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 for week of Oct. 26, 2021.
Emily McGivern is fearless. The Bensalem senior gave early glimpses of that when – as a 12-year-old – she was the lone girl playing tackle football in the entire Far Northeast Raiders organization. A fact that didn’t faze her even a little. “I grew up with football, so I knew what I was doing,” said McGivern, who had gone through the flag football ranks. “I had to show them I was meant to be there, and I could do whatever the boys were doing, so I tried to be more intimidating than they were.” There were those who were not especially thrilled to see McGivern on the gridiron, mixing it up with the boys. “Some coaches were kind of against it, so it was more showing them I could do exactly what the boys were doing,” she said. “I went to some clinics during the summer, so I knew some of the players, but others when they would see me on the field – it was breaking a barrier, so they were more uncomfortable. I just kind of shook it off.”
During her one season with the Raiders, McGivern, who played running back, suffered a concussion after taking a hit. She was sidelined for two weeks but then returned to action. That – along with the whispers she’d hear - are near the top of McGivern’s list of lowlights, but she also had plenty of highlights. “The best thing was when I would take my helmet off – just the initial shock on everyone’s faces,” McGivern said. “The parents would see, and they would bring their daughters up to me.” The fearless attitude McGivern took onto the gridiron as a youngster is serving her well five years later wearing the goalie pads for the field hockey team. “Emily is tough on and off the field, for sure,” Bensalem coach Morgan Buechner said. “As much as she’s friends with each girl on the team, she is always aggressive/tough during practice, making sure she gives the girls 100 percent when we are doing drills on her.”
Playing goalie for many is a last resort. For some, it’s opportunity to play a position – albeit an often unpopular one - that might not be given to them if they vied for a field position. Others are coerced into putting on pads. McGivern is in the cage by choice. In fact, it was a natural choice. “I went into field hockey in seventh grade in middle school,” she said. “My older sister played at St. Hubert’s, and I grew up watching her play. My mom played in the past for Northeast High School. I knew they needed a goalie, so I was like ‘Why not? I’m used to suiting up in all the pads from football.’ I played both field and goalie in my middle school years, but it felt more comfortable being in goal.” As a freshman, McGivern split time with another player, but by the following year, the job was hers. “She has just completely put in the work to become the goalie we needed,” Buechner said. “I honestly don’t know what we’ll do without her. I’m so thankful for how much she and her family have done to get her to where we needed her to be.”
The goalie McGivern is today had herself quite a senior year, turning away 283 shots for an Owls squad that won just three games. “She’s just really quick, she’s quick to get on the ground and dive – she’s not afraid to make the saves she needs to make, gets up really quick and goes back at it,” Buechner said. “She’s definitely one of the leaders on the field.
She’s the one that can see each and every angle of the game, and she’s great at giving the advice we need, getting the girls to hear it from a player’s perspective, not just the coaches. We always lean on her to explain to the girls what they need to work on during the game and what adjustments they need to make.” McGivern is looking to continue her hockey career at the next level and is holding off her final decision until her Mystx season is underway. She plans to major in criminology with the goal of becoming an FBI agent.
To read McGivern complete profile, please click on the following link: https://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/emily-mcgivern-0097562
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete for week of Oct. 26, 2021.
Nick Fletcher waited his turn. And for the Quakertown senior, that turn didn’t come until this fall when he at long last had his chance to step into a starting spot on the football team’s offensive line. While he waited, he remained positive. He practiced, worked hard, honed his skills, and made himself the best he could be. And when he lined up at center on the varsity squad this year, Fletcher was ready. “We’ve just had some quality kids there at center in recent years, and Nick just couldn’t bust through the lineup,” said Quakertown coach George Banas. “We had Freddie Retter at center, we had Blake Griesemer play center in the past. Coming into season, we knew we had to find another lineman. We thought we had four solid O-linemen, but we needed one more guy to step up. Nick was the guy to step up this season.”
The result is undeniable. The offensive front has protected quarterback Will Steich and opened holes for the running backs for a Panther offense that is averaging more than 38 points per game and finished the regular season 10-0 overall. At 6-0 in the Continental Conference, the Panthers have earned sole possession of the conference crown. “We have a great mindset this year,” Fletcher said. “Every week, Coach Banas tells us we need to have a 1-0 mentality. Don’t think about what we did last week, don’t look past this week. It’s this week that counts. No matter who we’re playing, we still have to prepare as hard as we can to be ready. During practice, we all push each other to play harder and get better.”
Despite his lack of varsity snaps coming into the season, Fletcher quickly became comfortable with his place on the line. “During games, I just try to keep calm and work my best,” he said. “I’m not the biggest - most of the guys I go against are bigger than me, so it makes me want to prove that I can still be a good O-lineman even if I’m not the biggest guy out there.” That’s essentially the story of Fletcher’s football career. From the time he first suited up for the Quakertown Midget Football Association as a third-grader, he’s always played on the offensive line, and always played against larger opponents. After years of hard work, Fletcher is finally at a level where he feels confident whenever he steps on the field, and his coaches have the utmost confidence in his abilities as well. “Nick has really solidified himself at center,” Banas said. “I’m so happy he found his spot on offense. Nick is a super nice kid, he really dedicated himself in the offseason to get better. And he’s a really smart kid. He knows where everybody needs to go on every play, which is a benefit. Every week we see his confidence building and building.”
Off the gridiron, Fletcher is a member of Quakertown’s National Honor Society, where he regularly participates in the group’s community service events, most recently volunteering at Quakertown Elementary School’s Night Under the Lights, helping to organize and run relay races and obstacle courses. He is also active in his church and its outreach programs and is present at Monday Meals as often as possible. “Nick is one of kids you love to see, those program-type kids who might not be the star but who works hard and stays positive, and it works out for them,” Banas said. “Nick is a guy who is always doing the right things. He always shows up for community service events, he’s always respectful to everyone. He’s a great guy to hold up to the younger kids to see, here’s a top five kid in his class academically, and he’s found his spot and is successful on the football field despite not being the biggest or strongest kid out there. But the main thing about Nick is that he’s just a super nice kid. He’s considerate, polite, always has a smile on his face, he’s a great kid. He’s got the attitude and the mindset where he’s going to be successful in whatever endeavor he chooses in the future.”
To read Fletcher’s complete profile, please click on the following link: https://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/nick-fletcher-0097561
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