Senior Spotlight: ‘Coach’s Dream’ White happy to help in any way at Pottsgrove

Evan White grew up watching Pottsgrove athletics.

From an early age, the Falcons senior remembers going to Friday night football games in the fall and basketball games in the winter.

White was a part of the football, boys basketball and baseball teams during his time at Pottsgrove, becoming a person and athlete his younger self would have been proud to watch from the stands.

“It was just awesome,” White said of his time with the Falcons. “All my teammates, coaches helped me grow as a person and player, and I had a lot of fun throughout the years.”

Pottsgrove Athletic Director Steve Anspach described White as one of the school’s “program guys.” Though he didn’t receive a ton of recognition like all-league or all-area honors throughout his time with the Falcons, White’s importance was not lost on those in the school and the teams he was a part of.

“I take a lot of pride in it,” White said of his three-sport status. “Every single sport I play, I try to help my team no matter what, however I can help them. It’s just fun walking around playing three sports and everybody knows it.”

Pottsgrove football coach Bill Hawthorne remembers seeing White at Falcons football camps almost as soon as he could walk.

White was injured his junior season, but Hawthorne recalls how invested he remained in the team despite not being able to play. It paid off during his senior season as White was a versatile contributor for Pottsgrove.

Listed as a middle linebacker and fullback on the roster, White also played tight end, center and defensive end for the Falcons. Hawthorne gave him the Pottsgrove football team award.

“We really used him just about everywhere and anywhere that we could,” Hawthorne said. “His sports IQ is just off the books, so really he’s a coach’s dream…His versatility and really his passion for the game and his willingness to do anything for his teammates really set him apart.”

White came off the bench for last year’s Falcons basketball team, helping Pottsgrove reach the District 1-5A semifinals and reach the PIAA tournament for the first time in nine years.

The 2019-20 season was a little more difficult as the Falcons fell to the bottom of the Pioneer Athletic Conference with a 1-15 league mark, but White was one of the seniors, along with Luke Stringer, who Pottsgrove relied on to steady the young squad.

“We had a lot of adversity this year,” White said. “ I just tried to be a leader from what the other seniors taught me my junior year. We just tried to have fun and just keep battling every single game.”

White said his favorite memory during his time at Pottsgrove was last baseball season, specifically being a part of the team to bring the Falcons their first district playoff win in program history.

Falcons coach Jamie Nash said White wasn’t projected to be in the starting lineup at the beginning of the year. Typically a second baseman, White took reps in the outfield to try and find a spot on the field.

In their first game of the season, the Falcons needed a first baseman and White stepped in. Throughout the year, he climbed up from the bottom of the order to the No. 5 spot in the lineup for a history-making Pottsgrove team.

“He’s normally a second baseman and we were kind of forced to put him at first base and he just embraced it and ran with it,” Nash said. “He’s the type of kid who is just happy to be on the field.”

“Evan worked hard and earned his season, everything he did last year,” Nash added. “It can go two ways: you can push the regular starter to become better or you can do what Evan did and take the spot and not look back.”

Pottsgrove’s baseball team had a large group of seniors this season, including White. Coming off last year’s surprise run, the Falcons entered 2020 once again set to compete for a division title, a PAC playoff spot, and hoped to make a run in districts to earn the first state playoff appearance in school history.

“It was another doubted season,” White said of last year. “Nobody thought we were going to be any good in baseball because of our past at Pottsgrove. But last year we came out, we showed people we can play and compete and got to districts and made history. This year, we only lost two starters I think, so we were really excited for this year.”

Even when his season ended during the past two years, White was a familiar face in the stands of high school games in the area. Nash recalls White’s presence at baseball workouts in the fall and winter, when he wasn’t even allowed to participate.

White’s not sure what his future in athletics holds. He is headed to West Chester University in the fall, but does not currently have plans to play a sport, mentioning he might try to walk-on to the football team.

It’s likely he’ll find a way to stay involved with sports in some way, shape or form.

“I just love sports,” White said. “I can’t really get away from them. I’m either playing a sport, watching a sport or talking about it. It’s just my life.”