By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 12/12/23
David Sowers, who previously guided Hatboro-Horsham and Upper Dublin to PIAA lacrosse playoff berths and last year took Harriton to the playoffs, has been named the head boys’ lacrosse coach at Wissahickon.
For the past two years, Sowers was head coach at Harriton, posting an 18-17 mark while leading the Rams to the District 1 3A tourney in 2023.
Sowers, who resides near Wissahickon in the Upper Dublin School District, made a point to praise the Harriton lacrosse community and was pleased with the team’s development in the rugged Central League. The opportunity to coach close to home at Wissahickon, near his Upper Dublin residence and where he runs summer camps, was a major factor.
“Having run Be Your Best Winter and Summer camps, I have had the pleasure of imparting my philosophy of ‘Family ~ School ~ Lacrosse’ to many of the Wissahickon players,” he said. “The Wissahickon HS program has flourished over the years, thanks to a robust Wiss Lax youth feeder program.”
Wissahickon won the past three Suburban One American Conference championships outright under Matt Conway, also sharing the 2019 title with Springfield-Montco and Upper Dublin. Sowers was Upper Dublin’s head coach from 2016-18.
“Despite the recent graduation of nearly 15 seniors from the high school team, I am optimistic about the future,” said Sowers. “My coaching staff, comprising Brian Wall (Defensive Coordinator – Harriton, UD and Mesa 2016), Kyle Keblish (Offensive Coordinator – former Father Judge Head Coach), Sean Ruhren (Varsity Assistant – formerly with WHS), Eric Kaufmann (JV Offensive Coordinator – formerly with WHS), and Ross Blumenthal (Drexel Goalie alumnus with four years of experience), is poised to tackle the challenge of nurturing a young team and elevating the program to one that brings pride to the community, school, and players alike.”
Sowers was head coach at Hatboro-Horsham from 2002-2010 and compiled a record of 137-44. He led the Hatters to a share of the Suburban One Continental Conference crown and a state playoff berth in his final year.
After an assistant coaching stint at Wissahickon for a year Sowers served as an assistant at Upper Dublin for three years before taking over as head coach of the Cardinals. In his 3 seasons there, Sowers had a 50-14 record, won two Suburban One American championships (2016, 2018) and a District 1 title (2016). The 2016 season ended with a berth in the PIAA quarterfinals.
Sowers – who was also head coach for the Upper Moreland girls’ program in the late 1990s and has posted 221 career wins as a head coach – also is an assistant football coach at Upper Dublin. He is a teacher at Hatboro-Horsham.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my tenure at Harriton, where I found great satisfaction in working alongside the esteemed Athletic Director, Shawn Albert, who undoubtedly ranks among the finest I’ve had the privilege to collaborate with,” said Sowers. “The students at Harriton displayed admirable dedication to self-improvement, fostering an environment where the pursuit of excellence was a daily commitment. Regrettably, the commute eventually placed a strain on both myself and my family.”
