Randy Garber, a 1971 graduate of Abington Senior High School and longtime coach of the boys’ soccer team, is stepping down after 32 years as head of the program.
The announcement came on the heels of the Ghosts’ state title win last Friday, marking the program’s first-ever—and the school’s third-ever—state championship.
“People reached out by text, by phone that I haven’t [heard from] in a while,” Garber told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I have more than 100 texts from former players just reaching out saying how great it was, a long time coming — it’s your last season as head coach and this happens. The moment was extremely special. I’ve had good teams in the past that did extremely well but couldn’t get over that hump because of whatever reason. … This year with this team, everything fell into place. One thing got better than the next.”
He continued:
It’s just great for the community, the school. They’re all rallying around the soccer team because it’s the first state championship since 1981. … The senior high filled with students watching [the game] live while we were playing [Friday morning]. The elementary schools were watching it in Roslyn Elementary in the gymnasium, and the parade on the way home … that took us all [though] Glenside and all through the elementary schools, and the students out on the sidewalk just waving. It was a treat. It was a real treat.
I don’t know that any of the students and surely the coaches knew it was going to be celebrated in that fashion. We didn’t expect the fire trucks. We might have expected a police car [escort], but we did not realize how they got the community out. … There were people just walking out of the house and clapping. … It was an all day and night [celebration] — the school did a really nice job getting everyone to know that we won.
The Inquirer’s writeup included photos taken by Abington senior Nate Quigley, the soccer team’s unofficial photographer for the past three seasons—no small feat for a budding amateur.
Quigley told Glenside Local that he got his start using his dad’s old camera and, aside from a few pointers received here and there, has been mostly self-taught. Since his photography foray with Abington’s lacrosse team in 2023, he’s expanded into videography as well, and credits other high school-aged photographers as his biggest source of inspiration.
“I’ve always been interested in it, and I didn’t expect to be in The Inquirer. It was honestly a great surprise, and it’s given me the confidence that I can do this as a career,” he said. “I’m in the process of deciding where I want to go to college, but I want to go somewhere with a lot of school spirit and school sports so I can continue to photograph.”
You can view Quigley’s full gallery from Abington’s state championship here.
In addition to soccer, Quigley’s current portfolio includes lacrosse, football, basketball, baseball, and wrestling teams.
“I went to Penn State for a lacrosse game last spring. I reached out to their athletics office and asked if I could build my portfolio, and they gave me a media credential. A Roman Catholic player asked him to come out and shoot him last year,” he said. “A lot of these kids want to post their shots in their social media feeds. It’s nice to be able to see their joy when they share with friends and family. That’s the main reason I do it.”
Quigley noted that high school players also use his work for college recruitment, particularly the videos.
Those endeavors aside, seeing his friends and classmates bring home a state title will remain a highlight for Quigley.
“I got to follow the entirety of our playoff run. Seeing how everyone came together as a family was very rewarding. The team really wanted to finish on a high note for Coach Garber. It was a great experience,” he said of the team’s state championship.
For more of Quigley’s photography, you can visit his Instagram page.
For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.
Photos: Nate Quigley