HS Football: Nativity’s Dolbin officially inks intent to Army
Nativity's Noah Dolbin (front middle) signs his national letter of intent to the United States Military Academy at West Point to play football. He is joined by (in the front) his brother Marshall (left), his mother Jennifer (middle), his father Josh, (back row) Athletic Director Ruth Weidman (left), coach Pat Mason (middle), and Principal Lynn Sabol (right) (Photo by Eli Doyle).
POTTSVILLE — Noah Dolbin’s name is very well known around the media and Coal Region football fans.
One of the most talked about names around the Coal Region football scene has signed his national letter of intent to join the United States Military Academy at West Point’s football team next fall. Dolbin, surrounded by family, teammates, coaches, Nativity administrators and the media, joined other athletes across the country making their intentions official Wednesday during the beginning of 2025 NCAA early signing period.
“The people (at Nativity) just want to help you out, it’s a small-school environment,” Dolbin said. “You know everyone at school. There is nobody in your class you don’t know. You have a lot of friendships that are hard to be broken in that sense. And all the coaches, they just want to help you succeed. Coach (Pat) Mason helped me out a ton. I mean, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him and all the hours he put in.
“He signed me up for all these awards, and was reaching out to coaches, and everything. It’s really helpful because some kids have to do it on their own. If I would have been left to do it on my own, I wouldn’t be in the position I am in right now.
Why is Dolbin so synonymous around here you might ask?
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Maybe it’s the record numbers he put up over his athletic career …
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Maybe it’s the historical side of his family’s athletic career on the gridiron …
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Maybe it’s the fact he is one of the most dedicated, hardworking, and polite young men this area has ever had …
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Or maybe it’s a combination of all three and more …
Nonetheless, the Green Wave playmaker certainly left his own stamp on Coal Region football. Dolbin accumulated 140 receptions for 2,790 yards and 23 touchdowns as a receiver during his high school football career, all school records. His receptions are the 16th most all-time in District 11 and his yards account for fifth most. On defense in the secondary, Dolbin had 254 tackles and 11 interceptions over four years with the Green Wave.
In his senior season, Dolbin hauled in 37 receptions for 837 yards and 11 touchdowns, and defensively added 70 tackles and two interceptions at safety. He was a vital part of a Green Wave squad that qualified for the District 2/11 Class A subregional playoff tournament that saw Nativity fall to eventual champion Lackawanna Trail in the semifinal round.
His family is no stranger to the game of football by any means.
His grandfather, Jack Dolbin, played football for Wake Forest University and started at wide receiver in Super Bowl XII for the Denver Broncos, where he spent six seasons and appeared in 62 consecutive games.
Jack’s son and Noah’s dad, Josh Dolbin, was a standout player at Pottsville High and laced up his cleats for Villanova University, where he was an integral part of a 1997 squad that compiled a perfect 11-0 regular season and the No. 1 national ranking for six consecutive weeks. The Atlantic 10 champions, Villanova advanced to the NCAA I-AA quarterfinals where they fell to eventual national champion Youngstown State.
Dolbin also has three uncles who took the gridiron for Army — Kurt Ruch, John Ruch and Brad Miller.
“I was definitely excited for the offer and immediately thought of (my uncles),” Dolbin said. “It’s really exciting because they’re really proud and they tell me they’re really proud. I see them at family gatherings and Thanksgiving and I’m talking to them about it. I talked to them even before I made the decision … I asked about their experiences up there.
“My main question was would they do it again and they said they’d do it again, even though it was really hard and really tough. There was a lot of tough and hard times at the beginning but they said it’ll get easier as you go on, and it gets fun. People don’t think it’s fun up there, but it’s fun.”
Dolbin has not only impressed many with his performances on the field, but also off the field. His dedication to working hard and his determination to improve, mixed with his polite and stoic demeanor, makes him the perfect candidate for a prestigious academy.
“I think he is one of those kids that from the first time you saw him you knew he was special,” Nativity head coach Pat Mason said. “He could do things that you just don’t see many kids being able to do. Obviously, he is long so he has that to his advantage. I think the most impressive thing about Noah to me is how good of a teammate he is. Not really ever concerned about personal stats, even though he obviously accumulated those. But he was never concerned about that and always concerned about the team and what he could do best for the team.
“He was equally as good on special teams as he was on offense or defense. He was a great to coach, a hard worker. Personally, he is just a really good kid. He is always going to shake your hand when he sees you, you know, look you in the eye. He is a perfect fit for a military academy. I think he is going to flourish there. He has the discipline to do well there and we’re obviously going to miss him a lot. I got really close to him over the last couple of years and I’m super proud of him.”
