Randy Garber leads Abington boys’ soccer team to its first state title in his final game as coach
The school earned its third state crown across all sports and first in boys’ soccer. After leading Abington to a historic season, Garber, who has been at the helm for 32 years, plans to step down.
The drought is over for Abington High School.
After 41 years, the school will add its third state championship banner to the gymnasium rafters after the boys’ soccer team defeated West Chester Henderson, 3-1, in the PIAA Class 4A championship on Friday, marking the program’s first state crown.
“It feels amazing,” senior captain Sean Westmoreland said. “I don’t think I’ve fully processed it yet, but it’s amazing. I feel like the community has been with us and brought us together.”
Abington finished its season 22-2-3, with those two losses coming against Haverford High in the season opener and District 1 final.
“They were disappointed that Haverford had beaten them in the district final, 3-1,” longtime Abington coach Randy Garber said. “It left a bad taste in their mouth, and the only thing that could erase that disappointment was running for a state title and winning that, and that’s where their focus was.
“When it came to the [state] final, I don’t think they wanted to be denied. … They came out on fire.”
For Garber, who graduated from Abington in 1971 and has been the head coach for 32 years, winning a state crown was the cherry on top in his career, and he plans to step down.
“People reached out by text, by phone that I haven’t [heard from] in a while,” said Garber, who played professionally for the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. “I have more than 100 texts from former players just reaching out saying how great it was, a long time coming — it’s your last season as head coach, and this happens.
“The moment was extremely special. I’ve had good teams in the past that did extremely well but couldn’t get over that hump because of whatever reason. … This year with this team, everything fell into place. One thing got better than the next.”
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Abington had a 3-0 lead at halftime, putting it in a solid position to claim the title. No team scored four goals in a game against the Ghosts this season.
“I mentioned this in the huddle,” Westmoreland said. “There’s 40 minutes left in the season no matter what. Forty minutes left in some guys’ soccer careers, so we just wanted to have a lasting impact and leave everything out on the field. I think that was the mindset coming out of halftime. Just put the game away.”
Despite school being in session, plenty of students made the trip to Manchester, York County, in support of their team. Back home, the Abington community awaited the newly crowned state champions’ return to celebrate with a parade.
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“It’s just great for the community, the school,” Garber said. “They’re all rallying around the soccer team because it’s the first state championship since 1981. … The senior high filled with students watching [the game] live while we were playing [Friday morning]. The elementary schools were watching it in Roslyn Elementary in the gymnasium, and the parade on the way home … that took us all [though] Glenside and all through the elementary schools, and the students out on the sidewalk just waving. It was a treat. It was a real treat.
“I don’t know that any of the students and surely the coaches knew it was going to be celebrated in that fashion. We didn’t expect the fire trucks. We might have expected a police car [escort], but we did not realize how they got the community out. … There were people just walking out of the house and clapping. … It was an all day and night [celebration] — the school did a really nice job getting everyone to know that we won.”
The legacy Garber leaves behind is one of a kind, and the impact he made goes beyond winning a state crown.
“Seeing the way he interacts with our students, our athletes, not just on the field, but he’s a health and [physical education] teacher,” Abington athletic director Charles Grasty said. “He does an excellent job with the students here. … He knew he had a good team going into the year, and they worked hard and trusted him and listened to him.”