Rick O'Brien: Abington baseball's loss is Ghosts' grid gain when it comes to Grasty

Myles Grasty, with his strength and quick reflexes, could have developed into a hard-hitting outfielder and, maybe, middle-relief pitcher for Abington High's baseball team.

"I played baseball until I was about 15 years old," Grasty said. "It used to be my primary sport. But as the years went by, it became a little boring for me. I wanted to play a more physical sport."

Grasty opted to focus solely on football. And the Galloping Ghosts, now 7-0 after Friday night's 20-7 triumph over Suburban One League National Conference rival Pennsbury, couldn't be happier about it.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior, a third-year-starter, serves Tim Sorber's squad as a rugged-as-anything linebacker and part-time wingback.

With Grasty roaming the middle and shutting down the rushing lanes, Abington's defense has yielded just 12 points per game. Pennsbury's only score was Bruce Campbell's 45-yard, third-quarter dart.

"As a linebacker, I rely a lot on technique," the 17-year-old said. "After that, it's my instincts and my speed in getting to the ballcarrier. I think I'm pretty aggressive."

On Friday, with Grasty again a headliner, the Ghosts limited the visiting Falcons to 106 yards rushing and 32 passing. Abington's third score of the first quarter was set up by cornerback Josh Lee's interception and 46-yard return.

As a wingback on offense, Grasty usually lines up behind tight end Chris Ruhl and blocks for quarterback Ken Cropper and halfbacks Ray Schreiner and Jim Shelinsky.

"It's my first year doing it," he said. "I enjoy it. I think I'm pretty good at blocking and sealing the edge for whoever gets the ball."

After Schreiner turned Lee's interception into a 1-yard touchdown run, Grasty hauled in a two-point conversion pass from Cropper to make it 17-0. Early in the fourth quarter, his 16-yard catch and run moved the ball to the Pennsbury 9-yard line.

Last season, Grasty, who played youth football for the Abington Raiders, earned first-team all-National Conference honors while helping lead the Ghosts to a 10-3 record and a three-way share of the league crown.

His uncle, Charles Grasty, starred in basketball at Abington from 1986 to 1990 and later, after stops at Camden County Community College and Southwest Baptist University in Missouri, helped Rowan College advance to the NCAA Division III Final Four in 1995.

Charles Grasty coaches Abington's boys' hoops team and teaches a sports and entertainment marketing class at the school. "I'm in his class," Myles Grasty said. "He's never tried to recruit me for basketball. He knows I'm not that good."

With a 4-0 mark in the National Conference, Abington is in position to earn its first outright league championship since it claimed the SOL Colonial Division title in 1989. Council Rock South (6-1, 3-1) and Pennsbury (5-2, 3-1) are also in the hunt.

"Coach Sorber was part of that 1989 team [as an offensive lineman]," Grasty said. "He tells us about it all the time. That's what we want, to bring home the trophy and hold it up high on our own. We don't want to share it."

Grasty, of Willow Grove, is hearing from Division I-AA programs Stony Brook and Old Dominion.

O'Hara-Bonner. Through three quarters of Saturday's 20-13 win over Cardinal O'Hara, Monsignor Bonner limited the visitors to 66 yards rushing and 53 passing. The leaders on defense for the Friars were outside linebacker Joe Haley (seven tackles, six solos), end Cody Sutton (six, two), and free safety Jim Haley (five, four). . . . O'Hara speedsters Jay Watkins (56 yards on nine attempts) and Damiere Shaw (20 on five) were held to a combined 76 rushing yards. . . . While turning a short, right-side pass into a 25-yard TD in the third quarter, Watkins broke a pair of tackles near the sideline. . . . In the first half, Bonner QB Jim Haley was 7-for-11 passing for 105 yards and a TD. The junior was 0 for 4 after intermission. . . . O'Hara cornerback Joe DeMaio notched 10 tackles, including six solos. He also broke up a pass and returned a fourth-quarter punt 64 yards. . . . Against his former Bonner teammates, Lions outside linebacker/strong safety John Pontarelli recorded nine stops, including seven solos. Next in line were linebackers Brandon Chatmon (seven, two) and Pat Funchion (six, three).

Nate Smith to announce. Archbishop Wood's Nate Smith, a quick-footed senior wide receiver and defensive back, will announce his college decision Tuesday in a 1:30 p.m. news conference in the Warminster school's auditorium.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Smith, projected to be a defensive back at the next level, is expected to choose between Temple and West Virginia.

Extra points. Against Pennsbury, Abington's Bryan Osei, an offensive tackle and defensive end who is bound for Temple, played through a tweaked ankle. . . . The Public League Class AAAA Gold Division regular-season crown will be decided when Frankford (5-2, 5-0) plays George Washington (6-1, 5-0) on Saturday (6 p.m.) at Northeast. . . . Glen Mills halfback George Walker has rushed for 1,204 yards and 19 TDs. . . . Ryan Schollenberger, an inside linebacker, has posted 52 tackles (27 solos) for a Marple Newtown defense allowing just 6.7 points per game.

Team Record

Last week's rankings in parentheses.

  1. Archbishop Wood (1) 6-1

2. La Salle (2) 6-1

3. Abington (3) 7-0

4. Malvern Prep (5) 5-1

5. Coatesville (7) 6-1

6. Downingtown East (4) 6-1

7. Roman Catholic (6) 6-1

8. North Penn (10) 5-2

9. Pennsbury (9) 5-2

10. Council Rock S. (NR) 5-2

Under consideration (listed alphabetically): Garnet Valley (6-1), Plymouth Whitemarsh (6-1), Springfield (Delco) (7-0), Unionville (6-1), West Chester Henderson (5-2), West Chester Rustin (6-1).

- Rick O'Brien
EndText