Posted Saturday, September 13, 2008 by DELCO Times

 HAVERFORD - By marching to the beat of his own tuba, Liam McGrath hardly has missed a beat to start the 2008 football season --- and it's only hardly, because the Haverford High quarterback has been picked off once.
That turnover, however, has been the only hiccup amid the senior's stellar body of work over the season's first two weeks.
In leading the Fords to decisive wins over Chichester and Harriton, McGrath has gone 8-of-10 for 139 yards and three touchdowns through the air, and has added 54 yards and two scores on the ground. If that's not enough, he also has made four interceptions as an anchor in Haverford's defensive backfield and returned one of those picks 25 yards for six more points.
This is not your average high school quarterback. Sure, McGrath plays the part. He wears the quintessential QB jersey, No. 12, can decipher a defense from under center and has made his two-way talents clear. But to get the full picture, it helps to follow him around in the Haverford hallways for a few days.
It is there that McGrath takes full advantage of all that is offered to a teenager with the world ahead of him. 
He is in his second year as starting quarterback, but has reported to the gridiron for other duties over his four years. As a freshman, McGrath took to A.G. Cornog Stadium not as a football player, but as a member of the marching band. McGrath wielded a tuba and peered across the hash marks at a place he now owns - the varsity huddle.
McGrath has been the ultimate all-purpose player in high school. He has scored touchdowns, blown hot air into one of the heaviest of instruments, written for the school newspaper and hosted a radio show for the school station. All that, while maintaining a GPA that has him near the top of his class.
"He is the least egotistical kid you will ever meet," Fords coach Joe Gallagher said of his quarterback. "He is very unpretentious. And on top of that, he is very smart. Every game I'll call a play and he fixes it. It might be a mixed signal coming in or a miscommunication, but he picks up on my mistakes. He always knows what play needs to be run. He's always on it."
McGrath's résumé gives him quality options for college, with Carnegie Mellon, Tufts and Franklin & Marshall among the schools interested in his football skills. Brown gives him an Ivy League option, although that option hasn't included football considerations - at least yet. 
Football means a great deal to this young Renaissance man. A year ago, McGrath helped lead Haverford to an 8-4 record and the first postseason berth in program history. He was the quarterback, but often played the role of understudy, paying close attention to the captains and learning exactly what it takes to win games.
A season later, McGrath is one of four Fords captains. He already has led by example, but knows there is plenty more to do.
"I think last year I realized that senior leadership has a lot to do with everything," McGrath said. "You can have the talent, but you still need leadership, a good work ethic and confidence.
"I've already learned that I can run this team. And this team, if we work hard, we can beat anybody."
There could have been reason for concern entering the season, with 2007 All-Delco performers Jeff Matteis and Dave Wisely lost to graduation. However, McGrath and the other captains wouldn't let that happen. They knew the Fords quickly would establish an identity.
Haverford had one of the program's best seasons in some time, and this year's group isn't tempering its goals. With McGrath, running back/defensive back Dante Pergolese, who has compiled 282 yards and six touchdowns in two games, and several other starters with playoff nicks on their helmets, the Fords are seeking at least a repeat performance.
McGrath knows that two early blowout wins will mean nothing tonight (7 o'clock) when the Fords step onto their home field for the first time this season. Quarterback Matt Atkinson and a tough Penncrest (1-1, 1-1) squad will be the opponent.
Until they beat a team of Penncrest's caliber, McGrath and the Fords wouldn't dare toot their own tuba.
"I think with any of the teams in the Central League, you have to jump on them right away," McGrath said. "We are not good enough to beat teams by just walking out there. But we're confident that we won't slip up."