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 Dec. 20, 2020
Every team needs a Julia Bunch. That’s the way Central Bucks West field hockey coach Dave DeAngelis tells it, and it’s not simply because Bunch – a first team all-state selection this fall - is highly skilled. Rather, it’s the intangibles. “The thing that really, really stands out is her willingness and her leadership,” the Bucks’ coach said. “Even though she would do what she needed to do as an individual to rise in skill every year, getting better, stronger, faster, it’s her willingness to do whatever was required or asked of her for the benefit of the team. There’s a saying – ‘A rising tide lifts all boats’ – Julia was that kind of player. It was just such a joy to be around because it was all about team for her. When you get to see every training session and see the lead by example, speaking to teammates, encouraging teammates - that’s something you don’t see unless you’re there every day. Every team has that one really special player or they should have. Julia is that person for our team this year.”
For Bunch and her teammates, this past fall was yet another year of transition as DeAngelis – the team’s third coach in four years - took over a struggling program that had won just four games in each of the last two years. The transition was a smooth one, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Bunch and the team’s senior leaders. “From a leadership perspective, this was about creating a very inclusive yet competitive environment,” DeAngelis said. “Things that I heard coming into this position was that there was never a great connectivity with the freshman team and at times with jayvee. With the way the season rolled out with COVID, Phase One, Phase Two, Phase Three – Julia helped create sub-team families where we intertwined all the underclassmen. We integrated and a lot of that had to do with Julia and the other captains (Brooke Golbeski and Caroline Crecca) creating seven teams. In Phase One, they weren’t allowed to be all on the field at the same time, so we had to keep rotating them to different stations. We basically had seven different groups of 10 players showing up every 15 minutes. That was the requirement. I explained to the captains – this is what we need to do, so they created that balance.”
And even in the abbreviated season, the Bucks became a cohesive unit, a fact that was underscored on Senior Night. “We have the underclassmen line up on the 45 and 45, and the seniors come down the 50-yard line with their parents,” DeAngelis said. “I have never seen so many underclassmen. The whole freshman team, the entire jayvee team – you’re talking 40-some players all spaced out because they felt a part of it, and that’s a direct reflection on student leadership and Julia.” For Bunch, stepping into a leadership role was made easier by the senior role models she had when she earned a spot on the varsity as a freshman. “We had a ton of crazy good seniors that year who took me under their wing, which was awesome,” she said. “This year I really felt we had great leaders. We had a really talented group of younger girls also, so it was really fun for me to take them under my wing like the seniors did for me when I was a freshman. That was really my focus this year – that they knew what it was like to be part of this program, and they could see what’s to come.”
Bunch’s field hockey career is far from over. Next year, the West senior will be taking her talents to the Division 1 level, playing field hockey for Temple University. Bunch committed to Temple last April, choosing the BIG EAST school from a final list that included La Salle and Lehigh. She will be enrolled in the Fox School of Business where she will major in finance or risk management. An excellent student, Bunch is a member of the National Honor Society, the Computer Science Honor Society, and she was named to the PA High School Coaches Academic All-State squad. She is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America Club as well as Class Council. “To me, Julia is what defines today’s student athletes,” DeAngelis said. “It wasn’t just on the field, it’s also in the classroom, but it’s also the community. That’s what she’s about.”
To read Bunch’s complete profile, please click on the following link: https://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/julia-bunch-0092335
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete for week of Dec. 20, 2020
Roll back the calendar to Feb. 6, 2018, Senior Night for Upper Moreland boys’ basketball. Emotions were running high, and a new face in the Golden Bears’ lineup was creating a buzz. Darius Bostwick was making his varsity debut, and the response from the full house when the senior made his first ever basket will not soon be forgotten by anyone in attendance that night. “It was a pretty special moment – it was probably the loudest I’ve ever heard the gym here at Upper Moreland,” said UM coach Sean Feeley, then in his first year at the helm. “It was emotional, I certainly teared up. It was so neat to see how happy he was. Darius started the game, he was introduced, and he did his little warm-up dance that he likes to practice. It was awesome how the fans cheered him on and how the kids interacted with him and were so thrilled. That was also Senior Night for six other kids, and just how that was the highlight of their Senior Night, how they were embracing him. There were hugs all around when he came out of the game. It was just a really, really cool moment.”
Ryan Coyle was a senior teammate of Boswick’s on that special Senior Night. “I remember we were playing Wissahickon,” Coyle said. “We tipped the ball off, got it right to Darius, and he went down and scored a layup. It was actually awesome. At the end of the game, Darius was able to go back in, and he got two more baskets. It was just great to see.” Bostwick, a special needs student, introduced himself to Feeley seven years ago on his first day on the job at UM as a health and physical education teacher. “He loves sports,” Feeley said. “My first year coaching three years ago, he approached me and told me he wanted to try out for the basketball team. He went to practice every day, did the drills with the guys. I couldn’t be more happy and proud with the way our kids incorporated him. They were incredible with him. He certainly was a part of the team. He was expected to be at every practice, he was expected to maintain his grades and have good behavior in school, all of which he did. He dressed for every home game. It was a special year.”
That memorable Senior Night was just over two years ago, but Bostwick has remained a part of the basketball team, serving as a manager. He is also a manager of the girls’ soccer team. To say Bostwick is a beloved part of the UM community would be an understatement. “He has a smile that lights up the world - he’s always happy, he’s always smiling, he’s getting guys all jacked up,” Feeley said. Added Coyle, “He’s always upbeat. He was always supporting the team. He was a guy where if you did something bad and came out of the game, he would always still be high fiving you or making a joke. If people were upset, Darius would always be there to give some encouragement.” Jahaire Johnson, a member of the basketball team, offered similar sentiments. “One thing I’ll say – he’s never the type of guy to be down,” the UM senior said. “He’s always excited, he’s always caring for someone. If you miss a shot, he’ll say, ‘Good shot.’ You come off the court onto the bench – he’ll shake your hand and tell you good job. There are a lot of things he does to encourage us to keep our heads up.”
It’s the same story in soccer. “Especially this year with COVID and everything, it was really discouraging with everything going on, so having him around – I know personally, it really just brings joy to me,” said UM senior Kaiya Herb, a captain of the soccer team. UM girls’ soccer assistant John Kolla, a special education teacher at the high school said, “He’s the best. I never taught his class, but I was there when he came along, and he’s very personable, he’s somebody who gets along with everybody.” UM girls’ soccer coach Lisa Benvenuto said, “Darius is one of a kind. His contributions are always positive. He’s always looking to motivate girls in the way he knows best. When we got into districts two years ago, Darius is who is in the middle of our picture. He loves sports, he loves Upper Moreland. He doesn’t care if it’s a girls’ sport or a boys’ sport. He really is the Golden Bear.”
To read Bostwick’s complete profile, please click on the following link: https://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/darius-bostwick-0092333
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