HS SOFTBALL: North Schuylkill hires new head coach

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — The North Schuylkill Board of Education approved Jack Flynn on Wednesday as the new head varsity softball coach.

Flynn will be replacing Dominick Grasso, who retired after 17 years with the Spartans.  Grasso previously coached for four seasons at Cardinal Brennan before taking over North Schuylkill’s program in the 2008 season.  Flynn has served as an assistant with the Spartan softball program since 2020.

Under Grasso’s leadership, the Spartan program was very successful, qualifying for the District 11 Tournament in each season, with the exception of the 2020 season, which was canceled due to COVID-19.  North Schuylkill also has a six-year streak of appearing in the Schuylkill League playoffs.

Perhaps the best season under Grasso and his staff was the 2018 season, when the Spartans finished with a 25-3 record.  That season, the Spartans were the Schuylkill League runner-up, the District 11 Class 3A champion and advanced to the PIAA 3A Eastern finals, losing a 2-0 decision to Holy Redeemer.

The Spartans won the Schuylkill League championship in 2021, were the District 11 Class 3A runner-up, and advanced to the PIAA 3A quarterfinals, before losing a 7-6 battle to eventual state runner-up Mid Valley. The team finished the season with a 20-7 overall record that season.

Over his 21-year coaching career, Grasso’s overall record was 266-180 (.596 winning percentage).