Liepe chasing NJAC title, just not at his father’s alma mater
When Gavin Liepe was beginning to look at colleges after a solid four-year career at Holy Spirit High School, one of those right near the top was The College of New Jersey.
And why not, after all his father, Dave, was an All-America defensive end for the Lions.
When the decision was made, Gavin decided to stay within the New Jersey Athletic Conference, it just wasn’t at TCNJ. Instead, he opted for Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.
That is going to make for an interesting Saturday in the Liepe household as TCNJ heads to CNU for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
“This is definitely a special week,” Gavin said. “It’s one I’ve circled from the day I committed to CNU. This is a big deal as my dad was one of the best defensive ends to ever play at that school.”
The young Liepe was a four year All-Cape Atlantic performer at linebacker for Spirit, and now a freshman at Christopher Newport, he has played in all eight games and has 12 tackles for the Captains.
“We are ready to get after some of the boys from back home,” Gavin said. “This conference is very competitive and every week you never know what you are going to get.”
The Captains (5-3, 4-3 NJAC) found that out last week when they fell to Kean, 27-7.
“We had played sub-par against William Paterson and then we lost to Kean so this week is a chance for us to make a statement,” Gavin said. “We need to show what we are all about down here and prove ourselves. We need to show we belong in the NJAC.”
After making a few college visits and listening to his father on the virtues of TCNJ, Gavin gave Christopher Newport a look and the rest just didn’t measure up.
“Going through the recruiting process, I was looking at places like TCNJ (and) Rowan,” Gavin said. “When I came down to Christopher Newport, I absolutely fell in love with the place. It’s unbelievable down here. Everything down here is top-notch and the athletes are top-notch, so I felt right at home.”
Sometimes being six hours away from home can make things tough for a freshman in a new environment.
“There was an adjustment period,” said young Liepe. “You go from being a good high school player to just another freshman. I had to keep working and eventually I got my name out there. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. This is a phenomenal program so I had to work harder to get on the field.”
When he’s on the field this Saturday, it’ll be the type of game he loves, an aerial show.
“These are my favorite kind of games,” Gavin said. “Dropping back in coverage is one of the things we do well and when you get a team like TCNJ that throws as much as we do it only makes it that more exciting to be flying around the field getting after people.”
It came down to TCNJ and CNU, and Gavin chose Christopher Newport so he can get an NJAC championship, just like his dad, just not at the same place.