Abington High School’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee(SAAC) has decided to honor two winter athletes during each week of the 2020-2021 winter season. SAAC will recognize one male and one female athlete per week, from the Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, and Hockey teams. Highlighted on the sixth week of these spotlights are Sarah Deveney and Derek Nuttall.

Sarah Deveney

This week’s female athlete spotlight is on Girls Varsity Basketball player Sarah Deveney. Deveney, who wears jersey number 12, is a sophomore and plays shooting guard on the court. She has been playing basketball since fourth grade, her favorite memory being bus rides home after winning before Covid, especially when the team could all celebrate in the locker room. When asked why she chose this sport, she said, “I choose to keep playing this sport because my team and I are always having fun and it teaches me mental toughness along with how to be a good teammate.” As for how she got to where she is today, Deveney thanks her family, teammates, and coaches for everything. Her favorite classes are math and gym, and her favorite teacher is Mr. Cutter because he is both nice and understanding. Her favorite sports to watch are football and basketball, and when asked about her favorite high school memory, she highlighted “hanging out and spending time with people I normally don’t see out of school.”

Derek Nuttall

Derek Nuttall is our male athlete spotlight of the week. He is the starting center for the Boys Varsity Basketball team who recently won back-to-back-to-back league championships. He has played basketball almost his whole life. Nuttall has been playing on the varsity team since he was a sophomore and was named captain his senior year. His favorite memory with the team is winning at TD Garden. He is a part of one of the most successful basketball classes in Abington history; they have made it to the big final game three years in a row, and Nuttall has been a part of every single one of them. Unfortunately, he was tragically injured in one of the playoff games last year by tearing his ACL. However, he fought as hard as he could all the way back to the court. It is unheard of to come back from a horrible injury as fast as he did, and it truly shows his character. Nuttall credits his successes to all of his coaches. His favorite teacher is Mr. Kitterick, and his favorite class is Mind Body Spirit. Additionally, he plans to pursue criminal justice in college and play college basketball. Although Derek Nuttall may have laced up for the Green Wave for the final time, he has sure left big shoes to fill.

With the winter sports season coming to a close, this is the final week of the Winter Athlete of the Week Spotlights. SAAC will continue with these spotlights during the Fall II season, highlighting athletes from the Football, Indoor Track(run outdoors), Volleyball, and Gameday Cheerleading teams.