coach and Wolverine counterpart, Josiah Winchenbach. Over the past three seasons as cooperative teams, the Seahawks-Wolverines have been just as much shaped by Winchenbach as himself, he said.

“I feel very fortunate to be able to coach with him. His strengths and my strengths complement each other really well in a variety of ways. So, while they said 'Nick Scott' I feel like it's more of a coaching staff award … It really has been a joint effort the whole time.”

Being coach of the year is not that big of a deal, Scott said. The award, chosen democratically by conference coaches, typically goes to the coach of the first place team at MVC’s with the occasional exception for teams outperforming expectations. “I mean, we've won 11 conference championships and most of those years, because we won, we've been named coach of the year. It's pretty standard.”

“Nick leads with knowledge and a respect for the sport and the athletes … takes cues from the runners and creates an almost individual training program in a style that will ultimately create a better athlete. Coaching this amazing team with Nick (is) like coaching with myself. Our ideals and coaching philosophies mimic each other. Nick is very supportive and leads the way he would want to be led. His passion combined with his knowledge and ability makes him a true leader. It has been an honor to coach side by side with him.” – Coach Josiah Winchenbach, Wiscasset Middle High School Cross Country, Track and Field

Will Perkins, Class of 2020 and state champion that year, said Scott is too humble and considering the pandemic, this year’s award is most likely a statement by the conference coaches on his past achievements and for everything he has brought to the MVC. “I'm really happy he was able to be recognized as he definitely deserves. He's worked really hard to get the results he's achieved over the years especially this year. I think it's good to have some kind of way to reflect that.”

As an incredible role model and inspiration, Scott has been instrumental in shaping his athletes and students on and off the field, said Perkins. Some of the greatest memories of BRHS life were ones running side-by-side with Scott having random conversations about life and hearing all his stories, he said. “It really inspires me to want to do better in every aspect of my life, to kind of give it my all, take what he's taught me and apply that throughout the rest of my academic and personal life.”

BRHS Athletic Director and Dean of Students Allan Crocker backed up Perkins’ praise of Scott. Crocker said Scott has been MVC coach of the year for the girls’ team twice, winning one conference championship and taking second twice; he won the award nine times for the boys’ team, 10 conference championships and two second places, three regional championships and two second places; he has coached one state champion and one runner-up, was named Class C coach of the year and was chosen by Brooks National as one of the most inspiring coaches.

This year was Crocker’s 11th as conference liaison for MVC Class C and he said he has announced Scott’s name for either the boys or girls coach of the year award just about every year. “Nick Scott is one of the very best coaches that I have ever had the privilege to watch or work with … This 15-year stretch Nick has been a coach at BRHS has been probably the most successful period for any sport in our school's history.”

“High school running with Mr. Scott is certainly one of the best things I have done in life. During my four years on the team, we achieved and sustained a high level of success (and) it has been great to see that the team has excelled in the decade after my class graduated. This continued success is no fluke. Coach Scott understands training and racing very well and knows how to tailor this knowledge to individual athletes. He has had a positive influence on the lives of many athletes and I am sure that many look back now, or will look back in the future, and think about those high school cross country glory days.” – Chase Brown 2012

Not every season was easy, though, said Scott. While the first two years coaching cross country were fun, the team was not successful, but with a lot of hard work on everyone’s part, Seahawks cross country went from finishing last in the conference and second to last in the region to winning MVC’s, regionals and coming up just short at states.

Following those two successful seasons, the cross country teams were faced with disappointment as they came up short of first place at the state championships. However, the next year, the boys’ team came back and won states by one point over Freeport High School, the favorite, said Scott.

“Experiencing that was really incredible and rewarding and, for lack of a better term, it was super fun … Anytime you're able to coach a successful team, it's very special. I've been fortunate to have some really talented, hard-working and dedicated athletes. It's been a pleasure.”