The Comets’ junior goalkeeper had 10 saves in a 2-0 win over District 1 champion Harriton in the PIAA Class 3A boys soccer semifinals at Hamburg Area High School and eight saves in a 2-0 victory over District 3 champion Conrad Weiser in Saturday’s final at Northeastern High School as Abington Heights captured its first state title and became District 2’s first PIAA champion since Mountain View secured the Class 1A title in 2012. The Comets didn’t allow a goal in seven postseason games and finished with 18 clean sheets on the season.

Family: Mom, Kristin; dad, Durell; brother, Harry

Coach: Frank Dyska

How does it feel to be a state champion: I still haven’t fully processed it. It’s been a crazy feeling. It was history for the school. It’s something that may never happen again at least for the near future, but who knows. It’s just crazy that we really won it. No one was expecting it. I’ve heard people talk, and they’re like we didn’t think they’d beat Harriton and then oh we didn’t think they’d beat Conrad Weiser, either. We were just such an underdog story, and it’s felt so great to actually win it.

What was the escort back home like: It was just such a good feeling because we were kind of just calling ourselves hometown heroes almost as everyone had been watching from home, and there were watch parties from restaurants and everyone was on the street cheering and clapping and had signs and we’re back at the high school and the whole youth community is there. We’re all signing their shirts and shoes and papers and soccer balls. And there were families there clapping for us. It just got the whole community involved.

How great is it to be part of the Abington Heights community: It’s great. I wouldn’t ask for any other because it’s such a fun time, even with people we’ve known and everyone feels connected. There’s always new people that you see at everything. They might not even have kids (on the team), but they’ll still be at all these events and they still care about it just as much as parents.

Your team had such a great defense that your saves didn’t pile up during the season, but when your team needed you, you delivered in the semifinals and final. What is it like staying ready for those moments: I always have to stay focused in practice because I never know when someone might be off on the defense, but normally the defense is always on and I definitely think we had the best defense in the state. I think we had 18 shutouts, and I couldn’t give more credit to the defense. They definitely made my job a lot easier, but when we faced the best offense, I was ready. I knew a time would come when I’d actually have to make some saves.

In the final, what was the key to the defense slowing down Conrad Weiser, especially in the first half: We just didn’t come out ready. We were still processing the fact that we were in a state championship game, and we came out really shaky. We knew that we played a very poor half in the first half and everyone agreed when we came down, especially Nico (Bustos), in the corner during halftime. We just played one of the worst halves all season, and it’s 0-0 in the state championship, so we came out and during that first minute in the second half when we linked up point passes and we were in their half, I knew we were winning. It wasn’t going to be a competition after that.

Your team never wavered under tremendous pressure. How did your team learn to handle anything this season threw at you: Even though we didn’t have an undefeated season, I think that one loss against Lewisburg was definitely a very important part of our season because it taught us that we could still be beat, and we aren’t invincible to anyone. But, that one loss showed us that we can still handle these teams because we lost, 1-0. It wasn’t a blowout by any means, but that loss just showed us that we just need to take games a little more seriously because we were pretty off that game and it showed us that we could lose any game, we just shouldn’t. So, we went in to every game serious as ever.

Your team took it to another level this postseason, outscoring your opponents, 31-0, in seven games. When you prepared for the postseason, how were you guys able to take it up a notch: We just knew we could move the ball like no one else, and as long as we played our game and made opponents have to defend us for 60 minutes, and after those 60 minutes they were just tired and we could just have our way in their half, which we did all season against a little bit weaker opponents. We just knew we had to stick to a more strict gameplan, because in the first half in the finals, we were kind of just kicking and running and hoping. And then we got at ourselves and we started to play our game in the second half with all the passes and plays and awesome finishes.

How do you handle the pressure when you’re up a goal and the other team is trying to get that equalizer: I just have to stay focused and know that I can easily save, I just can’t let my mental fogginess get in the way whenever I need to make a play because that can make me hesitate and then I’ll get stuck in no man’s land and I won’t be in the right position. So, I always have to think clear and stay focused on the game.

Do you have any plans for after high school: I’ll probably go to college, but I haven’t thought about anything like that yet.

Other sports you play: Basketball and volleyball

Favorite food: Any barbecue food

Favorite sports teams: I watch a lot of football, so I like the Tennessee Volunteers for college and I like the Steelers for NFL.

Superstitions or rituals before a game: For soccer after every huddle, I always step on every line on the field as I run back to the goal and then I touch the crossbar with both hands and walk out. I feel like that’s always just prepared me.

Athletes you admire: I always admired my brother because he played in college, and I just always looked up to him because he had a very decorated high school career, winning a state championship in basketball, as well. He faced a lot of adversity, and I looked up to him.

Three people you’d like to have dinner with: My defensive line, Aiden Gardner, Enzo Capozzi and James Mitchell because they carried me on their back a lot this year and it means a lot to me. They were tremendous.