Football, Track
Favorite athlete: Tyrese Maxey,
Favorite team: The Eagles
Favorite memory competing in sports: Beating our cross-town rivals, Upper Dublin, for the first time in 13 years in my first varsity start.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: Also in my first varsity start I forgot to buckle my helmet up and had it knocked off, making me sit out a play.
Music on playlist: Alternative rock and rap
Future plans: I am planning on attending a four-year university but undecided what major to pursue.
Words to live by: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
One goal before turning 30: Travel to 3 new countries.
One thing people don’t know about me: I went on an exchange trip to Germany in the summer before junior year and hosted an exchange student for 2 weeks.
By GORDON GLANTZ
In the words of the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”
While Wissahickon senior Evan Tolmie does not play ice hockey like Gretzky, he has applied the mindset to football.
After two years of waiting his turn behind starter and mentor Nolan Pounds, Tolmie has made the most of the opportunity.
Highlights of his senior year have included beating rival Upper Dublin to begin the dream season and a come-from-behind win over Upper Moreland.
“Our team this year - we just kind of banded together,” said Tolmie, who was voted as a captain by his peers. “We lost a lot of seniors from last year, and there may have been some doubts from outsiders. We worked hard and practiced hard in the offseason, and we were able to beat Upper Dublin for the first time in 13 years. It was a great feeling.
“Nolan Pounds was a good quarterback and mentor. He taught me a lot about how to read defenses and stuff like that, but I thought it was special for me to actually be the quarterback out there contributing to the team when we beat our rival.”
With an admitted gunslinger mentality, one he developed as kid playing pickup games with many of the same friends that are now teammates, Tolmie has not been shy about making the most of his shot by taking his shots downfield.
“Sports-wise, I look at the Upper Moreland game,” recalled the son of Alison Scutta and John Tolmie. “We were trailing, 21-14. It was the last few minutes of the game. I just put some balls out there, hoping our seniors could get them, and they ended up working out. We drove down and scored. We tied it up and won in overtime.
“They may not have been the best decisions, but it was better than holding onto it and taking sacks. I was happy to keep taking risks and to get it to my receivers.”
Giving It All
When looking at his success, Tolmie has achieved it by channeling his favorite athlete, Sixers’ point guard Tyrese Maxey, who currently leads the NBA in scoring.
“He is type of guy who just gives 100 percent effort, no matter what,” said Tolmie. “I just love what he has been doing for the Sixers so far.”
Tolmie also added that he appreciates the joy with which Maxey plays, as it has been said that he also seems to have a smile on his face.
“I try to do that also,” Tolmie said. “I’m not really one to try and trash talk or anything like that. I just try to have a good attitude.”
With Tolmie under center, the Trojans lost just one regular season game and earned a home playoff game in the District One 5A playoffs.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever gotten a home game for a district playoff game, so that’s huge,” said Tolmie. “It sets a goal for other Wissahickon teams moving forward. It is possible, because we’ve done it.”
In many ways, according to head coach Rory Graver, Tolmie is the personification of the whole senior class.
“It’s been the dedication of our senior class, but also our underclassmen, just all buying in,” said the coach. “They spent a lot of time in the weight room to get bigger and stronger and faster. It was really just our players buying in and putting in the time.
“To have the opportunity to play their first home playoff game was a goal that we set for ourselves. They wanted to leave the program better than they found it. The opportunity to have a home playoff game was a real credit to them and the time that they put in. I’m extremely proud of Evan, and also the rest of the seniors.”
Starting the Engine
While Tolmie played JV as a sophomore and took a few varsity snaps as the varsity backup as a junior, he was clearly making the most out of his apprenticeship.
“He was our backup quarterback the last two years,” said Graver. “I know that he wanted to be out there playing and, at some other schools, he would have been out there playing. He waited his turn. He supported our starter the last two years and has really seized his opportunity this year. He has had a phenomenal year for us.”
Tolmie -- crediting the trio of former QB guru Ben Haire, Graver and Pounds for preparing him -- checks all the boxes, as he is a mobile quarterback with a strong and accurate arm who also commands the huddle and has a high football IQ.
“He is highly competitive,” said Graver. “He is a very intelligent quarterback. He can run and has a really strong arm. He is also really accurate with the football. He is just a leader out there.”
Taking the Reins
While he has always had natural leadership abilities, Tolmie was still a first-year starter and growing into his captaincy early on.
That is no longer the case.
“He really leads by example, but he has become more of a vocal leader as the season has gone along,” said Graver. “Our team follows him.”
Tolmie added that part of his leadership is being a calming influence in a sport where emotions can run high.
“On the field, if tensions are ever rising between us and our opponents, I always try to deescalate it,” he said. “I would say that I’m a mixture of both. I’m a leader by example, but also a vocal leader.”
Hitting the Track
When football season ends, Tolmie turns his attention to track and field, where he runs the hurdles and competes in the high jump.
“I used to play basketball, but I switched over to track in the winter of my junior year,” said Tolmie. “Freshman year, in basketball, I started. Sophomore year, I was getting limited time on the JV team.
“I had been varsity for (outdoor) track since my freshman year. I just decided that it was better use of my time to just fully commit to track in the winter, too.”
Tolmie added that competing in track has made him a better football player.
“It has definitely helped a lot,” he said. “I have definitely gotten much faster throughout my high school career.
“I’ve had four rushing touchdowns this year. I think that gaining speed has definitely helped with my scrambles.”
But, make no mistake about it, Tolmie approaches his track events with the same competitive fire as he does with football.
“I made districts last year for outdoor and kind of the equivalent of districts for indoor,” he said. “The goal this year would be the make states in indoor and outdoor.
“I probably have the best chance to make states in the indoor for high jump. For outdoor, I could probably qualify for districts in both. I didn’t qualify for districts in hurdles last year, and our district is pretty competitive, but I’ll just compete as best as I can.”
First Priority
Between football and track (winter and spring), Tolmie’s calendar is pretty much booked, as he is also a stellar student.
“Once I get home from practice, I eat dinner and just get right to work,” he said. “If I’m done my schoolwork, I’ll watch some game film and then just go to bed.
“Also, I take advantage of my study halls, and any other free periods that I might have. I just try to make sure I get everything done that I can.”
However, while low on free time, Tolmie made the time to get involved in an exchange program where he went to Germany and a student from Germany stayed with his family.
With a course load heavy in AP and honors classes, he boasts a 4.79 weighted GPA.
“He’s an outstanding young man,” said Graver. “He is a tremendous student-athlete, who just represents our program really well. He just does things the right way.
“The same type person you see on the football field is the same type of person you see in the classroom. He is just a great representation of our football program.”
As for college, Tolmie is not ruling anything out or in. He is considering larger colleges where playing is unrealistic, but is open to the right opportunity.
“If he wants to pursue it, I think he can absolutely be a college quarterback,” said Graver. “We talked a little bit about that, but we planned all along to wait until the end of the season to sit down and talk a little bit more about that.”
Tolmie, who wanted to thank his parents for letting him play tackle football starting his sixth grade and then supporting him wholeheartedly, is willing to listen.
“I’m thinking about it,” he said. “I’m in the process of applying to colleges right now. I’m looking at Penn State and Delaware and some other schools that aren’t really super realistic, but I’m to put together some highlights and put it out there and see what happens.”
