Staff report
Nobody embodied Holy Spirit’s, well, spirit, more than 2026 graduate Ty Costabile.
At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, he was a bit undersized at quarterback, but the two-sport standout had plenty of heart and showed it on the football and baseball fields during his career in Absecon.
On the baseball field, he was a career .337 hitter and finished his three-year varsity career with 57 hits, 48 RBIs, 61 runs scored, six home runs, 10 doubles, 27 walks and 23 stolen bases.
But it was his exploits on the football field where Costabile will be remembered most. As the Spartans’ shifty left-handed quarterback, he compiled more than 5,600 passing yards to go along with 67 touchdowns, and as a senior he had more than 100 passing yards in all but one of Holy Spirit’s 12 games. He had more than 200 yards in half of his team’s games last fall, and even notched 321 yards and five touchdowns in a tough loss against eventual state champion Cedar Creek, and a season-high 330 yards and four scores in a thrilling win over Donovan Catholic.
Costabile was one of the toughest players on the team, routinely taking big hits when he was flushed out of the pocket, but he started all 12 games as a senior and threw for 30 touchdowns against just seven interceptions.
Costabile broke onto the scene as a sophomore, throwing for 1,600-plus yards and 21 touchdowns, and he followed that up his junior year with 1,500 yards and another 16 touchdowns. His senior year, he threw for a career-high 2,502 yards and 30 touchdowns, completing passes to 10 different receivers throughout the season.
For his career, Costabile posted a 26-9 record, leading the Spartans to the state sectional semifinals each year, and he finished with a 2-1 record against rival Atlantic City in Thanksgiving games.
— Staff Writer Dave O’Sullivan
