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Bittersweet finale for Washington Township's Dave Grosmick

Dave Grosmick might not be the first all-South-Jersey-caliber lineman who also is a straight-A student. He might not be the first all-South-Jersey-caliber lineman who also is straight-A student and an Eagle scout.

Dave Grosmick might not be the first all-South-Jersey-caliber lineman who also is a straight-A student.

He might not be the first all-South-Jersey-caliber lineman who also is straight-A student and an Eagle scout.

But he might be the first all-South-Jersey-caliber lineman who also is a straight-A student and an Eagle scout and a cellist in the school orchestra.

"He's one of a kind," Washington Township coach Mark Wechter said of Grosmick. "I've never coached another one like him."

Thursday morning's game between Washington Township (4-5) and visiting Williamstown (2-7) with the Kennedy Cup on the line will mark the end of Grosmick's career as a four-year starter, an extreme rarity at a Group 5 program.

But the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Grosmick is a rarity in a lot of ways. Wechter said his senior captain made his first assignment mistake during a practice the other day.

It wasn't his first mistake of the season.

It was his first mistake in four seasons.

"I was yelling at him, 'It's about time you messed up,' " Wechter said with a smile. "I couldn't believe it."

Grosmick, who has excelled at offensive and defensive line for the Minutemen this season, concedes that his final game will be "bittersweet" for himself and the rest of the seniors.

"I want to play this game so much," Grosmick said the other day at practice. "We want to win that trophy again. Keep it here. Finish 5-5 and feel good about things when the season is over."

Grosmick grew up in the football-crazy town, playing for the youth program and dreaming about suiting up for the blue-and-red-clad Minutemen.

"I think it's every young kid's dream," Grosmick said.

Things haven't quite gone as planned for the Minutemen on the scoreboard. Washington Township has an 18-21 record in Grosmick's four seasons, including an 0-2 mark in South Jersey Group 5 tournament games.

But the Minutemen won a share of the West Jersey Football League American's Division title in 2015, and Grosmick said his best experiences have little to do with wins and losses anyway.

"There's been a play here or there, a game here or there that you always will remember," Grosmick said. "Beating Timber Creek last year in triple overtime, I'll never forget that.

"But really it's just been the guys I've played with, all the guys. They'll always have a place in my heart."

Grosmick earned the distinction as an Eagle Scout through a project in which he created hand-made games for a local health care center to use to help with patients' recoveries.

He started playing violin in third grade but quickly graduated to the cello.

"Basically, I didn't want to put it on the shoulder anymore," Grosmick said. "I wanted to sit down."

Grosmick has a 4.0 grade point average with mostly advanced placement classes. He said his favorite subject is physics.

"It's great to try to figure out problems," Grosmick said. "When you get it right, you feel like you accomplished something."

Grosmick is hoping to win an appointment to West Point and play football for Army.

"I was there for their summer program, and they showed us the daily life of the Cadets," Grosmick said. "It was definitely for me."

Grosmick has one last game to play with his childhood friends, to represent his school in a clash with a rival with a big trophy and a lifetime of bragging rights on the line.

"I have no idea what it's going to be like to walk off that field for the last time," Grosmick said. "It means so much to me to put this uniform on. I don't even want to think about what it's going to be like to take it off for the last time."

panastasia@phillynews.com

@PhilAnastasia

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