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 Oct. 15, 2014)
Frankie Tossona is the very definition of the phrase “unsung hero.” The North Penn senior has been a fixture in the starting lineup of the varsity field hockey team for the past three years, but she has never come anywhere close to the spotlight. As a matter of fact, Tossona might well have gone unnoticed by just about everyone except those that matter most – her coaches and teammates. When coach Shannon McCracken needs someone to stop the opposing team’s top offensive weapon, Tossona is her player of choice. She’s always delivered. When describing Tossona, McCracken repeatedly uses words like consistent and reliable – traits that won’t put your name in the headlines but are coveted by coaches. “She has good, sound skills,” McCracken said. “She’s quiet, and she doesn’t have the statistics because she’s a back or midfielder, but she’s a solid and consistent player. She’s somewhat quiet on the field, but she doesn’t go unnoticed because she does a lot.”
So valued are the traits Tossona brings to the field that Central Bucks West coach Courtney Hughes was ecstatic when the North Penn senior opted to switch from her Mystx Club team to a Souderton Strikers squad coached by Hughes. “She’s a very nice kid, but on the field, she’s strong and she plays big,” Hughes said. “She has that quiet confidence about her that she really uses to settle everyone down. Even the kids that have been playing with me for a while – she still came in and was able to be that quiet confidence and just does the right thing. She knows where the ball goes, she knows how to defend the ball, and she’s strong. She’s a pleasure to coach. She’s very coachable.” Tossona’s decision to switch from a Mystx team she had been with the past two years was based on logistics. “Mystx was close to an hour away, and it was just far,” she said. “I really liked Mystx – I liked my coach, and I loved the people I played with.”
Tossona showed a different side of her personality while helping with McCracken’s summer camp. “She coached camps for little kids with me the last two summers and did awesome,” the Maidens’ coach said. “That’s when I saw her come out of her shell a little more. She really had fun with them. The girls loved her.” While teaching will not be part of Tossona’s future, she is hoping field hockey will be. Bentley University is one of her top schools, and she will be visiting the highly regarded New England school in the near future. She is planning to major in business.
Tossona is a member of North Penn’s Key Club and has done over 100 hours of community service over the past two years. An honors student who is enrolled in two AP classes, she is a member of the National Honor Society and also is part of the school’s Best Buddies Program. “She has great grades, she’s a great teammate, she’s reliable,” McCracken said. “She’s just a great kid.”
To read Tossona’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/frankie-tossona-0047949
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Oct. 15, 2014)
With a football bloodline and a passion for the sport, Central Bucks East senior Connor Pattyson was destined to excel on the gridiron. His grandfathers, Wally Pattyson and Buddy Nask, played football at Rutgers University and Villanova University, respectively. His father – Chris Pattyson – played at Central Bucks East. Last year, Pattyson garnered first team All-SOL Continental Conference honors at linebacker while leading the Patriots in tackles. A unanimous choice for captain as a senior, Pattyson was back at it again this year, anchoring the Patriots’ defense when – after a rash of injuries – he was pressed into emergency duty at running back for one game. Coming as no surprise, he excelled, but for all his talent, it is his leadership qualities that might set him apart. “Connor, number one, is an outstanding football player, but I feel that he’s really an excellent captain,” coach John Donnelly said. “He’s a steady kid in terms of his personality on the field where he can calm guys down if they need to be calmed down, which I’ve seen him do many times this year when guys were on the verge of potentially maybe getting a penalty. He’s also highly intelligent. His GPA is 3.9, and he can apply it to the football field, and he’s productive.”
Last year, Pattyson had between 70 and 80 tackles, and this year, he’s been even better. Yet, he didn’t balk when Donnelly asked him to fill at running back when the Patriots’ backfield was depleted with injuries. “He’s never played running back, but because he’s such a good athlete, he came over and played running back,” the Patriots’ coach said. “He had three touchdowns and rushed for just over 100 yards. That’s pretty amazing for a guy who’s never touched the ball as a running back. I think it speaks of his willingness to do whatever we need as a team. He’ll do whatever it takes to win.”
As for his future, Pattyson – who is receiving interest from colleges – is planning to stay involved in football at some level. Pattyson, who is enrolled in honors and AP classes, places a high value on education. “My parents did a good job of instilling in me that academics comes before athletics,” he said. “It’s not like you can choose whether to do good or bad in school – I feel like it’s a responsibility, just like doing your job in football is. I’ve always worked hard in school.” With an interest in statistics and math, Pattyson is looking to pursue a major in the business field.
When he’s not playing football, Pattyson is actively involved in Athletes Helping Athletes and the Future Business Leaders of America. As part of FBLA, Pattyson has advanced to the state level in Hershey in each of the last two years and is hoping to do so again. Despite his many interests, he admits he can’t imagine life without football. “It’s really enhanced my high school experience,” Pattyson said. “Just being part of a team and the brotherhood that comes with it. I can’t picture high school without football because so much of the stuff I have is because of football.”
To view Pattyson’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/connor-pattyson-0047995
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