Indexed locally for search — headlines, people, teams, and short excerpts from reporting originally published in The Morning Call (1998–2010). Full article text on mcall.com; DRE'S TAKE links out and does not republish Morning Call copy.
Quakertown High School athletic director Sylvia Kalazs considers new head football coach George Banas to be the perfect fit for the Panthers. Twenty candidates applied for the job, vacated in January by John Donnelly, who left to take over the same position at Central Bucks…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Disgruntled over his perception that the Bethlehem Area School District is not supportive enough of his powerhouse program, Liberty football coach Tim Moncman has applied for the head coaching vacancy at Palisades. But he has not resigned at Liberty, one year after he coached…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bob Mitchell will retire as Northwestern’s football coach Friday and will take with him the blueprint for success both on and off the field. It’s a blueprint any athletic director in the Lehigh Valley looking to hire a football coach might want Mitchell to share with them. It’s…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bob Mitchell will retire as Northwestern’s football coach Friday and will take with him the blueprint for success both on and off the field. It’s a blueprint any athletic director in the Lehigh Valley looking to hire a football coach might want Mitchell to share with them. It’s…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty quarterback Anthony Gonzalez displayed elusiveness and speed on his first carry, which he ran 70 yards for a touchdown against rival Freedom Saturday afternoon at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. More impressive dashes followed for Gonzalez in a must-win game for…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →All six Lehigh Valley Conference games this weekend have importance, including the Doughnut Bowl Saturday at J. Birney Crum Stadium between Allen and Dieruff. Both those teams are 0-9. All the other games have playoff implications. Central Catholic (8-1, 7-1) and Easton (8-1,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Creating a “Wild, Wild East” slogan for Lehigh Valley Conference football may not be a bad idea, especially for this season. It’s been a wild and entertaining season in the LVC and it could end with Easton (8-1 overall, 7-1 LVC), Central Catholic (8-1, 7-1) and Parkland (7-2,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →I t’s Easton vs. Liberty tonight at Cottingham Stadium in what could be the first of two meetings between the Lehigh Valley Conference powerhouses this season. They could meet again in come in the District 11-2-4 Class 4A subregional playoffs as they did in 2005 and 2006. Easton…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty played with punch on both sides of the ball to knock Nazareth out of a much-hyped Lehigh Valley Conference game early in the first quarter Friday night. Ahead 21-0 after the first, Liberty added 14 more points in the second quarter and breezed through the rain and chill…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Trap games do exist in high school football. Emmaus, Easton and Liberty will try to avoid them tonight in Lehigh Valley Conference matchups that have District 11-2-4 Class 4A subregional playoff implications. Next week is the traditional rivalry showdowns, featuring Emmaus…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Following six straight seasons of three wins or less, Nazareth’s football team is displaying a new mental and physical toughness this season. Already a winner of four games in 2009, Nazareth is playing tougher football because second-year coach Rob Melosky has refused to listen…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The top two playmakers, Liberty seniors Anthony Gonzalez and Jarrod West, had already made their share of standout plays in their final homecoming game Friday night at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. Senior kicker Jordan Roman then joined in the fun when he booted a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Central Catholic’s bid for the perfect season continues Saturday night at J. Birney Crum Stadium. The Vikings (5-0, 4-0) are the lone undefeated Lehigh Valley Conference team and will rely on sophomore quarterback Brendan Nosovitch, a threat running and passing, to try to topple…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s Allentown vs. Bethlehem weekend and contender or pretender night in Orefield. There are also Lehigh Valley Conference matchups in Easton and Northampton that figure to be highly competitive. Easton (3-0 overall, 2-0 LVC), Central Catholic (3-0, 2-0), Nazareth (3-0, 2-0) and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty senior quarterback Anthony Gonzalez got to see a classic Miami and Florida State college football game in person in on Sept. 7. Florida State lost, 38-34, but that’s not the reason Gonzalez won’t be packing his bags and relocating to Tallahassee next fall to play for the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s premature to write Liberty off, despite an 0-2 start and a tough road game to play at Central Catholic Saturday night at J. Birney Crum Stadium. After all, the defending PIAA Class 4A-champion Hurricanes opened up the season losing to state-title contender and established…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland backup defensive back Dan Castillo has been called nicknames that no football player wants to be called. “I get it all,” he said. “Tiny, midget, munchkin.” Well, he is only 5 feet, 5 inches tall. But he probably felt taller than the PPL building in Allentown after…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Anthony Gonzalez was in Liberty High’s weight room Tuesday afternoon when he was told to take a break by his coach. It ended up being the best break of his life. Three U.S. Army recruiters were waiting for him, very important paperwork in hand. Gonzalez’s teammates crowed…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s imaginable to go undefeated in conference play. It just doesn’t happen too often on any level in college basketball. Which is why the Muhlenberg women, 16-0 in Centennial Conference play, are determined to win at Dickinson tonight and at Ursinus on Saturday to close out the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Levi Brown, an all-state defensive lineman at Liberty, pointed jubilantly to the Temple Owls’ hat on his head, then smiled as he looked out into the standing room-only crowd inside the school’s Arts Gallery on Wednesday. Liberty football coach Tim Moncman then came up and rubbed…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty football coach Tim Moncman called his team the “Land of the Misfit Toys” because of the diverse lifestyles his players have. Here’s another name: state champions . It wasn’t easy to accomplish. After all, Liberty lost in the PIAA Class 4A final in 2005 and 2006. But the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The road to Hershey was still the same — long and winding. But the road back was different than the one in 2005 and 2006. That’s because Liberty, fueled by big plays from two-way star Anthony Gonzalez, relentless blocking from Levi Brown and other linemen, and punishing tackles…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A week after Liberty High coach Tim Moncman and his star player Anthony Gonzalez shared tears, hugs and the glory of winning the school’s first state football title, the dynamic duo made a sweep of the Associated Press’ All-State Class 4A top honors. Moncman, who has managed the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →For Liberty High fans, it was Anthony Gonzalez, the Hurricanes’ two-way star, who took over the PIAA Class 4A championship game against Bethel Park in overtime last Saturday in Hershey. For his mother, Nancy Mojica, it was just her baby boy finding a way to lead his team to a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Hours after Liberty’s dramatic 28-21 overtime win over Bethel Park in the PIAA Class 4A title game in Hershey on Saturday night, Hurricanes coach Tim Moncman had a gift from his neighbor waiting for him when he came home. “I got home at 2:30 and the next-door neighbor had taped…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Overtime belonged to Liberty. Junior two-way star Anthony Gonzalez made sure of it against Bethel Park in the PIAA Class 4A championship game Saturday night at Hersheypark Stadium. “Everybody wanted to win the first state title in school history,” Gonzalez said. “We were not…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Some players listen to iPods or Walkmans before games. Liberty senior defensive tackle Al Pujols gets his peace of mind by reading a book. “I read as much as I can and sometimes I read on the bus,” Pujols said. “Sometimes I do it at home, but once I get home I’m usually tired.”…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Nazareth coach Rob Melosky hopes that he’ll be joined by Liberty coach Tim Moncman in a glorious company of coaches who have led a Lehigh Valley team to the PIAA Class 4A football title. Since 2002 when Melosky coached Parkland — powered by the record-breaking feats of running…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Brandon McManus is the only four-year starting kicker in North Penn history, and he’s been one of the most effective Knights under pressure. “I’m a big fan of pressure,” McManus said. “I’ve liked it my whole life.” North Penn (14-0) averages 36.7 points per game mostly because…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Christian Rodriguez was the backup quarterback to Dan Persa on Liberty’s 2006 PIAA Class 4A runner-up team as a sophomore, and it appeared that he was destined to be the starter the next two seasons. Athletic, 6-foot and almost 200 pounds, Rodriguez appeared to have all the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Having to pick a poison is never a good thing. It’s usually devastating either way you look at it. George Washington High, the Philadelphia city champion, swarmed to the line of scrimmage and contained the rushing attack that has made Liberty so potent all season. No problem for…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty has dominated 50 out of 52 quarters it has played this season. The only two quarters it has not owned was in the first half against North Penn. Blocking assignments were missed and it caused the high-powered Hurricanes to stay out of sync and trail 20-0 at halftime. Levi…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty’s offensive linemen pounded and pounded away, plowing Freedom linemen out of the way to open wide holes for junior quarterback Anthony Gonzalez to run through Saturday afternoon. And, boy, did Gonzalez run. Left, right and up the middle with dazzling speed. An elusive…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Senior running backs Brandon Brader of Liberty and Eddie Mateo of Freedom have been rivals since middle school. They’ve also been good friends and admired each other’s feats. But it wasn’t until last week when one of them decided to nickname the other. “He’s Superman,” Mateo…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty senior tailback Brandon Brader might have been perceived as selfish if he asked his teammates to carry him off the field Friday night at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. After all, Hurricanes junior quarterback Anthony Gonzalez outrushed him by 61 yards in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Somebody has to score when Liberty and Emmaus meet in the District 11-2 Class 4A subregional semifinals tonight at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. Even if it’s just by a safety, which is not all that farfetched considering the way No. 2 seed Liberty (10-1) and No. 3…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland senior Jaleel Clark made one Liberty coverage player miss, then he eluded another and continued to race up field en route to a 38-yard punt return Friday night. It was his only memorable play in the Trojans’ 19-0 loss in the District 11-2 Class 4A subregional…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty enters its first-ever district playoff game against Parkland tonight with two senior linebackers who are determined to have fun. Never mind that fun for Daryl Klotz and Horvin Latimer is administering punishment. “We like to tackle and hit people,” Latimer said. “Yeah,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It was about control. Liberty had it in the trenches, led by big Levi Brown, whose emphatic blocking helped clear the way for quarterback Anthony Gonzalez and tailback Brandon Brader to run effectively against rival Freedom in a 20-14 Lehigh Valley Conference victory Saturday…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Lehigh Valley Conference’s version of boxing’s “Main Event” takes place Saturday afternoon at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. That’s when Liberty (8-1, 8-0) and Freedom (8-1, 7-1) clash on the Frank Banko Field turf. “As everybody knows, there’s a lot at stake,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Lehigh Valley Conference’s version of boxing’s “Main Event” takes place Saturday afternoon at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. That’s when Liberty (8-1, 8-0) and Freedom (8-1, 7-1) clash on the Frank Banko Field turf. “As everybody knows, there’s a lot at stake,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Two regular season games remain and Easton and Parkland are both trying to avoid something that has not happened since 1994. And that’s the District 11 playoffs being held without either of them being involved. But the traditionally strong Lehigh Valley Conference teams still…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The scoreboard operator at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium figures to be busy tonight. That’s because high-scoring city rivals Freedom (31.4 ppg) and Bethlehem Catholic (29 ppg) meet in a Lehigh Valley Conference matchup that has playoff implications with just three…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Freedom snapped a 12-game losing streak against Parkland last week, which raised the Patriots’ confidence level entering tonight’s Lehigh Valley Conference showdown against Northampton at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. Both teams are 4-1, 3-1 in conference play, but…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →There are two sides to Liberty junior quarterback Anthony Gonzalez, and both have made him popular with teammates and coaches. “He is low key,” Liberty senior Devin Street said about Gonzalez off the field. But on the field, it’s his aggressiveness and intensity that sets him…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →What happens in a game between longtime rivals is not easily explained. Liberty knows that all too well from its stunning defeats by Bethlehem Catholic the last two seasons. Liberty was considered a PIAA Class 4A title contender both years and seemed to hold major advantages on…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →No longer overlooked, Northampton is excited to welcome Emmaus to Al Erdosy Field tonight for a showdown between undefeated teams battling for first place in the Lehigh Valley Conference. Both teams are 4-0 overall, 3-0 in league play. “This is certainly a big game for us,”…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →No longer overlooked, Northampton is excited to welcome Emmaus to Al Erdosy Field tonight for a showdown between undefeated teams battling for first place in the Lehigh Valley Conference. Both teams are 4-0 overall, 3-0 in league play. “This is certainly a big game for us,”…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →On every snap of the ball Friday night against Parkland, Liberty offensive lineman Levi Brown looked like a raging boxer leaving his corner at the sound of the bell. Instead of throwing a punch, Brown’s mission was to blow Trojans off the ball and clear the way for Liberty…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s a Week 2 matchup that would have even more hype had it been scheduled for later in the season with the Lehigh Valley Conference title and possibly the No. 1 seed in the district playoffs on the line. But after not playing the last two seasons, Liberty and Parkland are…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Execution. Liberty will probably have nightmares about its failure in that regard in the first half against North Penn Friday night. Execution. It was too late once Liberty found openings in the Knights’ defense. That’s because North Penn, a perennial District One powerhouse,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Execution. Liberty will probably have nightmares about its failure in that regard in the first half against North Penn Friday night. Execution. It was too late once Liberty found openings in the Knights’ defense. That’s because North Penn, a perennial District One powerhouse,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Winning streaks and more will be on the line in season-opening games for Liberty and Parkland tonight. Both play state-ranked teams that will provide the ultimate early-season test. Liberty, 8-0 under coach Tim Moncman in openers, puts that record on the line when it hosts…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Devin Street is no sleeper pickup for the University of Pittsburgh. Never mind that Street, entering his senior year at Liberty, only had five catches last season, turning three into touchdowns. This summer, the 6-4 Street has attended the Nike Camp at Penn State, the U.S. Army…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton celebrated its biggest Signing Day since 1968 with football star Jarred Holley and U.S. Olympic track and field hopeful Chanelle Price heading the list of five Red Rover athletes who signed national letters of intent to Division I-A schools on Wednesday. Holley, a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty senior football star Ahkeem Smith has found a college football home in the City of Brotherly Love. Sorry James Madison. Smith, a two-time Morning Call all-area first-team pick, confirmed Wednesday night that he has verbally committed to Temple University. James Madison,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Rutgers redshirt freshman Andres Morales has entered 2008 doing what he most loves to do. “It’s kind of cool because all we do is play football now, like a pro team,” Morales said. “School is over. You just relax and play ball.” A punishing all-state linebacker at Liberty High…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland junior wide receiver Jaleel Clark was unstoppable, gracefully and effortlessly racing downfield to make tough catches and score touchdowns. Easton senior Jarred Holley once again played the role of lockdown defensive back, Liberty senior Brendan Beal was a hard-hitting…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Brendan Beal paused, gathered himself and then rejoiced at the news that made his Friday. The Liberty High senior linebacker, who posted 113 tackles in his one season with the Hurricanes, was named Gatorade’s 2007-08 Pennsylvania football player of the year. “I’m definitely…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A showdown between two Lehigh Valley Conference powerhouse teams could be only one week away. Liberty and Parkland need to win tonight in District 11-2 Class 4A subregional semifinal games to set up a battle between the two stalwarts. Neither team will admit that they’re looking…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty quarterback Anthony Gonzalez accounted for more than 200 yards of offense, wideout Joey Orlando made circus catches and tailback Ahkeem Smith gained the tough yards. All three owe gratitude to big Levi Brown and the other Hurricane offensive linemen for the way they…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A player from Freedom High apparently said something that offended players from Liberty. “This is the first time that we’re the underdogs in a game, which is pretty surprising, but let the best team win,” said Liberty senior linebacker Brendan Beal, who verbally committed to the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →All 12 Lehigh Valley Conference teams have something important to play for in the final regular season games Friday and Saturday. In alphabetical order: Allen (0-9, 0-8): The Canaries, who’ve scored just 18 points all season, will try to get out of the last place by beating…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The intensity level among certain teams figures to exceed that of any other Friday night of the season. The increased shift in adrenaline is because of showdowns between rival Lehigh Valley Conference teams. Pick a game: Parkland (8-0, 7-0 LVC) at Emmaus (6-2, 5-2) or Liberty…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland coach Jim Morgans doesn’t want to hear any talk about his team being unbeatable. Some people thought that of Liberty, which unraveled on both sides of the ball in losing 28-14 to Bethlehem Catholic last Friday night. “We don’t concern ourselves with other teams, except…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The punishment for skipping a class at Liberty for the average student is nothing more than a detention for a first-time offender. But Liberty coach Tim Moncman enforced a much harsher punishment on seniors Brendan Beal, Ahkeem Smith, Michael Fritz, Justin Rivera and junior…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →One week after losing its first game, Easton seeks redemption. But the Red Rovers have to beat Central Catholic to achieve it. It won’t be easy. Central Catholic has been one of the top early-season success stories in the Lehigh Valley Conference, helped by a strong…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The high school football season reaches its midway point this weekend and the Lehigh Valley Conference has its share of teams with questions yet to be answered. The No. 1 question, of course, is who’s going to win the conference title? Liberty (4-0, 3-0) and Parkland (4-0, 3-0)…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty made a whole lot of big plays Friday night. But only a few were on offense, which suited Hurricanes two-way senior standout Joey Orlando just fine. That’s because Orlando made as many big plays on defense as he did on offense in helping Liberty prevail 21-7 over Emmaus…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Emmaus can forget about being overlooked by high-powered Liberty in their Lehigh Valley Conference matchup tonight at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. That’s because one loss could be detrimental to the Hurricanes’ chances of earning the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Freedom no longer has to give up the home side of Bethlehem Area School District Stadium to visiting teams. It never should have been that way in the first place, and the BASD administration saw to it that it never will be that way again by announcing Monday that home side of…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →There’s no such thing as meaningless games for District 11 Class 4A teams anymore, considering the complicated points system used to determine qualifiers for the PIAA subregional playoffs. But some Lehigh Valley Conference teams aren’t worried about matters they can not control…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty senior Ahkeem Smith is ready to carry the offensive load, and his teammates, on his shoulders. It’s a big task, especially considering one of his teammates is 6-3, 315-pound two-way tackle Levi Brown. But Smith has waited four years to be in the spotlight and to be a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty is bent on trying to make it back to Hershey and finally win the PIAA Class 4A title, but first must earn its stripes against Easton and other tough Lehigh Valley Conference opponents. That’s because the LVC season figures to be another series of weekly dogfights.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty High senior linebacker Brendan Beale requested the No. 1 for his jersey and was granted his wish without debate or jealousy. “I’m not cocky, but I’m confident that I’m No. 1, and that’s how I want to represent,” said Beale, a transfer from Roxbury High in New Jersey,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty High senior linebacker Brendan Beale requested the No. 1 for his jersey and was granted his wish without debate or jealousy. “I’m not cocky, but I’m confident that I’m No. 1, and that’s how I want to represent,” said Beale, a transfer from Roxbury High in New Jersey,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty quarterback Dan Persa once again found himself running for his life at Hersheypark Stadium. But this time he used elusive moves and breakaway speed to twice escape and rumble to the end zone. This time, Persa also kept making big plays, running and passing en route being…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty quarterback Dan Persa plays his final game at Hersheypark Stadium tonight, hoping to help Pennsylvania win its second straight game against Ohio in the Big 33 Football Classic. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. It’s the 50th anniversary of the all-star game that has often been…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty coach Tim Moncman is a happy student this week. That’s because he’s learning from other coaches who’ve won state championships. Moncman, 37, is still chasing that dream. He led Liberty to the PIAA Class 4A title game the last two years, but fell miserably short both…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty quarterback Dan Persa won everything in high school, except a game at Hersheypark Stadium. Now bigger, stronger and faster, Persa hopes to finally experience victory in Chocolatetown USA when he teams with other Pennsylvania all-stars for the 50th Big 33 Football Classic…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s all over. There are no more college recruiting trips to take, no more worrying about whether this school or that school is the right fit. Childhood dreams of playing college football were brought one step closer to reality by several Lehigh Valley Conference standout…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty senior quarterback Dan Persa got an early Christmas gift on Saturday. And it wasn’t gift-wrapped. But Persa, who recently capped off the best statistical season by a quarterback in school history, got the gift he’s coveted his entire career. He was named the Associated…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Players are always asked to exhibit sportsmanship and the same should be demanded of coaches. A handshake before, and especially after a game, is a good place to start. A few good words to each other isn’t a bad idea, although there are Lehigh Valley coaches who probably want to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty High coach Tim Moncman and Wilson coach Bret Comp have identical 27-3 records over the last two seasons. For the second straight season, both men have also led their teams into a PIAA championship game in Hershey. It is the first time in Lehigh Valley football history…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A few Liberty players showed up at practice on Monday still sore, some really sore. “That will go away as the week goes on,” Liberty offensive coordinator Bill DeNofa said. “It’s OK to be a little dinged up after 17 weeks.” But it’s not OK to be on crutches, which is the way…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty senior quarterback Dan Persa has a lot on his mind, but having his career ended by Pennsbury today is not one of them. He’s ready to play, ready to lead the Hurricanes to their second straight appearance in the PIAA Class 4A Championship game. The ‘Canes (13-1) meet…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Three seconds. That’s all Liberty junior tailback Ahkeem Smith said he needs to follow his lead blocker Ray Mamuzich and find a hole in the defense. “It’s a big deal,” Smith said. “Three seconds, that’s all you need.” With honor, Mamuzich helps clear the way, often against…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →With a little under 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon, Liberty finally called off its defensive assault. The 35-point mercy rule was in effect. Frankford then scored 15 unanswered points, but it was against Liberty’s second-team defense. And that…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He’s 6-4, 305 pounds, and he enjoys sacking quarterbacks. He has scholarship offers from West Virginia, Temple, and James Madison. It’s hard not to notice Frankford senior defensive lineman Tyree Dudley. Last season, however, Dudley didn’t stand out all that much when Frankford…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →With 22 seniors gone from last season’s PIAA Class 4A runner-up team, Liberty entered this season with only a few standout playmakers and vocal leaders. So it seemed. Senior quarterback Dan Persa figured to provide the playmaking, while seniors Oscar Rivera and Al Petros figured…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty senior quarterback Dan Persa made his game against Easton a memorable one Saturday night. He did it with speed, swiftness, and in a testament to his overall toughness, Persa at times also went airborne and dove to pick up yards. Whatever it took, Persa willingly did it,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty doesn’t want to hear any excuses about Easton being fatigued or too emotionally drained to play its best football. And Easton doesn’t plan to make any. “This is the icing on the cake for us,” Easton coach Steve Shiffert said. “Our kids will be just as determined…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Last week, all Liberty heard about was talk about the Easton-Parkland District 11 showdown. This week, the majority of attention throughout the Lehigh Valley is on the 100th Thanksgiving Day meeting between Easton and Phillipsburg at Lafayette College’s Fisher Field. There’s…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Two streaks will be on the line when Easton and Parkland meet in the District 11-2-4 Class 4A subregional semifinals tonight in Orefield. Parkland (11-0) will try to extend its winning streak to 16 games, dating back to Oct. 21, 2005. The other streak belongs to Easton (10-1),…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland, Easton, Liberty and Bethlehem Catholic, start your engines. It’s time to begin the more serious chase on the road to Hershey. Each Lehigh Valley Conference team is heavily favored to win its first-round playoff game this weekend. Parkland (10-0), Easton (9-1) and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty senior Oscar Rivera rushed to the locker room at halftime on Saturday afternoon, fumes seemingly blowing out of his ears. Rivera was frustrated that Liberty, the team with the high-powered offense and inflated confidence following an emotional victory over Easton last…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland can complete it’s first 10-0 regular season since 1996 by beating rival Whitehall tonight. Even better, Parkland (9-0, 8-0 LVC) will clinch its first outright Lehigh Valley Conference title since 2002, the year the Trojans also won the PIAA Class 4A championship.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Dan Persa was bent backwards, his helmet driven hard into the NeXturf Friday night. Easton’s Connor Moore had just leveled Persa with the hit of the game, forcing Liberty into a fourth-and-four late in the fourth quarter. On the next play, Persa ran right back into the heart of…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s no secret that Easton and Liberty want to hit each other hard. It’s still great hearing them say it. It will be even better seeing them do it when Easton (8-0, 7-0 LVC) and Liberty (7-1, 6-1) meet in the much-anticipated Lehigh Valley Conference showdown at 7 tonight at…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Two weeks ago, Bethlehem Catholic senior Kyle John bulldozed through Liberty offensive linemen with the most fierce pass rush of his life. It was overtime, his Golden Hawks were ahead by a point, and it was loud inside Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. It became even…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Andres Morales, Andrew Lee, Rich Jarnagin and Mike McClarin, all big playmakers with voices that carry on the sidelines and in the locker room, are not around to fire up their teammates at Liberty High, anymore. They graduated in June, but somebody else better try and find a way…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty coach Tim Moncman, a former linebacker at Lafayette College, a married man with two young children, and at times a father-figure to many of his players, deserves some praise. Even if his Hurricanes don’t make it back to Hershey to compete in the PIAA Class 4A…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →No longer does Matt Rice have to worry about playing time. Like all good players, he wants to be on the field all the time. He didn’t get his wish at Bethlehem Catholic, but he transferred to Liberty after last fall and is now a two-way starter for the Hurricanes. “I was over…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Want bulletin board material, Parkland? Forget about it. The Bethlehem Catholic coaches and players have too much respect for the Trojans. So the Golden Hawks are saying all the right things. Maybe it’s because Bethlehem Catholic coach Tarik Haddad and his offensive coordinator,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The questions were so annoying. “The whole offseason people were asking me, how are we going to replace Charles [Irvin]?” said Liberty quarterback Dan Persa. “How are we going to replace Hoagie [linebacker Andres Morales] ? How are we going to replace all those seniors that we…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Nobody is going to overlook Whitehall this season. The Zephyrs have too much size to be ignored as a contender for the Lehigh Valley Conference title, along with Liberty, Easton and Parkland. “We think we have kids who can be competitive and that are powerful,” said Whitehall…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty quarterback Dan Persa has made his college choice and is now focused on trying to lead Liberty to a state championship next season. “We got there last year,” he said. “We just need to finish the job this year.” Finish it, that is, before Persa, who established a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Rich Jarnagin entered Liberty High School four years ago as a skinny freshman, but one with a lot of potential. He became stronger and faster and this year made several game-breaking plays on both sides of the ball to help Liberty go 13-2 and finish as the PIAA Class 4A…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty High defensive stars Andres Morales and Andrew Lee will have a second chance for a last impression of before closing the book on their high school careers. Morales and Lee were selected on Sunday to the Pennsylvania squad for the 49th annual Big 33 Football Classic in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The biggest game of his coaching career, the biggest in school history, ended with Liberty getting drubbed 49-10 in the PIAA Class 4A championship game last week in Hershey, but coach Tim Moncman did not shed a tear. Not in front of his players, not away from them. After the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A little more than 12 hours after losing in the PIAA Class 4A title game, a few Liberty players engaged in a snowball fight inside Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. They were still disconsolate after losing 49-10 to McKeesport on Saturday night in Hershey. But the tears…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty ran into a machine in the PIAA Class 4A championship Saturday night at Hersheypark Stadium. McKeesport was the machine, especially on defense. The Tigers were superbly fast, from the quarterback to the tailbacks, and even to the kicker, who kept trotting onto the field…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →They made jokes, lots of them. They will do so again tonight, and maybe even on Saturday before making the first-ever trip to Hershey for a Bethlehem Area School District team to play for a PIAA football championship. Pressure, you see, is easier to deal with when you share…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty quarterback Dan Persa tends to have as much fun as the kids he meets at the playground near his house. “Me and my friends will go there and just try to hit random objects [with a football],” Persa said. “I’ll hit the top bar of the swing set, then I’ll try to throw it at…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →An error in judgment was made by a PIAA official, and it will probably prevent Liberty senior Andres Morales from playing in the PIAA Class 4A championship Saturday in Hershey. It’s a game he’s dreamed about playing in his whole life, and he will spend tonight doing what he has…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →His fist was closed and he was steamed, but Liberty senior Andres Morales says he did not do anything that warranted his being ejected from Saturday’s PIAA Class 4A Eastern final at J. Birney Crum Stadium. But Ted Deptula, the back judge, thought Morales threw a punch, and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty’s Andrew Lee pounded his fist off his chest a few times, once after blocking an extra-point kick, and another time after scoring on an acrobatic reception in the end zone. But his most memorable pounding came after the most emphatic hit of the game, a shot by Lee so hard…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Uniform turn-in is not scheduled for next week at Liberty, and senior lineman Mike McClarin would like to keep it that way. “We never think like that,” McClarin said Friday before practice. “We have to think that we are going get a state championship, like we did all year.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Andrew Lee is like a magnet when it comes to the spotlight. He loves being in it. Whether he’s playing football, doing the pole vault, or in a classroom at Liberty High, Lee is often the center of attention “You never see him without a smile on his face,” said Liberty football…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Andres Morales is the Homecoming king at Liberty, but he’s no pretty boy. The Hurricanes senior linebacker considers himself the opposite, because what he does on the field is not pretty. He hits hard, and doesn’t care if he gets bruised in the process. There are days following…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty opened fiercely, especially on defense, and continued to emphatically erase memories of past failures against Easton in the PIAA District 2-4-11 subregional semifinals Friday night. It seemed easy, especially every time Hurricanes linebacker Evan Bauer charged into the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A coach who has established a legacy in the state, and who might be able to run for mayor in Slatington and win, is about to make one final run at a PIAA Class 2A title. But Northern Lehigh coach Jim Tkach would first like to win a PIAA District 11 Class 2A subregional semifinal…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →His teammates had walked somberly off the Cottingham Stadium field Friday night. Liberty junior Ray Olivo stayed back, reflecting on the Hurricanes’ fourth-quarter collapse and how his once pee-wee football rival and good friend, Eaton sophomore Jarred Holley, had managed to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Emmaus stopped making mistakes and excuses, and stopped losing after its embarrassing Week 4 loss to Nazareth. Maybe it was hard to walk the school hallways after losing 28-7 to Nazareth, a team that had not won a game entering that Lehigh Valley Conference matchup on Sept. 23.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty coach Tim Moncman has a quick response to parents who complain about play-calling and about playing time for their sons, even if that player has Division I talent. “I’d say go some place else,” Moncman said. Another high school, another program, another coach might…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Somebody needed to redirect focus and refuel the hunger in Liberty’s attack Friday night. Enter linebacker Andres Morales, who had already laid a few mean licks on Northampton players in a Lehigh Valley Conference game played in rainy and muddy conditions at Al Erdosy Stadium.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Alex Watty and Mike McClarin, two of Liberty’s grunts in the trenches, had fun plowing Bethlehem Catholic linemen Friday night. But they had even more fun watching tailback Charles Irvin turn their yeoman work into touchdowns in a Lehigh Valley Conference mismatch at Bethlehem…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The game that will likely decide the Bethlehem city championship is a week away. But Bethlehem Catholic and Liberty must first contend with tough Lehigh Valley Conference opponents before worrying about their showdown at BethlehemArea School District Stadium next Friday night.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →When Charles Irvin intercepted a pass at the 10-yard line with a little over five minutes remaining, he wanted to run for a touchdown, run out of the end zone, and if possible, run up into the Bethlehem Area School District stadium stands Friday night. In his dreams, his…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty hopes to blow out Parkland in the same fashion it has its first three opponents. But it might not satisfy at least one Liberty High teacher. “One of my teachers said, “Can you make the games more interesting,’ but I said interesting games are usually the bad ones. The…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Brothers Oscar and Justin Rivera were so excited the first day they put on pads as 95-pound players for the Bethlehem Steelers’ football team that they went home and continued tackling. But not outside. Oscar and Justin, who now play for Liberty High School, plowed each other…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bob Stem returns to coaching tonight against a man who admires him, but who’s also yet to beat him. That doesn’t mean that Northampton coach Teko Johnson has already conceded. It’s quite the opposite because Johnson’s Konkrete Kids, led by the multi-talented and dangerous Josh…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty has “Hoagie,” which is what they call star senior linebacker Andres Morales, who’s being recruited by N.C. State, Duke and other Division I schools. It also has junior quarterback Dan Persa, an accurate passer and slick runner who’s healthy again and can pick apart…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Freedom’s two-month wait for a new football coach may soon be over. According to two sources close to the Freedom football program, Jason Roeder has been offered the job. Roeder has to be approved at a Bethlehem Area School District school board Monday night before he can be…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →With pens in hand and wearing broad smiles, four Liberty High football players signed letters of intent with Division I-AA and Division II schools Thursday afternoon in a conference room adjacent to Liberty’s main office. Brendan Van Ackeren, who made big plays on both sides of…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton’s defense bailed out its offense with a takeaway, life-sucking performance over the final 14 minutes, leaving Liberty devastated at the final whistle in the PIAA Class 4A sub-regional championship Friday night at Cottingham Stadium. In that time frame, Red Rovers…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty has yet to hit the panic button in a game this season. There’s that one loss — 21-7 to Easton — but the Hurricanes have demonstrated mettle and perseverance in many tough games, including last week’s dramatic 28-23 win over Wyoming Valley West that set up a rematch with…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →An area high school football coach, who showed little mercy when it came to an opponent, was just a fan Saturday afternoon watching the District 11 Class 4A subregional playoff game between Easton and Emmaus at Cottingham Stadium. But former Bethlehem Catholic High coach Bob…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty junior Andrew Lee did not need an alarm clock to wake him up Saturday morning. Neither did many of his teammates. That’s because the Hurricanes were anxious to play Saturday’s game with Freedom, in which a win would mean the Christmas City championship and berth in the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton is 8-0 and has already clinched the No. 1 spot in the PIAA Class 4A sub-regional playoffs, but the Red Rovers still have as much pressure on them as Emmaus and Liberty have entering the Lehigh Valley Conference’s final weekend. Liberty (8-1, 6-1) and Emmaus (8-1, 6-1)…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Though he’s just 6-0, 165 pounds, Liberty junior Brendan Van Ackeren is fearless on the football field. In fact, he seemed to go beyond the norm to prove it against the bruising Easton defense last Friday night. He loved it. So did his teammates, who have come to expect nothing…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →After the big showdown against Easton that turned into the big letdown, none of the Liberty players seemed in a rush to leave the chewed-up field at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium Friday night. Not even to attend any Halloween parties or catch a late movie. Eventually,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty and Easton tuned up for the “Battle of the Unbeatens” by smashing their opponents last Friday night. Liberty beat Nazareth 22-0 and Easton rolled over Northampton 45-14. Liberty (8-0, 6-0) did not play its best game, but still proved merciless, holding Nazareth to just…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Emmaus could finish the season 9-1 and not make the PIAA Class 4A sub-regional playoffs. It’s not a joke. It’s just the harsh reality of the new playoff system, which has combined Districts 11, 2 and 4. Just four teams will qualify for the playoffs. Currently, Easton (6-0),…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →For a team that bashes opponents with nasty defense, nasty weather was to Liberty’s advantage Friday night. The conditions and the Hurricanes’ fierce rush were a nightmare for Northampton in a fumble-plagued Lehigh Valley Conference matchup at Bethlehem Area School District…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton and Liberty are still undefeated in the Lehigh Valley Conference, but will probably have to battle hard tonight to stay that way. And again next week. Then, on Oct. 29, Easton (5-0) and Liberty (6-0) will meet each other at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium, but will…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty had been outplayed and trailed rival Bethlehem Catholic 10-0 at halftime of their Lehigh Valley Conference matchup Saturday night. But the Hurricanes were not chewed out in the locker room by coach Tim Moncman. That’s the natural assumption. “We didn’t do any yelling or…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty is now the talk of Bethlehem. That’s what happens when you’re 5-0 and ranked No. 9 in the state in Class 4A by the Harrisburg Patriot-News. The Hurricanes also still have bragging rights because they swept city rivals Freedom and Bethlehem Catholic last season. Until…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Although Allen started the season 0-4 before beating Nazareth 10-7 Friday night at J. Birney Crum Stadium, the Canaries never lost confidence. “We weren’t stressing,” said Allen coach Kevin Ronalds. “We knew that were were going to get some wins.” Three of the Canaries’ games…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →No more proof is needed. Liberty is for real. The Hurricanes were solid, even merciless at times in a 42-14 pummeling of Central Catholic Friday night at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. The ‘Canes turned two first-half fumble recoveries into touchdowns and built a 28-0…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lehigh Valley Conference teams have to be on their own Hurricane watch, but it has nothing to do with high winds and heavy rains. “Watch out for Liberty,” Easton coach Steve Shiffert said before Liberty went to Parkland Stadium Friday night and throttled the Trojans defensively…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton’s highly-touted band figures to rock in the stands as the Red Rovers football team goes after the 700th win in school history against Dieruff at 7 tonight at J. Birney Crum Stadium. It’s big. Maybe, the biggest storyline in the LVC in Week 3, but in an unusual twist, it…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Nobody threw up or fainted at Easton High. Nobody took lunch break and decided not to return for the afternoon practice. Most of the 108 players on the practice field were in good shape and brought good attitudes as far as coach Steve Shiffert was concerned as the high school…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The season-ending game for Bethlehem bragging rights had been circled on the schedules of Freedom and Liberty since August. But only Liberty seemed ready for the challenge when the two rivals met in a Lehigh Valley Conference Northampton Division matchup before a spirited crowd…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →For Liberty, reversing a trend of always losing to city rival Bethlehem Catholic over the last 19 years came down to making one final defensive stand on fourth-and-four with 21 seconds remaining Friday night. A stop on fourth-and-four before hobbled Liberty defensive star Barry…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Opportunity to beat an elite team knocks for Liberty when the Hurricanes play Bethlehem Catholic at 7 tonight at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. “It knocks too many times,” said Liberty coach Tim Moncman, which isn’t exactly a joke considering that the Hurricanes (3-2)…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland and Liberty linemen tangled at the line of scrimmage, both trying to plow over the other. Only Parkland succeeded. Liberty was missing key players, but the lopsided final margin still might not have mattered had the Hurricanes been at full strength. That’s because…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty High survived last week, beating Pleasant Valley 35-28 in double overtime. Now comes a bigger team, a bigger task. Parkland’s visit to Bethlehem Area School District Stadium to play Liberty at 7 p.m. Saturday will be the Hurricanes’ biggest home game in years. Parkland…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He has been nicknamed Boomer Jr. since birth. “I was a real big baby,” said Bethlehem Catholic junior Fred Rice. “I was almost 13 pounds when I was born, so they just called me Boomer.” The nickname fits him perfectly on the field where Rice is a star fullback and linebacker,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Dieruff and Liberty are playing “Survivor” this weekend, both going against powerhouse Lehigh Valley Conference teams that are among the best in the state. The chances both have of qualifying for the District 11 Class 4A playoffs may depend on the outcome of Liberty’s visit to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It might have seemed like Easton had brought a bulldozer to Bethlehem Area School District Stadium the way it was plowing up and down the field Sunday afternoon. But the Red Rovers were simply using an overpowering rushing attack to punish the Liberty defense, paving the way to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Easton Red Rovers are going on a shopping spree at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium for the second week in a row when they play the Liberty Hurricanes in a Lehigh Valley Conference matchup at 7 tonight. And the thing the Red Rovers (3-2, 3-1) will be looking for most…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Liberty defense was being attacked by air and surrendered a first down to Dieruff on fourth-and-11 with less than two minutes to go at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. Pop, pop, another first down for Dieruff. But junior defensive back Jeremy Kittek intercepted…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen quarterback Michael Bernhard might have become eligible for a free flight at nearby Lehigh Valley International Airport, if such a thing existed, because of the passing yardage he piled up against Liberty in a 28-6 Canaries victory Friday night. He was that on-target in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He is the idol of so many kids in the South Side of Bethlehem. They want to go to Liberty High and become standout athletes just like him. He is a product of the Bethlehem Saints, the youth program where he gained his early football stripes as a small, but fast and elusive…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →New Parkland head football coach Rob Melosky turned to the immaculate building over the hills from the practice field 13 days ago, raised his arms and the enthusiasm in his voice rose. He has the job, the facilities, the program that the other Mountain Valley Conference teams…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Have you heard the rumbling sound around Liberty High School? It’s the football team stampeding. Have you noticed the two wins and zero losses? That’s the result of playing up to potential. Do you believe Liberty is really that good? It will be time to find out when the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →