Robbins, Abaray set tone for young Springdale football team

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, August 21, 2024 | 7:24 PM

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As a freshman, Noah Robbins didn’t see the field that much in varsity games.

But he gained valuable experience watching a seasoned group of Springdale players, including 16 seniors, lead the way to the WPIAL Class A playoffs and a first-round victory.

Fast forward three years later, and Robbins now has that wealth of experience as a skilled senior along the offensive line and an anchor at inside linebacker for a Dynamos team with several members who have never taken a snap before in a varsity game.

“Just being out there as a freshman and getting some varsity reps with the older guys and being right there watching how they worked, it made me better as a player and showed me what varsity football was all about,” said Robbins, who is one of four seniors on a roster just shy of two dozen.

“I really looked up to them. Even before coming on as a freshman, I followed them in junior high and saw them be able to hang with Jeannette and some of the other good teams in the (Eastern) conference.”

Robbins and fellow offensive lineman Noah Abaray, in his third year as a two-way starter in the trenches, are the lone Springdale senior position players. They understand the role they have in giving back.

“I want to see us win some games and help drive the program forward,” said Robbins, a two-way starter the past two seasons. “In the scrimmage, you could tell that some of the younger kids were pretty nervous, and I told them to not play scared and to play with confidence because I believe in them. When you play scared and not at full speed, that is when injuries happen.

“I’ve seen major improvement, especially from the line. At first, they were struggling with learning the plays and learning the assignments, but it’s been night and day since then. The scrimmage was a real learning point. We know the line can be a strong point of the offense.”

Springdale will open its season a week from Friday against Chartiers-Houston.

“We’re watching film, learning from our mistakes, getting out here and getting in some good work, and I know we will be ready for Chartiers-Houston next week,” Robbins said. “Everyone is looking to take steps forward each day.”

Abaray didn’t come out for the team at the start of his freshman year.

“By the time I wanted to come out, the season was already half over,” he said.

So Abaray came out as a sophomore, playing organized football for the first time and was thrust into a starting offensive lineman role right away as the Dynamos worked to recover from massive graduation losses.

Springdale was 0-10 in 2022, but the Dynamos showed improvement last year despite winning just one game.

“It was a challenge to be in there right away (as a sophomore),” Abaray said. “But I had great coaches, and the senior linemen who were there, like Nate Folmar and Matt Sovick, really helped me. I improved so much.”

Abaray was a two-way starter in the trenches last year and returns to that role this year.

“I love football, and I love to be out here with my teammates,” he said. “I know what it is like for some of these younger guys just starting out. I want to be that role model with Noah (Robbins) and (junior lineman letterman) Joe (Loebig). We want to be positive examples for them.

“We have guys all over the field, including the line, who have stepped up their games. We’ve had injuries, like any team has. Elijah Clements, he’s a freshman, he had to step in at guard in the scrimmage, and I thought he did really well for the position he was put in on such short notice.

“We need all the time we can get out here in practice, and if we keep working and keep building the team and keep bonding, good things are going to happen for us.”

Springdale coach Chad Walsh said Robbins and Abaray are major parts of the glue that holds the team together.

“They’ve been here all summer, and they work so hard in the weight room,” Walsh said. “They’ve been the leaders in everything. They get out on the practice field and do the work. They don’t complain. They are disciplined, and they push themselves. They expect that same effort from everyone. They understand the inexperience we have and the situation with the lower numbers, but they are always positive.

“They love to play football. They don’t worry about anything but doing what they can to make this team better. They set the tone, and the younger kids respect them for that.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Springdale