By GIUSEPPE UNGARO
Managing Editor
Gavin Liepe seems to always take the right path. The linebacker takes the most direct route to the ball as one of the leaders of the Holy Spirit High School defense, but maybe his best move was transferring to the school as a sophomore.
Liepe, who lives in Estell Manor, attended Buena Regional as a freshman before finding his way to Holy Spirit.
This season, Liepe and the Spartans finished with nine wins and came within seconds of being state champions. The Spartans were tied, 20-20, with top-seeded Mater Dei in the Non-Public Group 2 championship game before the Seraphs scored with three seconds left to win, 26-20.
“As an inside linebacker, Gavin played pretty well and this year he took it to a different level,” Holy Spirit coach A.J. Russo said. “He was extremely athletic on the football field for us. He is a sideline-to-sideline linebacker and kept making plays.”
“It was an awesome season. Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to but I think we learned a lot of lessons and we had a great run,” Liepe said. “We worked really, really hard from December of last year and we beat some good teams, too. Some people overlook that. We beat Delsea, and the St. Joe win was awesome. There were definite bright spots throughout the year.”
Liepe had many highlights this season, including a key fourth-down stop against Delsea in a 14-7 win on Sept. 30. But it’s a play against his former teammates that stand out to the 6-1, 215-pound senior.
“I have to say my favorite moment was one-handed interception against Buena this year,” Liepe explained. “It was on their first drive, and it was awesome to do that against my old school.”
For Russo, it’s the effort and the way Liepe approached playing his position each and every pay throughout the season that stood out the most.
“It’s his intensity. Gavin flew to the ball and made plays,” Russo said. “There were times we had him covering in four-wide receiver sets, covering the inside guy. His athleticism gave us an extra edge we didn’t have in the past.”
Liepe has been playing linebacker since he was a 7-year-old member of the Mays Landing Lakers. He looks up to both Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers, and also former Oakcrest standout and current Penn State linebacker Brandon Bell. Liepe wears No 11 like Bell, who also grew up playing for the Lakers.
Liepe tried to model his game around both linebackers, and in the process turned himself into a standout for the Spartans. He dropped some weight entering this season in hopes of getting quicker, which only made him that much more of a force on the gridiron.
“I played linebacker since I was 7 years old and I never switched. I love the spot I’m at on the field,” he explained. “I love being able to read through the line, seeing the running back, and flowing laterally to the ball. I love making pays and chasing running backs down.
“That’s the heart and soul of my game. I love to chase down people and getting sideline-to-sideline. It’s something I improved on these last couple of years. I lost a little weight to get faster. It’s a big part of my game.”
Liepe said he plans to continue to play at the next level, as schools are recruiting him for next fall. High up on the list are schools such as Sacred Heart University and Assumption University.
“He is definitely getting looks across the board from different types of schools. A lot of that has to do with his grades,” Russo said. “Gavin does very well academically and that’s the most important thing. He excels in the classroom.”
Wherever Liepe decides to go, don’t be surprised if the path brings him back to the area.
“I’m going to study secondary education,” he said. “Eventually, I want to come back and coach football at the high school level.”
Contact Giuseppe Ungaro: gungaro@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDgisepu