SuburbanOneSports.com recognizes a male and female featured athlete each week. The awards, sponsored by Univest, are given to seniors of high 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 Nov. 19, 2015)
Emma Herb can’t help but wonder what might have been. Where would the North Penn senior’s journey have taken her if her knee had not inexplicably given out in a club field hockey game the winter of her sophomore year. “It was the last game of the tournament – the first 30 seconds,” Herb recalled. “I took the ball, I dribbled, I made one move around the girl, and I fell. She’s didn’t touch me, nothing happened. No one thought I was really hurt, but I couldn’t get up.” Herb was carried off the field, and although she didn’t know it at the time, her dream of playing Division One field hockey was beginning to unravel. “I had never been seriously hurt like that before,” she said. “I told my teammates, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be back in a couple of weeks, no big deal.’”
But it was a big deal. A visit to a doctor at CHOP confirmed she had a torn ACL. “He told me I’d be out for a year,” Herb said. “I didn’t know what to do. It was the most important time for recruiting. I was devastated. A year not only meant I would not go to nationals with my team, but I would be out the rest of the indoor season, and I would miss my entire junior season for outdoor. It was a hard pill to swallow.” At the recommendation of a friend, Herb set up an appointment with Dr. Michael Ciccotti, the doctor for the Philadelphia Phillies. “He said that ACLs could take anywhere from six months to a year depending on where you go but he could have me cleared in August during preseason,” Herb said. “He was amazing – he really took care of me.”
Herb was back in six months. “I was still struggling to get in shape,” she said. “The first time he cleared me to run – I think my mile time was like 12 minutes. That’s unheard of.” By midseason, Herb, a four-year letter winner, played her way back into the starting lineup. A captain of this fall’s squad that advanced to districts, Herb was second in points and, more importantly, a positive influence. “She’s a great kid,” coach Shannon McCracken said. “The kids really respect her. She’s the kind of teammate the younger girls look up to, and a lot of teammates go to her when they needed some encouragement. She’s a very positive person – she always has a positive attitude.”
After the injury, the recruiting process continued but changed. Herb – an excellent student and member of the National Honor Society - had opportunities to continue her career at the Division II and III levels but is opting to go to a larger school with her sights set on pursuing a career as a pharmacist.
To read Herb’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/emma-herb-0057611
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Nov. 19, 2015)
Abington coach Tim Sorber will have one lasting vision of outgoing senior quarterback David Kretschman. It goes back to the 2013 season when Kretschman – then a sophomore who became the team’s third starter with three games left in the regular season – was at the controls as the Ghosts rallied from a 21-7 deficit for a 26-21 win over second-seeded Garnet Valley in the District One Quad-A Tournament. The comeback concluded with a long touchdown drive that was capped in the closing seconds when Kretschman hit 6-3 receiver Khari Jefferson on a fade pattern. As it turned out, winning that district quarterfinal playoff game was the pinnacle – at least team-wise – of a career that will conclude against crosstown rival Cheltenham on Thanksgiving Day. “It had to be difficult for him,” said Sorber. “Here he was, starting as a sophomore and reaching the District One semifinals. He tasted a lot of success early on. While it had to be disappointing, it didn’t reflect in his practice habits or during game.”
Kretschman – who has been playing football since he could barely walk – considered the notion of playing at the college level at a Division II or II school, but has instead chosen to focus on academics at his first choice, Penn State. “I just got accepted,” he said. “And that’s always where I wanted to go.” Kretschman, who carries a 4.1 GPA and is a member of the National Honors Society, will enter Penn State undecided but plans to focus on “something math-based,’” such as engineering or statistics. “I’m going to miss being on the team and hanging out with the guys every day and seeing the results of our hard work,” Kretschman said.
What he won’t miss is the time commitment, which leads to balancing act with schoolwork and other school activities, such as Mini-Thon, which raises money for pediatric cancer. He also mans the hot corner for the baseball time. “I have to give a lot of credit to my parents,” he said. “My mom always had a meal ready, so I could go from one thing to the next.” And the next thing – after practice – was the books. “It’s just a matter of working hard each day,” said Kretschman. “You just have to focus on what’s important. My dad would never make me go out in the backyard and do push-ups. But if I wanted to do something, he always supported me.” Kretschman also pointed to the coach who gave him a chance to be his starting quarterback as a sophomore. “I have to thank Coach Sorber,” said Kretschman. “It’s hard not to work when you see the effort Coach Sorber puts in.” To that end, the feeling is mutual. “He always kept a positive attitude,” Sorber said. “Despite our won-loss record, he has had a great year. I never had a quarterback taste team success like he did and then – through no fault of his own – not have it. I think if you ask a lot of coaches in our league, they would agree that he is one of the top offensive players in the conference. David is always very even-keeled. It takes maturity to keep an even keel when things are going so poorly.” “I kind of just control the things I can,” Kretschman said. “I just have to go out there and do my best every practice and every game, no matter what the circumstances are.”
To read Kretschman’s compete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/david-kretschman-0057609
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