Two athletes who fueled an Abington Heights offense in the fall took their act to the spring.
Shawn Theodore and Shane Brower, All-Region wide receivers during football season and teammates in basketball, emerged as top players for the Lackawanna League-leading Comets boys volleyball team.
Abington Heights is tied with Western Wayne for first place and chasing defending champion Delaware Valley in the District 2 Class 3A power rating standings.
“A lot of our success is due to this being our second year together as a team,” Theodore said. “We all learned a lot last year, and that has shown so far this season.”
Both athletes use their height and athleticism to their advantage at the net.
Theodore, a 6-foot-2 senior outside hitter, has four games with double-digit kills. His season high is 14 in a win over Lackawanna Trail, and he leads the team with 71 kills.
“I think that my passing has gotten a lot better from last year,” Theodore said. “My body grew; I got bigger, stronger and faster. That has helped me with my jumping and my hitting.”
Brower, a 6-2 senior outside hitter, has three matches with double-digit efforts. He had 20 kills in a win over West Scranton and has more than 60 this season.
“This season, in volleyball, we have been working hard for this,” said Brower, who will play football at Lackawanna College in the fall. “I can control which way I am hitting a lot better, and I am avoiding the blocks.”
During football season, Theodore had 39 catches for 710 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Brower had 53 receptions and led the Lackawanna Football Conference with 863 yards.
The big hitters benefit from the outstanding play of setter Ryan Horutz. He has 200 assists this season with a season-high 34 in a win over West Scranton and more than 20 assists in seven of eight matches.
“Ryan has been playing volleyball for a long time, and he studies the game, and he teaches us a lot,” Theodore said. “He works well getting me and Shane in sync, and that helps out the offense a lot.”
Abington Heights is 7-0 in the Lackawanna League. The Comets’ only loss is to Freedom High School (9-1) from District 11 in a nonleague match.
“This is so exciting,” Brower said. “We thought we could do this well with this being our second year together. We were hoping we could have a good year, and it feels great that it is happening so far.”
Delaware Valley is just ahead of Abington Heights with a 3-1 record, which also includes a loss to Freedom. The Warriors have a challenge Tuesday when they play at traditional District 11 power Parkland (5-4).
Parkland lost to Shaler, 3-0, in the PIAA Class 3A final last season. One of Parkland’s losses in the 2024 regular season came when Delaware Valley swept the Trojans, 3-0, in a nonleague match.
Wildcats battling
Western Wayne is also off to an undefeated start to the Lackawanna League season.
The Wildcats won six straight matches after losing their first two against Wyoming Valley Conference opponents Crestwood and Nanticoke Area.
Vinny Silon leads the team with 119 kills and has 410 in his career. John Pyatt is closing in on the century mark for kills this season. He has 96 kills and 314 in his career.
Theo Black has 227 assists, which includes 49 in a win over West Scranton. Black has 730 assists in his career for the Wildcats.
Western Wayne starts the week in fifth place in the District 2 Class 2A power rankings. The Wildcats, who are at Valley View on Tuesday, trail Holy Redeemer, Crestwood, Berwick and Nanticoke Area.
Holy Redeemer is ranked fifth in the state in Class 2A by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association.
District 2 dates
All matches must be completed by May 10 to count toward the District 2 power rating standings, according to the format ...
