Abington beats West Chester Henderson to win first state championship

As the clock started to tick down on Friday’s Class 4A PIAA boys soccer championship at Northeastern High School, several chants for Abington could be heard coming from the grandstand but the most specific and timely of all was the simple three-word phrase “Thank you, Randy.”

While the contest on the field was a battle of two of the top programs in the area, Friday’s game was underlined by an even bigger storyline centering around a coach who has given more than three decades to high school soccer. Randy Garber coached his final game at Abington on Friday and ended his storied career with the one accolade that had eluded him both as a player and a coach of the Galloping Ghosts: a state championship.

Cooper Blynt scored in the 26th minute off a left-footed rocket into the top left-hand corner of the net and Jaza Vasquez and Christian Hinkle added goals before halftime in a feat only one opponent had accomplished all season along against the Warriors: score more than two goals.

The early goal set up by a run down the right flank and a ball squared to Blynt by Sean Westmoreland was a stunning opener midway through the first half but also a huge momentum lift to Abington, which punished the usually impenetrable defense in rapid succession.

“At the beginning of the season we always say league, district, states,” Westmoreland said. “We lost in the district final but the determination and the resilience that we had to come back and come to another championship and get the win, I’m so proud of the boys. And for Garb it’s so deserved. He’s the best coach in the area, the best coach in the state and is very deserving of all of this.”

While a 3-0 deficit at halftime looked insurmountable on paper for a team noted more for their defense than their offense this season, Henderson refused to go away and were able to pull a goal back with a penalty after a handball in the box on a Jack Overton penalty. They had another promising look after a foul just outside the box but weren’t able to find a path back. The loss was a rare one for the team over the last two seasons, which had their perfect season ended by Great Valley in the state quarterfinals last year and lost only twice in the regular season.

“They worked hard, no heads down and that starts with our captains,” Henderson head coach Chas Wilson said. “Jack Overton never quits, Jake Brogan never quits, Dylan Arrison never quits and Ben Bailey never quits and everyone just follows. It was inspiring to watch this year.”

Vasquez, who converted a penalty in the semifinal win over WPIAL power Seneca Valley, ended up with the game winner with a header in the box off a lofted pass from Hinkle.

“I don’t usually score headers,” Vasquez said. “But coach is always telling me if I’m on the weak side of the ball I need to get in the box and that’s what I did and I found the ball and headed it in.”

Though the match was played at 10 a.m. on a school day, students from both schools packed the stands and added to the atmosphere.

“That motivates the whole team a lot,” Vasquez said. “You don’t expect a lot of people to come because it’s a Friday morning and there’s school but a lot of people showed up and I’m really happy about that.”