Fox Chapel grad Borland, set for HOF, shined in 2 sports

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, April 27, 2018 | 11:00 PM

This is the second in a series of profiles on the 2018 inductees into the Fox Chapel Sports Hall of Fame. The banquet will be June 2 at the Harmar House. For more information, contact gymbeck63@aol.com.

Dave Borland, a 1987 graduate, played soccer and basketball for the Foxes. He was a four-year starter on the soccer team, and the team qualified for the WPIAL playoffs in each of those four years. The Foxes made it to the WPIAL finals in his junior year and semifinals his senior season. They played in the PIAA tournament both years.

He was named to the all-WPIAL team as a senior. He was also a starter on the basketball team as a senior, and the Foxes qualified for the WPIAL and PIAA tournament.

“My fondest memory of my high school sports career was competing in the WPIAL soccer finals and semifinals as a senior,” he said. “It is such a culmination of hard work, with a big reward on the line. Those are the types of environments and emotions you don't get to experience very often. We had always had a very tight-knit team that competed together during the school year and participated on the same club teams in the offseason. We were very close and had always spent a lot of time together on the field. Competing for those championships with them was awesome. These guys were teammates, classmates and friends.

“I will always remember getting to the WPIAL semifinals as a senior. The prior year, we had lost in the WPIAL finals and numerous senior starters had moved on to college, with a few of those starters currently in the Fox Chapel Hall of Fame. We had to work really hard to get through the playoffs and probably went further than some would have expected. Unfortunately we lost on penalty kicks and, to be honest, I still can see the deciding kick. But even in that loss, that team achievement was my greatest high school moment.”

Borland continued his soccer career at Alfred and was a four-year starter. The team qualified for the playoffs all four years and reached the Division III quarterfinals. He was named to the freshman all-conference team, along with being named all-conference as a junior and senior. In addition, he was named as a regional All-American as a senior. He still plays soccer in the Western Pennsylvania Men's League and is helping coach in the Fox Chapel Youth Soccer program.

“I help coach my son's team. I enjoy the competitive aspects of playing and teaching the sport,” Borland said.

He was surprised upon hearing of his selection to the FC Sports Hall of Fame.

“Most of the time, you look at the Hall of Fame through the lens of the sports in which you played, and there are some very successful and talented soccer players that have been inducted,” he said. “It is humbling to be seen as one of their peers.”

Borland, who founded Scope Interactive, a local marketing communications firm, lives in Aspinwall with his wife, Rachel, and their two children, Jack and Nash. He still tries to maintain contact with teammates and coaches.

“There's never as much contact as you would like. Life seems to get in the way sometime,” he said. “But what I do find unique is that any time I see or talk to one of them, it is as if we saw each other the previous day. We were a close group and created many lasting and deep friendships. There is a lot of pride in Fox Chapel soccer, and we reminisce about those times when we do get together.”

Marty Stewart is a freelance writer.

Tags: Fox Chapel