SuburbanOneSports.com recognizes a male and female featured athlete each week. The awards, sponsored by Univest, are given to seniors of good character who are students in good standing that have made significant contributions to their teams. Selections are based on nominations received from coaches, athletic directors and administrators.
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Female Athlete (Week of May 15, 2026)
Catherine Scott would be the first to admit she didn’t know a whole lot about the girls’ lacrosse program at Quakertown when she took over the helm prior to the start of the 2024-25 season. She does, however, remember her very first open practice and the very first drill she ran her players through. Casey Rosenberger – then a junior – caught her eye immediately “It was just a little stickwork drill, and she was one of the few that not only could I tell the type of player she was right away, but also just the skill she had immediately stood out to me,” Scott said. “We did a little conditioning that first day too, and she could run. Not only could she do those things well, but she led throughout it, and she was a great motivator. She was definitely one to take the team on her back, and I noticed that right away, which was super great because I didn’t know much about the program or anything about any of the players, so it was great that she had that natural leadership and natural ability.”
Rosenberger was an easy choice for junior captain, and she also was captain her final high school season just completed. It’s a role she fell into effortlessly. “She’s a vocal leader, but even more so, she leads by example in the sense that if we’re doing a drill and it’s a very competitive drill or if it’s something new – she’s the one to help those girls who might not know what’s going on, take them to the back of the line and say, ‘Hey, if that doesn’t make sense, let me show you another way to do it,’” Scott said. “She’s a great balance of being vocal and then saying, ‘You go against me, and then I can show you’ – really putting it into play.
And she’s definitely someone who leads by example as well.”
Rosenberger carried that leadership role to the hockey field where she also was a captain of the team last fall “Her athletic skills are nothing short of incredible, characterized by explosive speed and a high athletic IQ that allows her to dominate on both the field hockey and lacrosse fields,” Quakertown hockey coach Peach Draper said. “Beyond her physical strength, Casey is a supportive teammate who leads by example and consistently fosters a positive competitive environment for everyone around her.”
In field hockey, Rosenberger was a three-year varsity player. In lacrosse, she immediately earned a spot on the varsity as a freshman. As a junior, Rosenberger surpassed the 100-career-goal mark and entered her senior year with 112 goals. She finished a stellar four-year varsity career with 175 goals, and although stats were unavailable for other categories, Scott acknowledged that Rosenberger’s impact doesn’t begin and end with goals scored. “She’s had numerous, numerous draw controls,” Scott said. “She was a midfielder through and through. She was a great threat on defense intercepting and having a lot of caused turnovers and then taking it down on attack and having a twizzler goal of some sort. She was our one-woman wrecking crew at times, for sure.”
Rosenberger’s lacrosse playing days are far from over. She will continue her lacrosse career at the Division 2 level at Holy Family University, choosing the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) school from a final list that also included Albright, Edinboro and Old Dominion. Rosenberger – just as she had when Scott took over the program - made an immediate impression. “I went to Holy Family’s clinic, and the first time watching me play the sport, they offered me, and that really made me happy because most of the schools I talked to were not as straightforward,” Rosenberger said. “It was good to have that honesty and straightforwardness.”
At Holy Family, Rosenberger will be majoring in early childhood education, and listening to her coaches tell it, Holy Family is inheriting a special student-athlete. “She has a great personality, she’s witty, and she loves the social aspect of sports, but also she loves the competitiveness,” Scott said. “She loves to work hard. She is deeply admired by her peers, and she has a very contagious energy. She is very, very good at her age of understanding and knowing that – ‘Hey even if I am not having the best day, I’m going to do those little things right to really uplift everyone else and make it a good day. ‘” Added Draper, “Casey is a selfless and supportive teammate who leads by example and consistently fosters a positive competitive environment for everyone around her. I will miss her so much.”
To read Rosenberger’s complete story, please slick on the following link: https://suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/casey-rosenberger-00124916
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of May 15, 2026)
It would be safe to say that Council Rock South standout senior Connor McCaffery had lacrosse in his DNA. His uncle, Brian McCaffery, played club lacrosse at Penn State (before it was an official varsity sport). His older sister, Morgan McCaffery, was so skilled that she played at Louisville. “I gained my inspiration from her,” he said. “My uncle played club lacrosse at Penn State before they had a team, and he was always talking about it. I started playing in second grade, and from there, it was always my favorite sport.” While it was his favorite and a joy to play, McCaffery never ceased trying to improve his game. As such, the team captain of the Hawks spearheaded the team into the postseason as the all-time program leader in goals and points and will be continuing his career at the University of Scranton.
With a little help from Mother Nature --growing two inches to an even 6-feet and adding 20 pounds to tip the scales at 185 -- McCaffery decided to play his second favorite sport, football, last fall. He had given it up
after quarterbacking the freshman team to an undefeated season but decided to make a run with the same group of teammates, and they ended up winning a league title. McCaffery wasn’t just hanging out on the sidelines, either. He returned to the gridiron as a savvy starting cornerback in the secondary. “Absolutely,” said football coach C.J. Szydlik. “He played in the secondary growing up, so it was a natural fit. He solidified our defensive backfield with his intelligence and toughness. Connor is a great young man that works extremely hard. He’s one of those players that can balance having a good time while playing sports and being locked in when the time comes.”
Lacrosse coach Mike Murray, whose roster sees a lot of crossover from the football and ice hockey teams, naturally worried about injury to his top returning player but feels it actually paid dividends. What he got in return from football was a true power forward who has been a force of nature this season. “That helped him immensely,” said Murray. “He was a lot more physical coming back this year. I would call him more of a power type of forward this year, as compared to past years. He’s really just a good solid all-around player.” The improved shot was the indirect result of a setback. McCaffery actually sustained an AC Joint injury to his right shoulder, which is his dominant trigger shoulder for lacrosse, in a seven-on-seven football game last summer. That led to him to working the left shoulder so hard doing wall ball – all while playing his eclectic marathon music playlists -- that his shot gives goalkeepers nightmares. “His shot is one of the top shots in the league,” said Murray. “He can get it off at different angles. As a player, he’s just really good. I’ve never had a player who has improved his shot so much from his junior to senior year, and he was already good. He is just a kid who has worked very hard in the offseason to improve himself. He takes the game very seriously.”
Not only did McCaffery lead on the scoresheet but also by example as a captain. “He’s been a great captain for us,” said Murray. “I appreciate that about him. I already had him identified as a captain when he was a freshman. He was just that kind of a kid. He had no problem calling out an upperclassman, like if they were in the weight room and not doing what they needed to do. That was really the first sign. He is just a super competitive kid.”
McCaffery said he heard good things about the lacrosse program at Scranton. He contacted the coaches, went for a visit and it felt right. “I think it’s going to be a very good situation for Connor,” said Murray. “He’s a hard worker, and that’s the biggest indicator of success. He’ll be a well-received teammate, too, because he’s a good teammate to other players. That’s part of lacrosse that people don’t really get. It’s a team sport. Even though he has had such an amazing senior year, I think he will continue to accelerate and get better.”
Also important to McCaffery is the ability to be part of the ROTC program at Scranton, as he hopes to serve in the Army for eight years (four active, four in the reserves) after graduation. “I always had an interest in the Army growing up,” said McCaffery, who has a 3.9 GPA and is an officer in the National English Honor Society. “I wanted to see how I could play lacrosse and also serve my country. You get the best of both worlds. You are able to sacrifice something and be part of something that is bigger than yourself.”
To read McCaffery’s complete story, please click on the following link: https://suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/connor-mccaffery-00124915
- Log in to post comments
