Nick Buchheit and Eli Abernathy are not only players on this year’s St. Vincent Indians team, but they’re cousins as well. That was just one of the reasons coach Tim Schumer chose them both for this week’s spotlight. In addition to that, they are both exceptional players on the team with a great work ethic on the field and in the classroom.
Nick Buchheit
Nick Buchheit, the son of Suzanne and Bill Buchheit, is an 18-year-old senior at St. Vincent who has always loved sports.
“I always played sports growing up,” he said. I played baseball — like on a traveling baseball team — and then I played football starting in seventh grade.”
Buchheit began playing on the Indians’ team as a freshman and is now the team quarterback. He is very proud of the team’s season so far.
“We're 5-0 right now, so it's off to a pretty good start,” he said. “And I just broke 1,000 passing yards last Friday. The first few games were pretty good, but this last game I didn't really get that many yards, but still, I got over 1,000.”
Asked what it’s like to play on the same team as his cousin, Buchheit said, “It's definitely good knowing who it is and being able to share that experience with him. He's been starting at running back a lot and rotating in with another guy, so having that bond with each other is definitely a lot better than being with some random guy that I've just been friends with.”
Buchheit credits coach Schumer and the rest of the coaching staff for helping the team to win five out of five games.
“I'd say that they just pretty much push us to do better. When we beat Valle, he pretty much was like, ‘Nobody cares — work harder.’ We hadn't beaten Valle in a long time, and he knew that we would probably get ahead of ourselves. And he just wanted us to keep working harder and getting better and not knowing that we're going to beat a lot of these teams that we're going to play. He doesn't say any negative stuff around us. He always has a positive mindset.”
Buchheit also believes that the team’s close bonds have helped to put points on the scoreboard.
“We're all pretty much close friends,” he said. “We all hang out with each other and we were able to grow up together and play football with each other the last four years, so that's pretty good.”
Buchheit’s secret to becoming a better athlete isn’t really a secret at all.
“Practicing hard every single day and not just going through the reps and going through the motions,” he said.
And what are his plans after high school graduation?
“I'd say I would like to go play sports somewhere if I could. Like, if I got an offer to go play somewhere, but I don't think I would try to walk on at any school. If I don't get a football or baseball offer, I’ll probably go to a trade school.”
Eli Abernathy
Eli Abernathy, the son of Penny Richelman, Robb Abernathy and his stepfather Jeff Richelman, is an 18-year-old senior who became interested in sports at a young age.
“I always like playing football,” he said. “Football was always something I really loved. I also liked playing basketball and baseball, but I moved to Illinois, so football wasn’t available to me there, so I just stuck to baseball and basketball. Then, going into my eighth-grade year, I moved here just to play football. Eighth grade was my first year ever playing football, and it was for St. Vincent. I loved it! I loved everything about it. They take football very seriously here. I mainly play linebacker, and then I play a bit of running back.”
Asked what it was like playing on the football team with his cousin, Abernathy said, “It's definitely a different feeling because you know you always got someone out there that's always got your back, someone who's always believed in you, so and I do the same thing for Nick. It's definitely a different feeling because we're there for each other, and we've watched each other progress through the years.”
He agrees with his cousin that coach Schumer and the assistant coaches have been a big help in building the team this season.
“I think one of the main things that the coaches have done for us is that, instead of just having us focus on football, coach Schumer and the rest of the staff have worked on helping to create a family within the team. I don’t think we’ve had a game yet where we’re yelling at each other. I think we’re all there for each other — and that starts with the coaching staff. We’re blessed with such a good staff that allows us to feel like a family instead of just focusing on ourselves in the game.”
Abernathy credits his off-season training regimen for improving him as a player.
“Going into this year, I really worked hard in the weight room and then on the field. I’d go to St. Louis, and I’d train for football every single day until the season started in summer. I’ve also worked on not getting into my head a lot, and it’s helped me more positive about myself and play with confidence.”
Abernathy is already thinking about what he wants to accomplish after graduating from St. Vincent.
“I’m thinking about attending a university and trying to get a bachelor’s or master’s in sports management administration. It’s also always been a dream of mine and my parents to play college football. It’s something I’d like to do. I’m not taking it out of the realm of possibility, but right now, I’m focused on the season ahead of me with football and high school. It’s really a blessing to be on the team. We’ve seen our ups, and we’ve seen our downs with the team. We just know we’re a family, and it’s something great. It’s just a great atmosphere at St. Vincent.”
