A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Springdale’s August Tabacheck

By: Bill Hartlep
Monday, September 20, 2021 | 9:39 AM

Saturday was special for Springdale soccer standout August Tabacheck, but it had nothing to do with his talents on the pitch.

The senior center midfielder saw more than a year’s worth of hard work on display with the opening of the Daniel R. Tabacheck Memorial Dog Park in Agan Park in Springdale Township.

Tabacheck built the 50-by-50 yard park — complete with natural obstacles, a double gate, picnic table, flower bed and signage — as part of his Eagle Scout project and in memory of his father, who died in 2018.

With the help of his soccer teammates, he spent the past three weekends constructing the park. The previous 12 months were spent planning and designing the area.

When he wasn’t helping to improve the amenities in Agan Park, Tabacheck was assisting the Dynamos to a 5-1 start with wins over St. Joseph, Avonworth, Trinity Christian, Aquinas Academy and Bishop Canevin. They have four shutouts and were outscoring opponents 23-3 entering Saturday’s game at Winchester Thurston.

He was honorable mention Section 3-A Finest 15 last season and has been contributing all over this year, including a goal and two assists in last Wednesday’s 9-0 win over Bishop Canevin.

He took a few minutes for questions in this week’s A-K Valley Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How’s the season going so far?

The season is going really well. We have a lot of freshmen, so there’s a lot of new talent. We’re still learning to play together. By the end of the season, we’ll all be moving as one.

What’s been the key to the strong start?

I think our defense is really strong, and we have a lot of guys up top that can score. The way we work the ball out of the back is really effective. That’s how we score a lot of goals. We’re a tight-knit group, and we have really good chemistry. We’re all good friends on and off the field, so we work well as a group. We know each other’s play styles and can build off each other really well.

What is your role on this team as a center midfielder?

My role is not the most glamorous. It’s running up and down the field, making smart decisions on defense and offense. I help connect he defense to the offense.

What’s the toughest part of that position?

100% the conditioning. You don’t get a break. You are expected to be there on offense to make plays and be there on defense to support them and work the ball from the defense to the offense, and left to right obviously.

What are you goals for this season?

Playoffs is the No. 1 priority and, hopefully, the WPIAL championship and maybe even the state final.

How did you get involved in soccer?

I live right next to the Harmar soccer field, so I’ve been playing since I was 4. My friends and I always played. I fell in love with the game at a young age. It was always a pastime for us. We’ve had a lot of fun over the years.

What are your plans for next year?

I plan to go to a bigger school, so I won’t be playing soccer. I’d like to study computer science or software engineering at maybe Penn State or a bigger school like that in Pennsylvania.

What’s the story behind your name?

It’s actually after August West, my first and middle names, (a song character) from one of my parents’ favorite bands, the Grateful Dead.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Springdale