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Abington Heights Kaleb Sherman during a practice on Monday, August 14, 2017. Christopher Dolan / Staff Photographer

In Joe Repshis tenure as head coach, Abington Heights is among the top programs in the Lackawanna Football Conference.

A year after winning the District 2 Class 5A championship, the Comets aim to maintain that glowing reputation while it rebuilds after losing the majority of the starting team to graduation.

Abington Heights returns only three starters two on offense and one on defense. But that doesnt change the outlook or the approach to the season.

Our goal every day has been to come out and get better, Repshis said. Our focus is to be better every practice. It is a process, but that is always our approach.

Leading the offense is running back Kaleb Sherman, who as a sophomore ran for 536 yards and scored five touchdowns. Fullback Austin Kohut contributed 26 yards rushing last season.

Nate Gronsky, a 6-foot, 245-pound guard, is the only returning lineman for the Comets.

Players expected to contribute along the line of scrimmage include, Chris Callahan at center, Shea Parry and Sage Santarsiero at guard, Joe Makowski, Chris Kane and Tre Kerrigan at tackle.

George Tinsley, who saw action at quarterback and is an All-Region and all-state basketball player, takes over as signal caller. At 6-foot-5, he has size and a strong arm to be an impact player. He passed for 222 yards last season and a touchdown.

Tinsleys receiving group includes John Rama, Chase Overholser, Trey Koehler, another basketball standout, and Corey Perkins.

Defensively, where the Comets were among the best in the LFC, is where the most work must be done. There is only one starter returning, sophomore Mike Malone.

Last season, as a freshman, Malone played like a veteran late and during the playoff run. He finished with 26 tackles with five tackles for loss and a sack.

Matthan Sherman saw a lot of time last year, especially in passing situations. He finished with 26 total tackles with a season-high of six against Valley View.

He also had three interceptions, returning one for a score, in a win over Hazleton Area.

I think we can surprise people, Sherman said. Yes, we did lose a lot of starters, but we have a lot of good athletes and players in this group coming up that maybe nobody really knows about. We have the same goals here and everybody works hard.

Drake, Callahan, Gronsky, Makowski, Santarsiero and Kane will anchor the up front. The linebackers will be Matt Lastauskas, Noah Braid, Kaleb Sherman and Michael Pusateri, and the secondary will feature Matthan Sherman, Rama, Perkins, Overholser, Robby Horvath and Koehler.

Abington Heights must also overcome the loss of starting linebacker Owen Hivner, an All-Region player who had 144 tackles last season. He decided not to play football in his senior year.

We have guys who are returning who experienced a championship season, Repshis said. You cant put a price tag on that. That is something that is always important. You cant simulate in practice those playoff-type plays or playoff situations, so we are encouraging them to speak to the young guys and tell them what it takes and what the expectations are.

Contact the writer: jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125; @JobyFawcett26 on Twitter

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GAMEFACE 2017: Abington Heights Comets - Scranton Times-Tribune