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.
The run for championship medals seems to bring out the best in Brianna Broyles when she’s down to her final attempts. At Allen High, Broyles won the 100-meter high hurdle title in the PIAA Track and Field Championships as a senior. It was her only state title in an illustrious…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →During many of his long touchdown runs during the football season, Parkland senior Andre Williams got a good rest before going back out onto the field and trying to go the distance again. Not so in track and field when you run the 110-meter high hurdles and 100 dash, but…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty’s Stephen Lewis is lean and fast. Parkland’s Andre Williams is lean, fast and powerful. Both are outstanding senior hurdlers coming off top five finishes in the Class 3A 110-meter hurdles in the PIAA Track and Field Championships last year. Lewis was fourth in the 110 in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Kutztown senior guard Stephen Dennis had a career-high 42 points on Jan. 13 against East Stroudsburg and many more highlights have come for the all-time leading scorer in school history. On Monday, the 6-foot-6 Dennis was named the 2009-2010 Daktronics Division II Men’s…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Kutztown’s Stephen Dennis went two-for-two in major awards on Wednesday, earning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East and Daktronics NCAA Division II Atlantic Region player of the year awards. Now, the 6-foot-6 senior guard with the deceptively quick first-step…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Many of the 1,000-point scorers in East Stroudsburg’s history were honored on Saturday before the tip-off of the Warriors game against Cheyney at Koehler Fieldhouse. During a second-half scoring drought that lasted nearly nine minutes, East Stroudsburg coach Jeff Wilson probably…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Just four regular-season games remain and DeSales men’s coach Scott Coval is three wins shy of his 300th victory. He seems guaranteed to reach the milestone this winter. If he doesn’t, then the close to his 17th season in Center Valley will be a bad one. But the chances are…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The DeSales men are not among the nation’s ranked teams in Division III, but the Bulldogs are 7-0 in the Freedom Conference and have a two-game lead with seven to play. Which means, barring a collapse, the Bulldogs will win the Freedom title again and have homecourt advantage…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The DeSales men are not among the nation’s ranked teams in Division III, but the Bulldogs are 7-0 in the Freedom Conference and have a two-game lead with seven to play. Which means, barring a collapse, the Bulldogs will win the Freedom title again and have homecourt advantage…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Can Darnell Braswell do just about everything well for DeSales? Yes, he can. He was a Division III first-team All-American last season and proved in a 67-59 DeSales non-league victory over Muhlenberg Monday night at Memorial Hall that he’s still one of the best guards in the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Can Darnell Braswell do just about everything well for DeSales? Yes, he can. He was a Division III first-team All-American last season and proved in a 67-59 DeSales non-league victory over Muhlenberg Monday night at Memorial Hall that he’s still one of the best guards in the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson was the Philadelphia 76ers’ version of Lil Wayne during the 2000-2001 NBA season, using his crossover dribble and fearless drives to make the Wachovia Center rock like a hip-hop concert. Fans jammed the arena while Iverson and the Sixers rolled on the court,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The San Francisco 49ers had 13 points in the third quarter Sunday and then the Eagles defense put on the freeze. Pressure, disruption, and unyielding defense then took over, especially in the fourth quarter when the Eagles scored a technical knockout. Running back Frank Gore, so…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The San Francisco 49ers scored 13 points in the third quarter Sunday and then the Eagles defense put on the freeze. Pressure, disruption, and unyielding defense then took over, especially in the fourth quarter when the Eagles scored a technical knockout. Running back Frank Gore,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →E mily Smith dives to the floor, fearless of knee bruises, bent on getting her hands on the ball by any means. Rough pla y and intense demeanor defines the junior forward on Moravian’s women’s basketball team. Scoring points is nice and the nationally ranked Greyhounds have five…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Emily Smith dives to the floor, fearless of knee bruises, bent on getting her hands on the ball by any means. Rough play and intense demeanor defines the junior forward on Moravian’s women’s basketball team. Scoring points is nice and the nationally ranked Greyhounds have five…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson had one classic shot that was reminiscent of his glorious past with the Sixers, a stop, crossover and pop with 2.8 seconds left in the first half Monday night. He had one classic assist, a feed to Samuel Dalembert for an alley-oop dunk that he set up off a baseline…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →— Allen Iverson had one classic shot that was reminiscent of his glorious past with the Sixers, a stop, crossover and pop with 2.8 seconds left in the first half Monday night. He had one classic assist, a feed to Samuel Dalembert for an alley-oop dunk that he set up off a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson returned to the Sixers on Wednesday, the team he deserves to eventually retire from, right before his No. 3 jersey is retired. He’s back where chapter upon chapter of his great shots, drives, hard falls and unyielding fight were scripted over 10 memorable seasons.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The DeSales men’s basketball team tips off its season tonight in Center Valley with a tough player with all-around solid skills expected to lead the show. Senior guard Darnell Braswell, who last year became the school’s first NABC first-team All-American, returns with a jump…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Back in the 1960s Nazareth High’s football team filled up the school’s trophy case. “Back them we won championships pretty regularly,” said Easton coach Steve Shiffert, a 1969 Nazareth grad. “Nazareth was the big school. We played Wilson, Bangor, East Stroudsburg. “I think…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Shawn Martell, the son of an established local college football coach, began his inevitable climb up the coaching ranks when he was hired as the wide receivers coach at Nazareth last year. The 24-year-old Martell, a 2002 Morning Call all-area wide receiver from Bethlehem…
· 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 →Easton boiled with emotion and played with unstoppable force on both sides of the ball to thwart Lehigh Valley Conference rival Liberty 28-7 on Senior Night Friday at Cottingham Stadium. Statistically, Liberty outgained Easton, 293-135. But Easton worked on a short field most of…
· 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 →As the season turned into a rollercoaster ride, Whitehall essentially stared in the mirror and readjusted its goal. Not many teams do that because the mentality is often all-or-nothing. Can’t argue with that, but there probably isn’t a football player in the Lehigh Valley…
· 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 →Easton deflated Freedom’s defense with a 19-play, 66-yard scoring drive that took up most of the fourth quarter Friday night at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. Then the Red Rovers clinched a 14-10 Lehigh Valley Conference victory because of their own rugged defense.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The intensity level in the Easton vs. Freedom Lehigh Valley Conference matchup tonight at Bethlehem Area school District Stadium will be so high that a lot of players may be very sore when they wake up Saturday morning. “When Bethlehem [schools] and Easton get together the kids…
· 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 →Freedom senior tailback Darrius Webb is always only one missed tackle at the line of scrimmage from going the distance. That’s because trying to tackle the speedy, elusive Webb is tough once he gets into the open field. He displayed his talents over the previous two seasons at…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It was 48 minutes of grueling, smashmouth, hard-hitting football for Emmaus. And it was at Cottingham Stadium, where the ghosts of storied years past are not supposed to turn against Easton. Not when the Red Rovers are first-and-goal inside the 5-yard line. Actually, Easton…
· 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 →Easton has a chip on its shoulder. Blame it on Parkland, Emmaus and Liberty. All three Lehigh Valley Conference opponents beat the then-inexperienced, mistake-prone Red Rovers by a combined 89-0 margin last season. The chip is still there, despite Easton holding Parkland to 98…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →In the previous two seasons, Easton was not a serious contender for the Lehigh Valley Conference title. Last season, without four-year starter and four-year Morning Call all-area defensive back Jarred Holley — now a redshirt freshman at Pittsburgh — Easton didn’t even post a…
· 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 →Remember Allen Iverson’s famous practice quote from 2002? “We’re talking about practice,” the former Philadelphia Sixers’ guard said in response to being criticized by then-coach Larry Brown about his practice habits after the Sixers’ were eliminated in the first-round of the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →SportsFest XIII begins today — and the creator and chairman of the amateur athletics and entertainment event, Ray Atiyeh, is ready to roll. Nothing new. This is his baby, known as Allentown SportsFest before having A-Town removed for Lehigh Valley a couple years ago to give the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →One race on tired legs that Wilson senior Anthony Davidson lost by a slim margin did little to detract from the astounding two-week period he had running the 400-meter dash. No Lehigh Valley sprinter had ever run under 48 seconds in the 400 — and Davidson did it three times over…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s time to run fast, throw far, jump and vault high. It’s time to be better than just good. It’s time to win a District 11 track and field medal, preferably gold. Sprinters Anthony Davidson of Wilson and Bethlehem Catholic’s Tevrin Brandon are confident they’ll achieve their…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Motivated to carry her 3,200-meter relay team into her school’s record book, Emmaus senior Lindsey Graybill took the baton and raced the Green Hornets to a convincing victory in the Lehigh Valley Conference track and field championships at J. Birney Crum Stadium on Wednesday.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Rich Sniscak listened in amazement as one inspiring story after another was told. Then Sniscak, the former star Dieruff High football-player-turned-Parkland High football coach/administrator, got his chance to tell stories Friday night at the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Freedom senior Dan McLaughlin prepared for the Liberty-Freedom track and field meet Monday by isolating himself before heading to Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. “I went home, listened to my music, tried to get myself psyched for it,” he said. “I was trying to get myself…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It was Tennessee’s Chanelle Price, then Villanova’s Frances Koons, one former Lehigh Valley high school track and field All-American following another. Both had memorable runs in the college women’s distance medley Championship of America relay Thursday at the Penn Relays. It…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Take your pick, dual meets, tri-meets or relay carnivals. Dual meets involve athletes of all abilities, while relay carnivals, generally, are for the more talented athletes, athletes who have usually received an invitation to compete. Dual meets can be more draining, especially…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The DeSales men’s and women’s basketball programs earned a piece of the national spotlight over the weekend during the NCAA Division III’s championship weekend. Darnell Braswell, the ex-Allen High star, wished that it would have been because of what he and his teammates…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Kutztown men are back in the NCAA Division II basketball tournament for the first time since 1988, and hope to stick around for a while. In Division III, the DeSales men and Muhlenberg women have reached the “Sweet 16” and hope to continue playing on. The Golden Bears,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →For spring break entertainment the Muhlenberg women’s team gets to take a 430-mile bus trip to Brunswick, Maine, for at least one NCAA Division III tournament game Friday. “Outside of maybe going to Alaska, I’m not sure if there is a place farther away that they would not want…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Former Allen High basketball star Ray Barbosa received the phone call Wednesday night that he hoped he’d get nearly his whole life. His agent, Pedro Perez, called Barbosa and told him he’d been drafted by the Bayamon Cowboys of the National Superior Basketball League in Puerto…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →DeSales and Muhlenberg took breaks away from conference play to compete against each other in a non-league game Monday night in Center Valley. But it was no breather for either team. It was a physical, heart-stopping game that wasn’t decided until the final 10 seconds. DeSales’…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →DeSales guard Darnell Braswell got mad. Then, he turned mean. He drove hard, he defended harder, and from end-to-end on the court his facial expression and physical play told the tale of a player unwilling to lose to Muhlenberg on Monday night. Best of all for DeSales, Braswell…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The St. Benedict’s-Bishop McNamara boys basketball game was the type of back-and-forth thriller, featuring above-the-rim play, sensational moves, blocked shots and enormous intensity that you’d see between very good teams from the New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The drive from Hellertown to East Stroudsburg University never seems that long to Warriors coach Jeff Wilson. It’s something he has enjoyed. “I’ve found whether it’s going to work or coming home from work it’s a good time to get some reflection done,” said Wilson, who’s in his…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Brian Hunter is back to running the break, slashing down the lane and playing the type of quality minutes he never got the opportunity to play at Lehigh last season. But Hunter transferred to DeSales, a Division III program that appears to be a much better fit for the 6-foot-3…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Defensive stops started to become tough, offensive makes even tougher in the final 12 minutes for the DeSales men Sunday. As a result, a school-record nine consecutive wins to open the season ended. But junior guard Darnell Braswell, an Allen graduate, refused to be disheartened…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethel Park High has advanced to its first PIAA Class 4A football final, helped by fundamentally sound play and luck, according to its coach, Jeff Metheny. The Black Hawks, after all, are 15-0 and have won each of their last three playoff games by four points or less. “There are…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Everywhere Temple guard Dionte Christmas dribbled, Lafayette’s Jeff Kari seemed to be there Friday night. For the first 12 minutes, Kari’s relentless defense worked well because Christmas, a preseason All-Atlantic 10 player and All-American candidate, was scoreless. Kari was…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Everywhere Temple guard Dionte Christmas dribbled, Lafayette’s Jeff Kari seemed to be there Friday night. For the first 12 minutes, Kari’s relentless defense worked well because Christmas, a preseason All-Atlantic 10 player and All-American candidate, was scoreless. Kari was…
· 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 senior tailback Eddie Mateo ran for season highs of 198 yards and four touchdowns last week. He ran rampant on synthetic turf against a Northampton defense that’s one of the Lehigh Valley Conference’s best. Now Mateo, who transferred from Bethlehem Catholic during the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Dieruff coach Keith Brader has a question for all other Lehigh Valley Conference coaches, excluding Chris Kinane at Allen, who is 0-6 in his first season and facing a tough battle trying to make the Canaries competitive. Do you want to trade places? “We probably would not have…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Lehigh Valley Conference is a tough conference and will be even tougher once Nazareth starts posting winning seasons on a consistent basis. Winning the LVC title probably won’t happen anytime soon because the Blue Eagles do not draw from a talent pool that’s similar to the…
· 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 →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 →Surprise, surprise, that’s what Northampton (4-0, 3-0 LVC) has been in posting a perfect record out of the gate to remain tied with Emmaus (4-0, 3-0) for first-place in the Lehigh Valley Conference entering their showdown Friday at Al Erdosy Field. Elsewhere in the conference,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Something disturbingly different happened to Easton last week against Parkland. It wasn’t the lopsided score of Parkland 26, Easton 0. Every team gets crushed once in a while, but Easton coach Steve Shiffert wasn’t as concerned about the final score as he was about the way his…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Something new in Week 3 of the Lehigh Valley Conference: Neither Liberty, Parkland nor Easton is involved in the top game. Easton (2-0, 1-0) opens its home schedule against Parkland (0-2, 0-1) at 7 tonight at Cottingham Stadium, and it promises to be a festive atmosphere as the…
· 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 →Bethlehem Catholic senior Tevrin Brandon was electrifying on punt returns, scoring one touchdown and setting up another with an impressive burst of speed. The Golden Hawks’ small but lightning-quick junior tailback, Darrius Webb, also dazzled with his own speed and acceleration…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The wait is over for Freedom. Tonight, the defending Eastern Conference Class 4A champion will try to extend its winning streak in season openers under coach Jason Roeder to four games. “There is not a whole lot of room for error,” said Roeder, whose Patriots open at Central…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ALLEN Coach: Chris Kinane (first year) Last year: 0-10 (0-9, LVC) Impact players: QB Justin Quaye, sr.; QB Nick Rhodes, jr.; WR Matt Wingler, sr.; WR Nik Davis, sr.; WR/RB David Gibbs, sr.; WR Siddiq Shabazz, sr.; OL Lance Troxell, sr.; OL Eddy Torres, sr.; RB/LB Luciano…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ALLEN Coach: Chris Kinane (first year) Last year: 0-10 (0-9, LVC) Impact players: QB Justin Quaye, sr.; QB Nick Rhodes, jr.; WR Matt Wingler, sr.; WR Nik Davis, sr.; WR/RB David Gibbs, sr.; WR Siddiq Shabazz, sr.; OL Lance Troxell, sr.; OL Eddy Torres, sr.; RB/LB Luciano…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →His nickname is “Tiny,” but East Penn Sting owner Paul Hamsher is a 6-foot-6, 325-pound offensive lineman. Not all that tiny, huh? Well, by the end of this afternoon’s inaugural semi-pro Allentown Bowl between the East Penn Sting and Lehigh Valley Steelers at Mountainville…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He has long legs, long strides and speed. They all became winning ingredients for Wilson’s Anthony Davidson, who won the Class 2A 400-meter dash title at the PIAA Track and Field Championships Memorial Day weekend. Davidson, a rising senior, was the only District 11 athlete to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The two-day PIAA Track and Field Championships begins at Shippensburg University this morning with one major question for District 11. Can it get any better for the district than in 2003, when Bethlehem Catholic won the Class 2A team title, becoming the first school in the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He’s not all hulked up, but Palmerton sprinter Austin Cseh had all the speed and endurance necessary to prevail over Wilson’s Anthony Davidson in a thrilling race to the finish line in the finals of the 400-meter dash at the Colonial League Track and Field Championships on…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic junior sprinter Tevrin Brandon is an underdog no more. Fast and confident since his freshman year, Brandon still entered this spring unfulfilled because he had yet to win the 100-meter dash at the Lehigh Valley Conference Track and Field Championships. But…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s finally time to get down to serious business in track and field. Next week’s Lehigh Valley Conference, Colonial League and Mountain Valley Conference championship meets will weed out the pretenders and establish the boys’ athletes who are most likely to contend for district…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Nazareth High senior Kevin Kroboth has had an easier time sprinting to 100- and 200-meter dash victories than he did breaking away for touchdowns during the football season. A first-year track and field athlete, Kroboth has used the dual-meet season to prove himself as a league,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Devin Street appears to be a natural in track and field. A first-year participant for Liberty, Street established himself as the top long jumper in the Lehigh Valley Conference before the weather even turned warm. He entered the week with an area-high mark of 22 feet, 51/2…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ray Barbosa’s mother, sister and stepfather each sat near-motionless in the RBC Center as the minutes in his college basketball career counted down Friday. Unable to shake free from a suffocating Georgetown defense, Barbosa missed shot after shot, and his University of…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Jay Greene had two memorable back-to-back trips down the court Friday. They were in the second half, and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County guard rose up against tenacious Georgetown defenders to bury consecutive 3-pointers. It prevented Greene, a junior and former…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ray Barbosa did not pack light. The University of Maryland Baltimore County guard has enjoyed the aura that surrounds the NCAA Tournament ever since arriving here Wednesday night and plans on soaking up as much of it as possible. UMBC, seeded 15th in the Midwest Region, plays…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Concerned and nervous, Pam Tillett sat still in the stands amongst raucous University of Maryland-Baltimore County fans Saturday afternoon at RAC Arena. Her son, UMBC senior guard Ray Barbosa from Allen High, was focused on the court, trying to help his teammates stave off a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ray Barbosa and Jay Greene jumped from their seats, overwhelmed with jubilation Sunday night. They had a lot of happy company. A day after the University of Maryland-Baltimore County won the America East Conference championship, Barbosa, from Allen High, and Greene, from…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Jay Greene scored his team’s first points on a 3-pointer, he handed out the first assist, and throughout the biggest game of his life, the former Whitehall High star also crashed the boards hard and played lockdown defense. An automatic NCAA Tournament bid was on the line, and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ray Barbosa has allowed himself to dream about this day for a long time. But the former Allen High basketball star doubted it would ever arrive. Jay Greene, former Whitehall star, however, began believing this day would come as soon as the 2006-07 season ended. Today, the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A warning light seemed to go off in Ray Barbosa’s head with nine minutes remaining in the America East Conference semifinals Sunday afternoon. The University of Maryland Baltimore County trailed Vermont by six points, and Barbosa feared that his dream of playing for a conference…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Scott Coval did not have a happy ending Saturday to his 400th career game as a coach at DeSales. That’s because the Bulldogs had a collapse on both ends of the court in the final 10 minutes and lost to King’s College, 71-62, in the Freedom Conference tournament final at Billera…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →“RayJay” was speedy and dynamic, confident and fearless, the driving force behind the University of Maryland-Baltimore County clinching the America East regular season title Saturday night. “RayJay” is how UMBC coach Randy Monroe referred to Ray Barbosa and Jay Greene after the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Brendan Beal’s postseason parade of high school football honors has continued even though Beal has already begun taking classes and participating in strength and conditioning drills at the University of Florida. Beal, a standout linebacker at Liberty High School last season, has…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →DeSales guard Darnell Braswell and post players Phil Stricker and Ed Lapinski only had to worry about one thing when Eddie Ohlson had the ball in his hands Saturday night. And that was what type of dish Ohlson was going to deliver. Already the owner of every major assist record…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland offensive lineman Ian Tomcho hopes to continue what his dad and his uncles did in the 1960s and 1970s and 1980s at J. Birney Crum Stadium. And that’s win big games. None, however, have been as big as the one that Tomcho will play at noon today when Parkland (14-0) and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 3-8 (Independent) Lost to Tulsa 49-39 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: Played. Season: Four solo tackles, two assisted. BOSTON COLLEGE 9-2, 5-2 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Clemson 30-17 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. PK, 5-10, 183. Game: 2-for-2 on PATs,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 3-7 (Independent) Lost to Rutgers 41-6 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: Played. Season: Four solo tackles, two assisted. BOSTON COLLEGE 8-2, 4-2 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Lost to Maryland 42-35 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. 5-10, 183. Game: 5-for-5 on PATs,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →How many Lehigh Valley Conference teams already have a wish list for next season? Five teams are still playing — Liberty and Parkland in the District 11-2 Class 4A playoffs; Freedom and Whitehall in the Eastern Conference 4A title game Friday night. Easton lost to Hazleton,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 3-6 (Independent) Lost to Air Force 30-10 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: One solo tackle, one assist. Season: Four solo tackles, two assisted. BOSTON COLLEGE 8-1, 4-1 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Lost to Florida State 27 -17 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. K…
· 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 →ARMY 3-5 (Independent) Lost to Georgia Tech 34-10 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: One solo tackle. Season: Three solo tackles, one assist. Jake Walsh (Liberty) Jr. DT 6-3, 269. Game: Played. Season: No stats. BOSTON COLLEGE 8-0, 4-0 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat…
· 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 →Next week’s final regular-season games in the Lehigh Valley Conference will have even more suspense, if certain things happen this Friday. And the No. 1 if? If Parkland (8-0, 7-0) beats Emmaus in the battle between Cedar Crest Boulevard teams Friday, then the Trojans can clinch…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Every coach is judged by wins and losses, but Allen first-year coach Andy Polony should be judged on his character, which is stronger than you might expect for a coach who is 0-for-his career. Allen (0-7) has scored just 12 points, a Lehigh Valley Conference low, and the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 3-4 (Independent) Lost to Central Michigan 47-23 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: Played. Season: Two solo tackles, one assist. Jake Walsh (Liberty) Jr. DT 6-3, 269. Game: Played. Season: No stats. BOSTON COLLEGE 7-0 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Notre Dame…
· 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 →Pius X is still the little guy — still hoping that the Colonial League will give it an invitation to join and still hoping that it will, one day, not have to drive all the way across the state just to find an opponent. But, despite all the people that may “player hate” against…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 3-3 (independent) Beat Tulane 20-17 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: One solo tackle. Season: Two solo tackles, one assist. BOSTON COLLEGE 6-0(Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Bowling Green 55-24 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. 5-10, 183. Game: 7-for-7 on PATs;…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty seniors Ahkeem Smith and Justin Rivera have been haunted for the last 364 days over what happened the last time they played city rival Bethlehem Catholic. Terrell Dobbins ran for 162 yards and Kyle John blocked an extra point attempt in helping Bethlehem Catholic…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 2-3 (independent) Beat Temple 37-21 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: Played. Season: One solo tackle, one assist. BOSTON COLLEGE 5-0 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat UMass 24-14 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. 5-10, 183. Game: 3-for-3 on PATs; 1-for-1 on FGs, 37…
· 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 →ARMY 1-3 (Independent) Lost to Boston College 37-17 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: Played. Season: One solo tackle, one assist. BOSTON COLLEGE 4-0 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Army 37-17 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. 5-10, 183. Game: 2-for-3 on PATs; 1-for-2…
· 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 →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 →Liberty senior linebacker Brendan Beal has to wait until Oct. 26 to meet Easton and star defensive back Jarred Holley at Cottingham Stadium. Both players will probably make plays all over the field on that night. It will be the first game that Beal, a transfer from Roxbury High…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 1-2 (Independent) Lost to Wake Forest 21-10 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: One solo tackle, one assist. Season: Same. BOSTON COLLEGE 3-0, 3-0 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Georgia Tech 24-10 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. 5-10, 183. Game: 3-for-3 on PATs;…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Over the last four years Freedom’s football team has produced three Division I players. Ryan Ehrie is a redshirt sophomore offensive lineman at Syracuse, Colin Neely a redshirt freshman at Michigan State, and Jeremy Kametz is in his final season at Delaware. The three of them…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ALBANY 1-1 (Northeast Conference) Beat Fordham 23-20 Terrell Dobbins (Bethlehem Catholic) Fr. RB, 5-10, 205. Game: Played. Season: One carry, 2 yards. ARMY 1-1 (independent) Beat Rhode Island 14-7 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: Played: Season: No stats. Jake Walsh…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →What happened in Emmaus last Friday night is not being be dwelled on. That’s because of the request Green Hornets coach Joe Bottiglieri made to his players. Bottiglieri, who’s in his sixth season at Emmaus, tells his players to only concentrate on the current challenge and not…
· 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 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 →Terrence Roderick has finally moved on to a bigger stage, albeit a stage that is 800 miles away from Allentown, his closest friends and the guarantee that he could get a nice, fresh haircut any time he wanted it. But the former Allen High basketball star is happy with the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Basketballs will swish nets and bank off backboards. Softballs and volleyballs will be smashed. Footballs and Frisbees will fly. Sheaves will be tossed, muscles will be flexed and dogs will jump through hoops. At the 11th edition of Lehigh Valley SportsFest, kicking off tonight…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray has his first fan in Chicago, and it’s a guy who for 24 years had held the distinction of being the last Lehigh Valley athlete drafted into the NBA. Now 46 years old and with a surgically repaired left knee that prevents him from playing basketball anymore, former…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The pressure is now off Bethlehem Catholic senior Joe Kovacs. He took it off with the throw of his life, breaking the 36-year-old area record in the shot put on his final attempt Thursday in the District 11 Track and Field Championships at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bothered little by the rain and dark clouds, Catasauqua junior Kyle Miller cleared 14 feet, 7 inches to establish a Class 2A record in the pole vault in the District 11 Track and Field Championships Thursday at J. Birney Crum Stadium. The height was a personal best for Miller,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The chase is on again for Bethlehem Catholic standout thrower Joe Kovacs. Kovacs, a senior, will attempt to break the area shot put record of 62-113/4 in the District 11 Track and Field Championships. The two-day event begins at 3 p.m. today at J. Birney Crum Stadium in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The chance of an athlete winning a medal in his or her first PIAA Track and Field Championships is pretty slim. Often, athletes who were dominant in an event in intra-district competition, complete their high school careers without ever having won a state medal. Ryan Wagner, a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The finish line was 100 meters away and Liberty junior Trevor VanAckeren was determined to make it there first Wednesday at J. Birney Crum Stadium. His legs were heavy, he was fatigued, and he was being pushed to the limit in the finals of the 800 run at the Lehigh Valley…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Dieruff has not had a top-notch boys track and field athlete since Andrew Battle nine years ago and not a standout sprinter since Stacy McCarthy won the District 11 Class 3A title in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in 1996. There have been a lot of downs since then, but first-year…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Seniors Andy Fahringer of Whitehall and Joe Kovacs of Bethlehem Catholic headline the top returning boys track and field performers in District 11 this spring. Both are standout throwers. Fahringer is the defending PIAA Track and Field Class 3A discus champion. Fahringer, who’s…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Pittsburgh went perfect from the free throw line in the final minute, allowing star center Aaron Gray to breathe a big sigh of relief after the Big East Tournament semifinals Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The 7-0 Gray, a senior and Emmaus High graduate, had one of his…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Muhlenberg’s Tom Scott couldn’t be stopped on drives, capping off his final game at Memorial Hall with one huge basket after another Thursday night. His final bucket was the best, a breakaway two-handed dunk for the exclamation point in the Mules’ come-from-behind, 91-84…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →DeSales junior Phil Stricker waited until money time to go to the bank Tuesday night. Stricker, who was bothered by foul trouble throughout the game, opened up and scored all eight of his points in the final five minutes to help lift DeSales to a 71-63 non-league win over…
· 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 →‘COLLEGES ARMY 3-8 (Independent) Lost to Notre Dame 41-9 Marcus Millen (Easton) Jr. DE, 6-1, 230. Game: Played. No stats. Season: Same. Julius Meyers (Pennridge) Sr. LB, 6-2, 232. Game: Played. No stats. Season: Same. BOSTON COLLEGE 9-2, 5-2 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES BOSTON COLLEGE 8-2, 4-2 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Duke 28-7 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) So. K, 5-11, 175. Game: 4-for-4 on PATs. Season: 15-for-15 on PATs; 5-for-6 on FGs; longest 36 yards. BROWN 3-6, 2-4 (Ivy League) Lost to Dartmouth 19-13 Justin Gallagher…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES ARMY 3-7 (Independent) Lost to Air Force 43-7 Marcus Millen (Easton) Jr. DE, 6-1, 230. Game: Played. No stats. Season: Same. Julius Meyers (Pennridge) Sr. LB, 6-2, 232. Game: Played. No stats. Season: Same. BOSTON COLLEGE 7-2, 3-2 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Lost to…
· 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 →COLLEGES ARMY 3-6 (Independent) Lost to Tulane 42-28 Marcus Millen (Easton) Jr. DE, 6-1, 230. Game: Played. No stats. Season: Same. BOSTON COLLEGE 7-1, 3-1 (ACC) Beat Buffalo 41-0 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) So. K, 5-11, 175. Game: 4-for-4 on PATs; 2-for-2 on FGs of 25 and 30…
· 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 →COLLEGES ARMY 3-5 (Independent) Lost to TCU 31-17 Julius Meyers (Pennridge) Sr. LB, 6-2, 232. Played. No stats. BOSTON COLLEGE 6-1, 3-1 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Florida State 24-19 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) So. K, 5-11, 175. Game: 3-for-3 on PATs; 1-for-1 on FG of 26…
· 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 →It’s time for the 20-some remaining players on Dieruff’s football team to walk the hallways, the cafeteria line, and maybe even the streets of East Allentown to ask the former players who abandoned them if they’re happy about the Huskies’ 18-game losing streak, which dates back…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →You can win in basketball by having two really good, exciting players, especially if one is a 7-footer and the other a McDonald’s All-American guard. Not so in football. If that were the case, then Allen wouldn’t be 0-7 and looking at 0-7 Dieruff as possibly the only team it can…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES ARMY 3-4 (Independent) Lost to Connecticut 21-7 Julius Meyers (Pennridge) Sr. LB, 6-2, 232. Played. No stats. BOSTON COLLEGE 5-1, 2-1 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Virginia Tech 22-3 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) So. K, 5-11, 175. Game: 2-for-2 on PATs; 2-for-2 on FGs…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Brothers Oscar and Justin Rivera used to play roughhouse football in their parents’ living room growing up and, as a result, they’d often shake up the furniture. The brothers are now two-way starters at Liberty, and their coach, Tim Moncman, has demanded all season that they…
· 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 →COLLEGES ARMY 3-3 (Independent) Beat VMI 62-7 Marcus Millen (Easton) Jr. DE, 6-1, 230. Played. Julius Meyers (Pennridge) Sr. LB, 6-2, 232. Played. Jake Walsh (Liberty) So. DT, 6-4, 259. Did not play. BRIGHAM YOUNG 4-2, 2-0 (Mountain West) Beat San Diego State 42-17 Joe Semanoff…
· 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 →Easton’s Chris Casciole and Gary Fish are two tough players. That’s something typically said of Red Rover players over the years, but these two have exemplified it beyond the norm. Nothing has been easy. Entering preseason, neither had a starting position locked up on the Red…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES ARMY 2-3 (Independent) Lost to Rice 48-14 Marcus Millen (Easton) Jr. DE, 6-1, 230. Did not play. Julius Meyers (Pennridge) Sr. LB, 6-2, 232. Played. Jake Walsh (Liberty) So. DT, 6-4, 259. Did not play. BYU 3-2, 1-0 (Mtn West) Beat TCU 31-17-0) Joe Semanoff (Lehighton)…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Northampton coach Teko Johnson hasn’t flashed back to the last time he was in the heat of battle with Parkland. That was last Sept. 16 at Parkland Stadium in Orefield, when Johnson suddenly felt faint and short of breath. His left side became numb, and he felt pain in his upper…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES ARMY 2-2 (Independent) Beat Baylor 27-20 Marcus Millen (Easton) Jr. DE, 6-1, 230. Did not play. Julius Meyers (Pennridge) Sr. LB, 6-2, 232. Played. Jake Walsh (Liberty) So. DT, 6-4, 259. Did not play. BRIGHAM YOUNG 2-2, 0-0 (Mountain West) Beat Utah State 38-0) Joe…
· 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 →COLLEGES ARMY 1-2 (Independent) Lost to Texas A&M; 28-24 Marcus Millen (Easton) Jr. DE, 6-1, 230. Did not play. Julius Meyers (Pennridge) Sr. LB, 6-2, 232. Played. Jake Walsh (Liberty) So. DT, 6-4, 259. Did not play. BRIGHAM YOUNG 1-2, 0-0 (Mountain West) Lost to Boston College…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton, Liberty and Parkland are coming off 41-, 42- and 48-point victories. Just as telling is the fact that their opponents did not score. So, after three weeks, the “Big Three” have established themselves as the teams to beat in the Lehigh Valley Conference. Bethlehem…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES ARMY 1-1 (Independent) Beat Kent State 17-14 Marcus Millen (Easton) Jr. DE, 6-1, 230 Did not play. Julius Meyers (Pennridge) Sr. LB, 6-2, 232. Did not play. Jake Walsh (Liberty) So. DT, 6-4, 259. Did not play. BYU 1-1 (Mountain West) Beat Tulsa 49-14 Joe Semanoff…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →There might be a traffic jam around Emmaus High tonight. Perennial Lehigh Valley Conference powerhouse Easton, led by star defensive back Jarred Holley and hard-hitting linebacker Ryan Hartzell, will be playing in Emmaus for the first time since Sept. 26, 1997. “It’s a big game…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES ARMY (Independent) Sept. 7 at Arkansas State Marcus Millen (Easton) Jr. DE, 6-1, 230. Last season: Did not play. Jake Walsh (Liberty) So. DT, 6-4, 259. Last season: Did not play. BRIGHAM YOUNG (Mountain West) Sept. 7 at Arizona Joe Semanoff (Lehighton) Jr. RB, 5-11,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Way too much attention has been given to the players who transferred from Bethlehem Catholic, and not enough praise has been given to the star wideout who stayed put after last season. But stay tuned. Golden Hawks senior Mark Scattene may soon play his way into some headlines.…
· 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 →The stadium lights will be on tonight from Allentown to Easton as Lehigh Valley Conference teams begin play. What should be expected? “I’ll let you know around 9:30,” Easton coach Steve Shiffert said a few days ago. “It’s a lot different when you have 3,000 fans out there,” said…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES ARMY (Independent) Sept. 7 at Arkansas State Marcus Millen (Easton) Jr. DE, 6-1, 230. Last season: Did not play. Jake Walsh (Liberty) So. DT, 6-4, 259. Last season: Did not play. BRIGHAM YOUNG (Mountain West) Sept. 7 at Arizona Joe Semanoff (Lehighton) Jr. RB, 5-11,…
· 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 →Star quarterback Alex Atiyeh may have thrown his final high school pass. Atiyeh, a junior quarterback at Bethlehem Catholic last year, has transferred to Allen and had hoped to take over in the Canaries’ wide-open offensive set this season. But the District 11 Athletic Committee…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →All-Big East Conference center Aaron Gray, former Colonial Athletic Association all-rookie guard Ray Barbosa and 2005-06 Morning Call boys basketball Player of the Year Terrence Roderick from Allen will play in the sixth annual Adult Mid-Summer Basketball Classic, which runs…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Chris Blount is no longer a coach for all sports. That doesn’t mean he’s less busy. Blount, a 1986 Dieruff High graduate, was hard at work coaching the Southern Lehigh girls basketball team at SportsFest X Friday at Cedar Beach. He was hired as the Spartans’ head coach on June…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →New beginnings for Allen’s Keith Massey and Central Catholic’s Pete Geist start as soon as the McDonald’s Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic finishes tonight in Nazareth. Massey is headed to Kutztown University to play football while Geist is going to Penn State University…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Rushane Scott is still running on clouds. He can’t help it because his emotions have remained high. Last Saturday, Allen’s standout senior accomplished what no Lehigh Valley sprinter had done in 41 years when he won the Class 3A 100-meter dash at the PIAA Track and Field…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →To become a state champion in the 100-meter dash, Allen’s Rushane Scott had to spend countless hours running sprints, often in the most unfavorable conditions, Whitehall’s Andy Fahringer spent as many hours tossing around a disc, javelin, and heavy steel ball. The payoffs came…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Rushane Scott’s tears of joy lasted for several minutes. Memories of what he accomplished at the PIAA Track and Field Championships Saturday will last forever. The Allen senior closed out his career by winning the Class 3A 100-meter dash in a time of 10.60. Scott surged into the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic did in 2003 what no Lehigh Valley team had ever done — win a PIAA Track and Field team title. Three years later, the Golden Hawks are boasted by a standout distance runner in Eric Yeager, a rising sprinter in Chris Carter and a top-seeded discus thrower in Joe…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Give Rushane Scott a paint brush — or anything else to draw with — and he’ll craft an image of exactly what he plans to accomplish at the PIAA Track and Field Championships. Allen’s star senior sprinter will paint a picture of himself winning the Class 3A title in the 100 and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Rushane Scott proved, for the second straight year, that he was the fastest sprinter at the District 11 Track and Field Championships. He did it with ease, leaving the crowd in awe as he overcame a sizable deficit in the 400-meter relay to lead Allen to a Class 3A victory at the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Eric Yeager has eaten mostly pasta and has resisted the temptation for junk food since last Wednesday. He has also focused harder and trained harder. Now, a week later, the Bethlehem Catholic senior is set to close out one of the most successful distance running careers in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Joe Kovacs will never win 12 district gold medals, which is what his mother, Joanna Rampulla, a standout thrower for Nazareth High in the late 1970s, did. But two weeks from now, the Bethlehem Catholic junior has a solid chance to accomplish something his mother never did. And…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen sprinter Rushane Scott had other sprinters looking at the back of his jersey each time he ran Wednesday afternoon at J. Birney Crum Stadium. But he said his victories weren’t as easy as they seemed. Scott gained early leads in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and pulled out…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland senior John Carelli made the high jump and triple jump seem like routine business Tuesday at the Lehigh Valley Conference Track & Field Championships. It seemed that way because Carelli won both jumping events for the third straight year. He tied his personal best in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton seniors Colin Brett, Derrick Lambert, Alex Nourse and Gerald Lebar have formed an awesome foursome. They have the area’s best time in the 3,200-meter relay (8:28.5) and they are the catalysts on a Red Rovers team that’s 3-0-1 in the LVC. The Red Rovers still have to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ray Barbosa, the former Allen High star, probably knows more about Cinderella George Mason University than Michigan State, North Carolina, Connecticut, or even CBS analysts Billy Packer and Jim Nantz. The soon-to-be former James Madison University guard should know all about the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ray Barbosa can’t take losing at James Madison University anymore. He’s done that for three basketball seasons, but there won’t be a fourth. The former Allen High standout received his official release papers on Friday from the Colonial Athletic Association member school. He…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The deans of area track and field coaches are back. Freedom’s Ray Herman returns for his 41st season and Southern Lehigh’s Brian Souerwine is back for his 34th. While not a lot has changed since last spring, a whole lot has changed in general over the years. “It’s amazing,” said…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Villanova senior Allan Ray found out more about the New York City streets than he wanted to Friday night. He didn’t like it. Not even close, and the thing about it is he wasn’t driving. Instead, he was a passenger in an ambulance that was transporting him to St. Vincent Hospital…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lehigh coach Billy Taylor hopes his season isn’t over, that the Mountain Hawks’ 19-12 record puts them in contention for a National Invitational Tournament bid. It’s nice to hope and it would certainly be a major boost for the Patriot League’s profile if Lehigh received a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →There’s little doubt that Lehigh and Bucknell have a heated rivalry, especially since six of the last eight meetings have been decided by five points or less. You’d expect the fans, those who are loyal, to be more jacked up than normal when the two Patriot League teams meet. The…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →This is the week that college basketball players dream about, and it’s when coaches really earn their pay. This is a week for all fans to enjoy, at the Division I, II and III levels. On of the biggest games will involve the area’s hottest men’s team. Lehigh (18-9, 11-1) will try…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →“February Madness” has arrived for local teams at DeSales, Moravian and Muhlenberg. That’s because playoff seeds and berths are on the line. The DeSales women (14-9, 8-4) will have their chance to punch a Freedom Conference playoff ticket with a road victory over Delaware Valley…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lehigh University coach Billy Taylor is contending for his third Patriot League coach of the year honor in four years. That’s because Lehigh is once again contending for the league title, entering this week 7-1 in league play, just 11/2 games behind Bucknell. Taylor does not…
· 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 →Lehigh men will get another shot at Bucknell Feb. 22 in Lewisburg, and that could be for a first-place tie in the Patriot League. Bucknell finished the first-half of league play 7-0 — with Lehigh at 6-1 and wishing that shots had fallen a different way when the Bison visited…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lehigh’s student fans have a chance to prove that they are more loyal than fairweather Wednesday night. They have a chance to get rowdy and become a more effective “sixth man.” They have chance to prove that Stabler Arena is a place you need to bring earplugs to rather than a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bruce Hall’s talent as a scorer wasn’t being maximized at Cheyney University, so he transferred to Kutztown and is now having a high-scoring senior season. His passion for the game remained high even after he averaged just 10.6 points and 3.0 rebounds in two seasons at Cheyney,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Muhlenberg coach Dave Madeira knows a Division I player when he sees one, and his eyes lit up when he first saw Lehigh junior guard Jose Olivero catch the ball, turn and bury a 3-pointer with such ease on Wednesday night. Not just once, not just twice but five times in Lehigh’s…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →George Washington is averaging 84 points per game, nine more than any other Atlantic 10 team, but the Colonials have yet to play a league team. When they do, the high-flying Colonials may not score with such ease. Richmond (50.5) and Temple (52.1) have the top two scoring…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES DELAWARE 6-5, 3-5 (Atlantic 10) Season completed Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Season: Five solo tackles, two for losses, four assists, two pass break ups, two sacks. DUQUESNE 7-3, 4-0 (MAAC) Season completed Travis Decker (Parkland) So. DL, 6-2, 225.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →This college basketball season will not be devoid of upsets. They’re already happening, and the biggest so far was Bucknell’s 74-69 win over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome last Tuesday. Lafayette pulled off another stunner on Sunday afternoon, beating favored Princeton on the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES DELAWARE 6-5, 3-5 (Atlantic 10) Beat Villanova 38-13 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Game: One assisted tackle. Season: Five solo tackles, two for losses, four assists, two pass break ups, two sacks. DUQUESNE 7-3, 4-0 (MAAC) Beat Saint Francis 44-17 Travis…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ray Barbosa and his little brother, 8-year-old Deandre, spent a lot of early summer mornings working out on the Cedar Beach blacktop. Deandre’s job was to run down missed jumpers by Barbosa, who took between 300 and 400 each time he practiced. Barbosa, the former Allen High star…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES DELAWARE 5-5, 2-5 (Atlantic 10) Beat William & Mary 22-21 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Season: Five solo tackles, two for losses, three assists, two pass break ups, two sacks. DUQUESNE 6-3, 4-0 (MAAC) Bye Travis Decker (Parkland) So. DL, 6-2, 225. Season:…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES DELAWARE 4-5, 1-5 (Atlantic 10) Lost to Massachusetts 35-7 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Game: One assisted tackle. Season: Five solo tackles, two for losses, three assists, two pass break ups, two sacks. DUQUESNE 6-3, 4-0 (MAAC) Beat La Salle 56-14 Travis…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Whitehall has won eight straight games, but may need to extend that streak to nine to secure a District 11/Sub-Regional Class 3A playoff spot. “It’s something the way things fell,” said Zephyrs coach Bob Panny. “After eight conference games we have a chance.” A chance to return…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES BRIGHAM YOUNG 4-4, 3-2 (Mountain West) Beat Air Force 62-41 Joe Semanoff (Lehighton) So. RB, 5-10, 215. Season: One carry, 6 yards; two catches, 25 yards, one TD. DELAWARE 4-4, 1-4 (Atlantic 10) Lost to Maine 25-15 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Game: One…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →First-year Dieruff coach Jake Williams didn’t think he’d contend for the Lehigh Valley Conference title this season. He didn’t figure on finishing last, either, but that will be the harsh reality if Dieruff (0-8 overall, 0-6 LVC) doesn’t pull off an upset over the next two…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES BRIGHAM YOUNG 3-4, 2-2 (Mountain West) Lost to Notre Dame 49-23 Joe Semanoff (Lehighton) So. RB, 5-10, 215. Season: One carry, 6 yards; two catches, 25 yards, one touchdown. DELAWARE 4-3, 1-3 (Atlantic 10) Beat James Madison 34-28 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4,…
· 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 →COLLEGES BRIGHAM YOUNG 3-3, 2-2 (Mountain West) Beat Colorado State 24-14 Joe Semanoff (Lehighton) So. RB, 5-10, 215. Season: One carry, 6 yards; two catches, 25 yards, one touchdown. DELAWARE 3-3, 0-3 (Atlantic 10) Lost to Richmond 20-10 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty, Easton and Whitheall control their PIAA sub-regional playoff destinies with four regular-season games remaining. All each has to do is win, though somebody will lose when Liberty (6-0, 4-0) and Easton (5-1, 3-1) meet Oct. 28 at Cottingham Stadium. Whitehall (5-1, 4-0)…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES DELAWARE 2-3, 0-2 (Atlantic 10) Lost to Hofstra 10-6 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Season: Four solo tackles, two for losses, one assisted, two pass break ups. DUQUESNE 2-3, 0-0 (MAAC) Lost to Georgetown 10-7 Travis Decker (Parkland) So. DL, 6-2, 225.…
· 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 →Nobody is going to silence Rich Jarnagin, Liberty’s bullish tight end and linebacker. And he is particularly loud and animated when expressing his feelings about Bethlehem Catholic. The 6-1, 213-pound Jarnagin has had plenty to say this week because Liberty (5-0, 3-0) and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES DELAWARE 3-1, 0-1 (Atl. 10) Lost to Towson 35-31 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) Soph. DL, 6-4, 243. Season: Three solo tackles, two for losses, one assisted, two pass break-ups. DUQUESNE 2-2, 0-0 (MAAC) Bye Travis Decker (Parkland) Soph. DL, 6-2, 225. Season: Five solo…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Jonathan Mill, the Liberty kicker whose 37-yard field-goal with 4.9 seconds left in regulation glanced off the goal post and through the crossbar to force overtime, stood motionless on the sidelines. “I’m still shaking,” he said. But at least he was standing to see the finish.…
· 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 →The Lehigh Valley Conference has become more interesting thanks to Allen’s resurgence with consecutive victories over Freedom and Bethlehem Catholic. However, the Canaries (2-2) are in an uphill battle to advance to the PIAA Class 4A sub-regional playoffs because it’s difficult…
· 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 →COLLEGES BRIGHAM YOUNG 1-1, 0-0 (Mountain West) Bye Joe Semanoff (Lehighton) So. RB, 5-10, 215. DELAWARE 2-0, 0-0 (Atlantic 10) Beat West Chester 42-21 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Game: Did not play. Season: Three solo tackles, two for losses, two pass breakups.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Central Catholic seeks validation. Beating defending Lehigh Valley Conference champion Easton at 7 p.m. Saturday at J. Birney Crum Stadium would help validate the Vikings as a conference contender. “I don’t have to get them pumped up,” said Central Catholic coach Donnie Roberts.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The memory of his own watery eyes and the disconsolate looks on his teammates’ faces as tears trickled down their faces has not faded from Liberty quarterback Dan Persa’s memory. He cannot walk into the weight room or the locker room without being reminded of that 14-7 loss to…
· 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 →Central Catholic will never be just an average football program, because the coaching staffs and players dressed in Vikings gear will always think they’re as good, if not better, than everybody else. Even if the victories don’t equal the always-high expectations. The fact is…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He did not sleep with his helmet Thursday night and will not walk around school today with a football. But chances are Bethlehem Catholic quarterback Alex Atiyeh won’t take too long to get dressed in his brown and gold uniform for a Lehigh Valley Conference season-opener against…
· 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 →Danny Hargrove, a former Morning Call All-Area player got his wish to play in front of Allentown fans again and he made the best of it Sunday in the championship game of the Adult-Mid Summer Basketball Classic at Roosevelt Park. Aaron Gray, the starting center at the University…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Haldeman Ford’s adult men’s basketball team is not expected to have a big advantage on the Roosevelt Park blacktop this weekend like it did last summer. That’s because Haldeman won’t have 7-foot center Aaron Gray to depend on as it tries to repeat as Adult Mid-Summer Basketball…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The bigger the meet, the tougher the competition, the faster Justin Gaymon runs. He’s winning gold medals and breaking his own Phillipsburg High track and field records. “The thing now is he knows he has the potential to be pretty good,” said Phillipsburg coach Bill Hurst.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bob Goffredo was on the sidelines waiting to be transported to the hospital in his last high school football game, an all-star classic at Catasauqua in 1982. But he was cognizant enough to know the outcome. “Yeah, we won,” said Goffredo, now the Pius X football coach. “The boys…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Tyrone Faverey reached down and touched the surface, rose up and leaped high into the air. He landed, stretched his back, glared forward and, after a few seconds of deep concentration, the Parkland junior sprinted toward the high jump pit and the destiny that awaited him…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Emmaus senior Nate Gilbert didn’t need his sunglasses until after his fifth jump. By then, he needed them to block the sun and to hide the tears he thought he was about to shed. He had one jump left and his heart was pumping faster than ever, because he had already clinched the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →John Carelli doesn’t worry about the stares he often gets from more-imposing athletes, the ones he has to compete against in the high jump. He just does his thing. Often, that’s win. He’s just 6-feet tall, and many of the athletes the Parkland High junior has beaten in the long,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen junior Rushane Scott was slightly behind out of the blocks, but he was way ahead at the tape. He’s closed many 100-meter dashes in the same fashion this spring. The stakes were higher in the Class 3A final in the District 11 track and field championships, but Scott easily…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic still has speed in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, just not the best around. That’s because former Becahi standouts Brandon Carter and Eddie Scipio have graduated and the area’s fastest boys runner is Allen’s Rushane Scott, who’s been timed at 10.6 in the 100…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen’s Rushane Scott pulled away to win one race, rallied for an impressive finish in another, then blazed to a third gold medal in his final event, the 200-meter dash, Wednesday at J. Birney Crum Stadium. Then, he took off his cleats, walked slowly to his water bottle, and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The numbers may startle you because you are talking about a track and field team — not a football team. But Parkland’s track team is much larger than any other team in this area, perhaps as large as any team in the state, maybe even the country. The Trojans have 297 athletes —…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Erika Smith is a former Miss Pennsylvania contestant, but don’t let her astonishing looks fool you. She’s more than just glamorous. When her school day as an English teacher at Dieruff ends, she prefers to tie up her hair, throw on sweats and head across town to J. Birney Crum…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen High junior Rushane Scott stunned his coach, Erika Smith, when he finished the 100-meter dash in 10.9 seconds on March 31. But Smith was stunned even more on April 14 when Scott clocked a 10.7 in a dual meet against Parkland. She won’t be surprised by anything else Scott…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Northampton senior distance runner Tyler McCandless still wants to run a personal-best in the 3,200 and to beat area rival Sam Luff of Emmaus in at least one big race this spring. Recently, McCandless signed a national letter of intent to the University of Maryland where he…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The first week of April is far from when you’d expect track and field athletes to be peaking. But Parkland junior Tyrone Faverey may have done just that in the high jump. The hope is that he’ll continue to improve, but it may be tough to surpass the 6 feet, 10 inches he posted…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Teams that make postseason runs in March usually start to play harder and smarter and win more convincingly at this time of the season. Lafayette has done that in its last two Patriot League games. Teams that have short runs in March usually do what Lehigh has done over its last…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Saint Joseph’s is making another run at the NCAA Tournament. And the Hawks don’t even control Philadelphia. But that’s the beauty of college basketball because rankings and computers do not determine a team’s fate. Saint Joe’s (12-9) can advance to the “Big Dance” for the third…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bucknell coach Pat Flannery did not allow his spirits to be dampened after losing to Lehigh 57-54 on a Joe Knight 3-pointer at the buzzer Sunday at Stabler Arena. Flannery had missed three games because of an undisclosed medical condition. He hated being out, hated not having to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Drexel University senior Danny Hinds is not about to let a fractured left wrist keep him out of the Dragons’ starting lineup. He’s worked too hard to get into it, so he’s not about to let discomfort in his non-shooting hand spoil his last season. Besides, Drexel coach Bruiser…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →James Madison sophomore Ray Barbosa was nearly unstoppable, hitting 3-pointers with defenders breathing hard in his face, running swift on the give-and-go and back-door cuts to the basket. Drexel senior Danny Hinds was off the mark, missing five of his six attempts, including…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Villanova’s non-league schedule had been nothing to boast about, except for games against Big 5 rivals Temple and Pennsylvania. But Saturday, the Wildcats took a break from from the Big East to play second-ranked Kansas at the Wachovia Center. There wasn’t supposed to be…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lehigh’s Patriot League opponents are not having many good nights trying to contain Mountain Hawks junior guard Joe Knight. The 6-1 transfer from High Point University has turned into a clutch late-game performer, hitting the game-winning shot with 25.4 seconds left in a 56-53…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The excitement is slowly returning to Navy basketball. Though the Midshipmen’s 4-9 start has included a 75-69 loss to Division III Gettysburg on Dec. 18 in Annapolis, first-year coach Billy Lange is not discouraged. A stale offense was the main reason the Midshipmen compiled a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The page was turned back to the old days of the Big East, when defense dominated. Fittingly, Villanova’s legendary former coach Rollie Massimino was in the Pavilion Wednesday night, doing color analysis for the first basketball game televised live on ESPN Classic. West Virginia…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lafayette will experience on Dec. 28 what former Allen High star Ray Barbosa has already experienced when the James Madison sophomore and his teammates played then-No. 3 Georgia Tech Dec. 15 in Atlanta. Lafayette coach Fran O’Hanlon is in no rush to find out. “They are pretty…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →His shoulders and ankles are fine now, but his knees now ache so much after games that Drexel University senior Danny Hinds often has to ice them for several minutes after games. “I’m getting older,” Hinds, a Central Catholic High graduate, said after a recent game at Lafayette…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ray Barbosa’s eyes lit up in anticipation, anxious to make something happen — just like his glory days at Allen High. But now the James Madison University sophomore guard waits more for openings instead of just shooting away. His anxieties were relieved and he found enough…
· 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 →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 →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 →COLLEGE BUCKNELL 3-3, 1-1 (Patriot) Lost 14-13 to Lafayette Mike Cangelosi (Nazareth) Sr. 6-0, 197. Game: Three carries, 19 yards; one catch, 24 yards. Season: 10 carries, 69 yards, TD; four catches, 37 yards. DELAWARE 5-1, 4-0 (Atl. 10) Beat Hofstra 20-19 Sean Bleiler…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Games that resembled Mud Bowls were played throughout the Lehigh Valley Friday night. Dieruff may have enjoyed slopping around more than any other team its 21-7 victory over Whitehall. The Huskies snapped a 15-game losing streak that dated back to Sept. 6 of last year. But the…
· 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 →Emmaus and Whitehall are no longer being overlooked by other Lehigh Valley Conference teams. “That’s too bad,” said Emmaus coach Bottiglieri. “We need them to overlook us a little bit.” Neither Emmaus (3-1, 1-1 LVC) nor Whitehall (3-1, 2-0) will get breaks tonight, next week or…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The improved accuracy of sophomore quarterback Alex Atiyeh and Bethlehem Catholic’s overpowering size in the trenches helped the Golden Hawks gain a 37-14 victory in a Lehigh Valley Conference matchup Saturday in Bethlehem. Atiyeh, a transfer from Dieruff, rolled up 139 yards on…
· 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 →Potential thrillers lie in wait as Lehigh Valley Conference play opens tonight. Who will be surprise winners? Well, the LVC is so balanced that most games tonight and Saturday could be decided late. Who’s feeling the pressure? It’s heaviest for Bethlehem Catholic (0-2), Allen…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →His teammates did not carry him off the field. The fans did not chant his name. But it was clearly evident what Liberty junior Andrew Lee’s play on both sides of the ball meant to the Hurricanes against Allen Friday night at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. And the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →North Penn, the defending PIAA Class 4A champion, and Mount Carmel, a Class 2A powerhouse with five PIAA titles since 1994, will both be playing in the Lehigh Valley Saturday night. Whether that’s good news or bad for the Lehigh Valley Conference teams they are playing remains…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic, Easton and Parkland have had their runs of dominance in the previous two years of the Lehigh Valley Conference. Now, Central Catholic hopes to make its own run. The Vikings, who have gone 10-12 under coach Donnie Roberts the last two seasons, begin their…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Must-win games will begin the second week of the season for Lehigh Valley Conference teams after they lose their season-openers. That’s because of the PIAA’s new sub-regional playoff format that has combined District 11 with District 2 and District 4 teams in a chase to secure…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Andrew Battle used to knock people down out of anger, and occasionally get suspended from school as a result. He was ultimately labeled a trouble maker. But now Battle, 23, is a rookie free agent linebacker with the Detroit Lions. “Now I get paid to clean clocks,” he said…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Some of the Pennsylvania and Ohio All-Stars who feuded in the Big 33 Football Classic Saturday night at Hersheypark Stadium will compete against each other again. Some at Penn State and Ohio State, some at other Big 10 schools. But Allen’s Eugene Clay and East…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Some of the Pennsylvania and Ohio All-Stars who feuded in the Big 33 Football Classic Saturday night at Hersheypark Stadium will compete against each other again. Some at Penn State and Ohio State, some at other Big 10 schools. But Allen’s Eugene Clay and East…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →At the top of the not-so-fun list for Allen High’s Eugene Clay, preparing this week for Big 33 Game, is practice. His fun list is a lot longer, including a visit to the Adventure Sports amusement park with his host family, feasting and sharing laughs with teammates — experiences…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It was the type of game meant for playmakers to show off, either on offense or defense Thursday night in Nazareth. Then, maybe enjoy a Big Mac and french fries for a postgame meal with a milkshake or apple pie for dessert. It was, after all, the McDonald’s Lehigh Valley All-Star…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Don’t expect Easton coach Steve Shiffert to be all fired up for the McDonald’s Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic tonight at Nazareth High. The fund-raising game for the Ronald McDonald’s charities just won’t seem the seem as Easton playing against Parkland or Bethlehem…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Central Catholic coach Donnie Roberts may be one of the luckiest coaches in the history of the McDonald’s Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic. He has a quarterback for every situation. If you like pass-happy offenses, which Roberts does, he has quarterbacks who can…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Unseasonably cool temperatures and persistent rain were not strong enough elements to force Allen sophomore Rushane Scott to change his mind about competing in a local Junior Olympic track and field meet Saturday at J. Birney Crum Stadium. A year ago, Scott wasn’t so…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland High senior Steve Stern pictured the place on his stacked bedroom wall where he could put his silver medal. Emmaus junior Sam Luff, also a silver medal winner, said he was going to hang his medal on a wall, too. Easton senior Rich Ryan said he was going to give his…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →His speed picked up and his head bobbed as the lead to the finish line narrowed. The previous two years, Allen High senior Eugene Clay had been denied victory in the Class 3A 110-meter high hurdles in the District 11 Track and Field Championships, placing second as a junior and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Northern Lehigh sprinter Bob Sutjak cleared hurdles with ease to establish school and meet records Thursday in the Colonial League Track and Field Championships at Bangor Memorial Park. Sutjak had already broken the school record in the 100, 200, and 400-meter dashes, the 110…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The only individual race Parkland senior Steve Stern didn’t finish first or second in was a 10-meter sprint — half-jog actually — against a bunch of kids just having fun Wednesday at J. Birney Crum Stadium. That Stern even had the energy to play around seemed amazing considering…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton High track and field coach Frank Messa looked down at a piece of paper crammed with times, distances, and lots of names Thursday night and uttered the words a college student would say this time of year. “I feel like I’m studying for a math exam,” Messa said. He wasn’t…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Blowing out the field and breaking school records would not have been as special to Northern Lehigh senior Bob Sutjak had his team not won the meets. The success of the team means more to Sutjak than his personal triumphs. Lately, he’s been able to enjoy both. Last Thursday in a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Lehigh Valley’s fastest sprinter has entered the spring track and field season without a college scholarship offer. That could change for Bethlehem Catholic senior Brandon Carter after he competes in the Penn Relays, April 22-24 at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Saint Joseph’s has the clippers in hand. Championship nets are close to being cut down. The Hawks need one more victory to win the East Rutherford Regional and advance to the Final Four in San Antonio. If the Hawks beat Oklahoma State in the regional final tonight, Philadelphia…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →American University advanced to its third straight Patriot League Tournament championship game with a victory 65-55 over Colgate on Sunday. But the Eagles would have felt cheated had Lehigh not also won. That’s because the Eagles’ two regular-season losses to Lehigh remain sore…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Danny Hinds was one of the many Drexel players disappointed with Saturday’s 76-64 loss at Delaware, which prevented the Dragons from clinching first place in the Colonial Athletic Conference. But Hinds, a 6-6 junior forward from Central Catholic, also knows how to look past the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Temple assistant coach Mark Macon and college basketball analyst Digger Phelps, a former coach at Notre Dame, both need to get up to speed with what Saint Joseph’s has done this season. That would help keep both from putting their feet in their mouths as the No. 2-ranked Hawks…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Mercy rules do not exist in college basketball. That suited DeSales University women’s coach Fred Richter just fine against Delaware Valley Tuesday at Billera Hall in Center Valley. Richter, who is bidding for his sixth NCAA appearance with the Bulldogs, paced the sidelines and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lafayette College coach Fran O’Hanlon couldn’t have been more correct Saturday when he said, “We haven’t won anything yet.” O’Hanlon was responding to Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard’s statement that he had picked Lafayette to win the Patriot League title. Lafayette (18-5) beat…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lafayette College’s bid for a 14-0 regular-season record in the Patriot League ended with the Leopards’ 85-77 loss to Colgate on Friday in Hamilton, N.Y. But the the Leopards’ hope to win the league’s regular-season and tournament titles remains alive. Even if Lafayette coach…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A meeting at the line of scrimmage between Freedom’s 6-6, 297-pound Ryan Ehrie and Northwestern’s 6-5, 290-pound Jake Figner might have been a grueling matchup, testing more than just the strength of both. It could not happen because Northwestern played in the Colonial League…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Northampton High athletic director Mike Schneider would like nothing more than for interest in the school’s football program to boom following the Jeff Pammer’s ceremony this morning for NCAA national letter of intent day. Pammer, a multiple position star who was named The…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Andrew Koefer was no star at Allentown Central Catholic and may never experience more than a few minutes playing time in college. But he will not complain. In fact, he believes that he is living out a dream as a freshman walk-on at No. 3-ranked Saint Joseph’s. His dream world,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Thirty-six times Saint Joseph’s players attempted shots from beyond the arc against Temple on Saturday. The No. 3 Hawks made a school-record 20, a key reason Temple’s match-up zone defense was shredded so easily by guards Delonte West, Jameer Nelson and Pat Carroll. The…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →There are arenas that are great because of their style, seating capacity, or crowd noise. Lafayette College’s Kirby Sports Center is not exactly a state-of-the-art facility. It lacks the pizzazz of other venues because of its lack of theater-type seating and has a seating…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lehigh University now has a fun-and-gun offense, led by guards Austen Rowland and Jose Olivero, that is entertaining and producing winning results. Maybe it’s a taste of what’s to come in future years under Billy Taylor, the second-year coach who now sports a 25-18 record after…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Villanova showed Allen High football star Eugene Clay the town and got what it wished for in return. Clay, a two-time Morning Call All-Area selection and Associated Press PIAA Class 4A second-team pick at wideout in December, announced Tuesday that he had orally committed to the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He takes at least two insulin shots a day to help control his diabetes. Sometimes he’s woozy and so fatigued that he could just skip a practice or a game without anybody complaining. But the fire within Lafayette College senior forward Mike Farrell burns too much. He scores,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Drexel’s Danny Hinds shot only twice. James Madison’s Ray Barbosa converted only one shot in 10 attempts Wednesday night. It was far from the way it used to be when they were high school stars in Allentown. No longer can they just gun away and score at will because the offensive…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Danny Hinds has had 50 requests for tickets, according to his father, Kenny Hinds. Ray Barbosa says he’s been asked for 38. The hype is over the first college meeting between Allentown’s only two Division I players who are playing major minutes on their teams. Hinds, who is a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lehigh University’s athletic administration might want to consider giving head men’s basketball coach Billy Taylor a contract extension — and maybe offer to pay his dry cleaning bill. It might not hurt to send his wife Avlon a dozen or so roses once in a while as an expression…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →You’ve probably seen the Hollywood movies where the former water boy grows up to to earn a position on the high school football team. Rarely is that position as a starter. Hardly ever does the water boy become the star. But in a real life story, Northampton senior Jeff Pammer is…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It would have seemed ideal for James Madison University freshman guard Ray Barbosa to shoot, score, and put on a show for the large contingent of friends and family members who were packed into a section of La Salle University’s Tom Gola Arena Wednesday night. But to score you…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A team-leading 18.7 points per game scoring average, Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week accolade and a starting position after just three games may seem like a fantasy tale for most freshmen who were not McDonald’s High School All-Americans. The reality is that…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →For the fifth straight year, Easton and Bethlehem Catholic will meet in a meaningful game. But it’s more meaningful for Easton. The Red Rovers (7-1, 4-0) can clinch the Lehigh Valley Conference Northampton Division title outright and the No. 1 spot and homefield advantage in the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic is still alive and making a strong run at qualifying for the District 11 Class 4A playoffs for the sixth straight year. Parkland is just hours away from proving it is the best team holding residence on Cedar Crest Boulevard, and the Trojans (6-2) visit Emmaus…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The wake-up call Easton apparently needed came on Sept. 26 when the Red Rovers were smashed 40-20 by Altoona at Cottingham Stadium. It was the Red Rovers’ first loss and it was devastating. Gone, along with Easton’s aura of invincibility, was the No. 1 ranking in The Morning…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It didn’t matter that the Parkland High offense stumbled for most of its Lehigh Valley Conference game against Central Catholic because the Trojans’ defense gave a bone-crushing performance Saturday night at J. Birney Crum Stadium. Led by defensive end Travis Decker, the Trojans…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Compelling questions about Freedom (5-1) and Easton (4-1) will be answered when they meet in a Lehigh Valley Conference Northampton Division game at 7 tonight at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. Who’s tougher? Who can run the ball better? And, of course, who’s No. 1? With…
· 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 →The Freedom offense had managed just 2 yards in the third quarter and had done little in the fourth quarter when senior halfback Joe Partridge asserted himself to help change the tide against Allen on Friday night. Partridge scored on a 65-yard touchdown reception and a 34-yard…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton was expected to be a top contender for the Lehigh Valley Conference title and a top District 11 Class 4A playoff spot. Emmaus and Northampton did not have the same expectations, but all three teams enter the fifth week of the season with stronger possibilities for…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A year ago, Bethlehem Catholic and Parkland played two games that were like the Super Bowls of Lehigh Valley football. Bethlehem Catholic won the first meeting, 29-28 in overtime. Parkland prevailed in the second game, 14-11 to win the District 11 Class 4A title en route to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →One more chance. “This is my fourth year,” said Central Catholic High senior quarterback Josh Hinkle. “I’ve got to get one.” Just one victory over Bethlehem Catholic, the arch rival that has bombarded Central Catholic by a 126-31 margin in their last three meetings. Hinkle has…
· 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 →The stadium lights will be turned on and the blocking, tackling, passing, punishing and juking between the lines will commence throughout the Lehigh Valley this weekend as the high school football season kicks off. Lehigh Valley Conference powers Parkland, Bethlehem Catholic and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Allentown Sports Festival’s Web site had 44,955 hits from July 1 to July 13 last year. “The athletes go on the Web a lot,” said SportsFest chairman Ray Atiyeh, adding, “And we have a pretty good webmaster [Kathy Moyer]. She lists all the winners, even from past years. It’s…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen’s Eugene Clay jumped up and exclaimed, “Yes!” His teammate, Desroy Miller, said joyfully, “Wow,” to a close bystander. You’d have thought that the Canary juniors had won their races. But Miller was second in the 100-meter dash and Clay second in the 110 high hurdles in the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Freedom track coach Ray Herman, who has been coaching and winning consistently in the sport for more than 30 years, has a request that he wants all the principals and members of the District 11 Committee to consider. “I prefer the two-day meet, like our league [Lehigh Valley…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Feet don’t fail me now. How many runners prayed for that not to happen in the Lehigh Valley Conference track and field championships Wednesday at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown? Bethlehem Catholic junior Brandon Carter didn’t have to worry. He won the 100-meter dash in 10.9…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Freedom two-sport senior Tyler Jones may look imposing at 6-3, 280 pounds, but his twin sister Amy says he’s really a teddy bear. “He doesn’t cry at movies or anything,” Amy said. “He’s just one of those brothers who you get along with. Maybe, it’s because we are the same age…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →In the next four weeks league, district and state champions will be crowned in track and field. May is designed for that. April is supposed to be about building speed, strength, distance and mental toughness. Unfortunately, April was also a misleading month for far too many area…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Southern Lehigh junior Steve Hixon was being pelted by raindrops as he awaited the baton Saturday at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field. Winning the 1,600 relay heat was impossible because of the distance the Spartans trailed before Hixon began his anchor leg. But…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Tony Lattimore is an assistant track & field coach at Easton and the father of one of the area’s top female sprinters. But he doesn’t brag much about daughter Danielle. Sure, he’s always happy about her accomplishments in high school and the Junior Olympics. But Tony is just as…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →If they had played on the same high school basketball team, Allen’s Ray Barbosa and Emmaus’ Aaron Gray believe they would have won a PIAA Class 4A title. “No question,” said Barbosa, The Morning Call’s Player of the Year who has a scholarship to James Madison University. “If we…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Who’s back? Who’s fast? Who’s faster? Who’s stronger and hungrier? Every spring those are the No. 1 questions in track and field. Nothing has changed, except the weather has been absolutely horrible, making it difficult for sprinters and field performers to train like normal.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Darryl Dawkins’ nickname growing up was “Goofy.” This, despite the fact that Dawkins towered over most of the people calling him names and trying to embarrass him on the outdoor basketball courts in Orlando, Fla.He lacked coordination, charisma, and toughness. His mother used to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland running back Austin Scott and Bethlehem Catholic quarterback Adam Bednarik will rush and pass as high school players on the same football field one more time. Finally, it will be as teammates. They have been selected to the Pennsylvania All-Star team that will play the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic senior quarterback Adam Bednarik seemed to almost faint when told that he had been selected to the Associated Press Big School (Classes 4A/3A) All-State team. “That’s awesome,” Bednarik said, pausing on the phone before becoming even more exhilarated over his…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic-Parkland II now appears to be only a week away. At least that’s what most people outside the Easton and Freedom programs believe. “It’s high school football,” said Easton coach Steve Shiffert. “Anything can happen. You never know how they will react.” So hold…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Their mark in school history was cemented before they even stepped onto the field Saturday at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. They had already earned the first-ever District 11 Class 4A playoff berth for Freedom. But there’s a more important mark still to be accomplished…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The sight of Parkland tailback Austin Scott warming up his throwing arm on the sidelines in the fourth quarter might have seemed odd at the time, but it sure looked sweet when he actually did it in the game Friday night at Cottingham Stadium. Scott lofted a spiral, landing…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen, Easton or Freedom will have their District 11 Class 4A football playoff hopes spoiled this weekend. Delivering the boot could be Dieruff, Parkland or Liberty. Could there be a more interesting climax to the final week of the first Lehigh Valley Conference regular season?…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Northern Lehigh coach Jim Tkach has been getting more “kicks” out of Colonial League games this season than ever before. That’s because junior kicker Aaron Mill has thrilled Tkach, his teammates and Bulldogs fans with his field goal accuracy. Even on rainy nights and muddy…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →No team in the first-year Lehigh Valley Conference has suffered as much heartbreak with no time left on the clock as Freedom. But the Patriots have become mentally tougher after losing 25-24 to Dieruff on a Brian School 20-yard field-goal on Sept. 20, and 22-21 to Easton on a…
· 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 →The Bethlehem Catholic, Catasauqua and Salisbury football teams each won weekend games that provided encouraging signs about the success they might enjoy the rest of the season. For Bethlehem Catholic, the Class 4A state title that has eluded the last two Becahi teams seems all…
· 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 →And now the Lehigh Valley Conference race thickens. No more easy games, at least on paper. Though powerhouse Bethlehem Catholic and Austin Scott-led Parkland appear headed for Dream Match II in the District 11 Class 4A playoffs, Allen, Freedom and Liberty each have a 4-1 overall…
· 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 →Last week, the Allentown public schools had Bethlehem’s number on the football field. In one game, Dieruff rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to edge Freedom, 25-24 on a Brian Scholl 20-yard field goal with time expiring at J. Birney Crum Stadium. In Bethlehem, Allen…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic quarterback Adam Bednarik notices the passing statistics of all the area’s other top quarterbacks. He was impressed by Friday night’s air shows of 258 yards yards by Allen’s Michael Bernhard against Liberty and the 269 yards Dieruff’s Richard Ocelus torched…
· 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 →The Liberty Hurricanes know they’re not facing a cupcake in the Allen Canaries, who visit Liberty for a Lehigh Valley Conference game tonight at 7. But the Hurricanes aren’t buckling at the knees. They want to prove their mettle against a good team. “As long as everybody plays…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Division I recruiters have been looking at Bethlehem Catholic quarterback Adam Bednarik since last season, probably drooling over his beautiful spirals and the distance he can throw. Shouldn’t they also be looking at Allen quarterback Michael Bernhard and Dieruff QB Richard…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The swagger is still there, though the players who figure to be leading the Bethlehem Catholic charge are different. The speed is also there, maybe more so than in the past. Look out for a junior named Brandon Carter. There is a new team leader, senior quarterback Adam Bednarik,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Kevin Easterling was selected to play in the 1984 Big 33 Football Classic after rushing for nearly 1,200 yards his senior year at Dieruff, and he believes his son could have similar success at the Colonial League school he currently attends. But Easterling is worried that the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →They are all back together in competition, old rivals, longtime friends, fans who want to engage in rah-rah chants, and coaches who want to outfox other coaches by any means possible. Most of them have been separated for four calender school years, leaving Allen deprived of a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →You can look at his braids, his thuggish attitude, shake your head in disappointment over his allegedly throwing his wife out of the house naked, but don’t think that Philadelphia 76ers’ guard Allen Iverson has lost marketing appeal. What does it tell you when Reebok, the shoe…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Donnie Roberts might have looked like a maintenance worker to people driving or walking by on American Parkway the way he was manicuring the Central Catholic High practice field Saturday. More people might have thought the same of Roberts following the opening day of football…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The basket has been made. The free throw is on the way. And one. The phrase has been heard on a zillion playgrounds and in an equal number of gymnasiums over the years. The And 1 Mix Tape Tour will be stopping at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia Saturday, where some of the best…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The future fast lanes of District 11 athletes may have been paved by Bethlehem Catholic’s Eddie Scipio and his supporting cast of Golden Hawks sprinters in the PIAA Track and Field Championships last weekend at Shippensburg University. Scipio, a senior three-sport star, anchored…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The answer to the most intriguing question of the scholastic track and field season, “Who has been dedicated enough to win a state title,” will be revealed over the next two weeks. For now, most people in District 11 know that Freedom junior Beth Crocus has a serious shot at…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ebony Barbosa of Allen and Erin Lentz of Emmaus both went to the Crimson Tide Invitational at Pottsville High last Friday expecting nothing big. Like winning. That mindest, however, wasn’t because of a lack of confidence. The field that both competed in was top notch, with…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Some people may have thought the Emmaus Green Hornets were buried emotionally with that 1-6 record to start the season. Obviously, somebody forgot that 6-11 junior center Aaron Gray was out with a broken left ankle during that horrible beginning. But Gray was ever present on the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Howard University coach Frankie Allen stood in stunned silence after a 3-pointer was made by Lafayette College senior guard Brian Burke late in the second half. Allen did a lot of the same throughout the Leopards’ 93-84 non-league victory Sunday afternoon before a crowd of 2,021…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s the game of the week in the Mountain Valley Conference, Nazareth at Easton in a crossover matchup at Cottingham Stadium, a game featuring two teams that play defense exceptionally well and rely on their rushing attacks to lead their offenses. Nazareth has pummeled its first…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The atmosphere at Madison Square Garden can be overwhelming for any first-time visitor. You might expect it to be especially so for a 10-year-old from Allentown who has never competed outside Pennsylvania. But to Brianna Broyles, an eighth grader at St. Francis of Assisi School…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Holloway doesn’t look that tough on the football field. He’s just 5-10, 150 pounds. But Easton’s senior free safety had opposing offensive players wondering last season, “Did you catch that number?” Holloway was everywhere, making plays, sticking hard. “He has some real…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Unsettled business remains for the Philadelphia 76ers, with the futures of coach Larry Brown and team president Pat Croce topping the list. But the 79ers settled one major issue Wednesday, sealing guard Aaron McKie’s seven-year, $42-million contract, and figure to settle another…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The gymnasium at the Philadelphia 76ers’ draft headquarters at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic College had nearly emptied Wednesday night/Thursday morning when the phone rang around 12:20 a.m., drawing immediate attention. Everyone knew it was Maurice Cheeks calling. It…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Philadelphia 76ers’ season started with a 29-point drubbing of the New York Knicks on Halloween night at Madison Square Garden. It ended with a disappointing 108-96 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Friday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, concluding a season of sterling…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A big cloud of uncertainty hovers over the Philadelphia 76ers organization. And it has nothing to do with whom they will choose in the NBA draft, June 27. The most pressing matters are whether coach Larry Brown will return for a fifth season and whether team president Pat Croce…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The lights were dim, the court had been taken up and all the floor seats removed inside the First Union Center Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the Philadelphia 76ers’ dreams of winning the NBA title were shattered by the Los Angeles Lakers. Light music played in the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The heart, the hustle, and the fight were there for the Philadelphia 76ers until the end. But their prayer was left unanswered because every move they made was countered, every rally was cut short. The best from the West, those cocky and confident Los Angeles Lakers, weathered…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The NBA Finals have been a stage for Allen Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal to share, one in a display of flash, courage and creativity, the other in a display of power, destruction and — as O’Neal has proudly noted — occasional finesse. For the most part, the regular season was the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Fat Lady has started to get dressed and may sing tonight, a goodbye tune that the Philadelphia 76ers do not want to hear. The Sixers still have some fight left, still want to get a victory at home, and then take their injured and ragged bodies back to Los Angeles to try and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The storm will soon turn to calm, words spoken amid a torrent of flying elbows will be forgotten, and Philadelphia 76ers coach Larry Brown and Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson will be remembered for the strategic moves they made to either win or lose in the NBA Finals.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →As Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant continued to destroy them with uncontainable power and finesse, and as open 3-pointers fell through, all the Philadelphia 76ers could hope for was a break, some sort of slip up by the Los Angeles Lakers. But the Sixers needed to find the rim…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →As Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant continued to shake them up with an uncontrollable power and finesse game, and as open 3-pointers fell through, all the Philadelphia 76ers could seemingly hope for was a break, any slip up by the Los Angeles Lakers. But the Sixers needed to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The NBA Finals have been everything Philadelphia 76ers power forward Tyrone Hill figured they would be, with the exception of Hill himself, who has not been a pretty sight. Like everyone else, he has begun to wonder where he’s been in the first three games of the series. He…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →George Lynch is just as gritty as his Philadelphia 76ers teammates Eric Snow, Allen Iverson and Aaron McKie, all of whom could legitimately receive a doctor’s note to take the rest of the month off from work. Lynch, who fractured his left foot in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A fan was brutally wobbled, bloodied and floored as the buzzer sounded. Away from the melee in the stands, the Philadelphia 76ers probably felt like they had been knocked out, but not by Shaquille O’Neal or Kobe Bryant, the two Los Angeles Lakers players known for delivering…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Kool and the Gang probably should have been on hand to sing “It’s a celebration” Sunday outside the First Union Center. The City of Brotherly Love had not rocked like this, some said, in 18 years. That was the last time the Philadelphia 76ers played in the NBA Finals against the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Don’t feel sad about the Philadelphia 76ers losing Game 2 of the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers. You want to know what sadness is? It’s getting a phone call on your cell phone minutes before the start of a Game 2, and hearing that your kid sister had died in a fire.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The first blow was delivered by Philadelphia, the next one by Los Angeles. Now, it’s an NBA Finals best-of-seven series that’s deadlocked 1-1 after two games. Sweep talk is gone, and so is the Lakers’ invincible air that was generated during a 19-game winning streak, including…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Apparently, there has been a wrongfully perceived notion that the Philadelphia 76ers would play the role of underdog well and get rolled over by the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Apparently, that just won’t happen, not even in the dreams of Lakers fans, mostly those…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron McKie is not about the rest now. The Philadelphia 76ers’ starting point guard limped around Thursday with a protective boot that team trainer Lenny Currier fitted him with to help ease the discomfort of the chip fracture McKie suffered in his left ankle in Game 1 of the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Happy 26th birthday Allen Iverson. Way to celebrate early, torching the Los Angeles Lakers for 48 points in leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 107-101 victory in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. “I don’t know if guys that they were playing against were scared of them,” Iverson said…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Philadelphia 76ers had the best record in the NBA — 41-14 — when coach Larry Brown and general manager Billy King looked into their crystal ball and saw the menacing prospect of facing 7-1, 330-pound Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Who was going…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson, NBA MVP, came to showtime, and was the biggest star in a Staples Center assemblage that included Oscar and Grammy winners. He made big shots early, performed heroically in overtime, and then exuberantly danced off the court, drenched with sweat and in need of a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant will have at least four games to dazzle the world with their skills in the NBA Finals, which began with Game 1 Wednesday night at the Staples Center. And NBA Commissioner David Stern is ready to be dazzled. Stern made special note of how impressed…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →I exited the Los Angeles International Airport and thought that I had arrived on Fantasy Island Tuesday afternoon. Palm trees, sunshine, cool and relaxing temperatures. If that’s not luxury living, then what is? This is the life, West Coast style. There’s everything to love…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Raja Bell has gone from NBA reject to NBA bench warmer, and now to a player who’s accomplished something with the Philadelphia 76ers that has league MVP Allen Iverson in awe. Bell got the Philadelphia fans to chant, “Raja Bell ….Raja Bell” in the first half of Game 7 of the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson’s arms are not getting tired from hoisting postseason trophies in the air. There’s still one more he’d like to kiss and hold. Whether he’ll get to depends on whether David, which is the Philadelphia 76ers, can slay Goliath, Sixers coach Larry Brown’s…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →As guaranteed by center Dikembe Mutombo, the Philadelphia 76ers are going to the NBA Finals in a true East versus West matchup. Can Hollywood handle them? The Milwaukee Bucks, with All-Star guard Ray Allen aching from a hard fall in the third quarter, couldn’t, because they…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →As guaranteed by center Dikembe Mutombo, the Philadelphia 76ers are going to the NBA Finals in a true East versus West matchup. Can the Los Angeles Lakers handle them? The Milwaukee Bucks, with All-Star guard Ray Allen aching from a hard fall in the third quarter, sure couldn’t,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Let’s get my prediction out of the way: Philadelphia will win. Not just because the 76ers’ Dikembe Mutombo and Allen Iverson both said they are going to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 tonight at the First Union Center to clinch the Eastern Conference Finals. No, I just…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Los Angeles Lakers don’t know it yet, but they will be playing the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals. Sixers center Dikembe Mutombo guarantees it. And Mutombo, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, has been right with all his other postseason predictions this year.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Eric Snow looked up at the giant man walking into the press room at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Thursday, and the Philadelphia 76ers guard asked, “Am I a warrior?” “Yeah, you are Willis Reed Jr.,” said Sixers center Dikembe Mutombo. Relive the moment to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →All around the sold out First Union Center, people stood, clapping, screaming, and perhaps some even praying as Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks came down to a breathtaking conclusion. How many hearts stopped as…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Down by a game and with everybody wondering how effective league MVP Allen Iverson would be in his return from injury, the Philadelphia 76ers blinked little and took out the Milwaukee Bucks. Some may say the Bucks’ Ray Allen tried to take out Iverson with an elbow to the mouth…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Maybe somebody from the Green Bay Packers could have kept Allen Iverson down. The Milwaukee Bucks sure couldn’t. Battered from falling seven times on his already bruised tailbone and later bloodied from a Ray Allen elbow to the mouth, Iverson scored the Philadelphia 76ers’ final…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Two days of reflecting and gathering himself mentally appeared to be all Philadelphia 76ers forward Tyrone Hill needed. He no longer missed short-range jumpers. He no longer fumbled and turned the ball over. Hill had three subpar games, in which he scored a total of 15 points.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson has bad news for the Milwaukee Bucks. He won’t sit idly by while the Philadelphia 76ers play a crucial Game 4 of the Eastern Conference best-of-seven finals today at 5:30 at the Bradley Center. “I’m all right,” Iverson said Sunday, though still aching with a deep…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Without their leader — their scoring machine — and with other players trying to answer the call, the Philadelphia 76ers had to struggle to avoid a massacre by the Milwaukee Bucks. Six times the Sixers pulled even. Twice they pulled ahead. But Milwaukee never stopped running,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Larry Brown and Allen Iverson may fall together in the Eastern Conference finals or they may triumph. Either way it will be a story, an addition to the incredible tale they’ve written this season with the Philadelphia 76ers. They both stand tall among the giants of the NBA,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson stayed in the Philadelphia 76ers’ team hotel. Maybe Tyrone Hill and Eric Snow should have stayed with him Saturday night. What Hill and Snow gave the Sixers in the Game 3 80-74 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference best-of-seven finals was 10 points…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The battered, bruised, struggling Allen Iverson has arrived here with the Philadelphia 76ers. But the important news may not come until game time. For now, all the Sixers can do is hold their breath, as if they were watching a last-second shot with the game on the line. What has…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ray Allen’s definitely got game. He brought all of it, mostly a jump shot that destroyed the Philadelphia 76ers and helped the Milwaukee Bucks draw even in the Eastern Conference best-of-seven finals with a 92-78 victory in Game 2 Thursday night before a 20,998 crowd at the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ray Allen’s definitely got game. And he brought all of it to Philadelphia Thursday night. Mostly, it was Allen’s deadly jump shot that destroyed the Philadelphia 76ers and helped the Milwaukee Bucks draw even in the Eastern Conference best-of-seven finals with a 92-78 victory in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →One of the greatest tributes Philadelphia 76ers coach Larry Brown had ever received in his 18-year NBA coaching career had already been given when he accepted the Red Auerbach Trophy as the NBA’s Coach of the Year Wednesday afternoon. Just as Brown was about to step away from…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson had a sore backside and a jump shot that was also hurting early on. He limped, he yelled, and then he flung his arms up in relief after hitting his first shot, a jump shot early in the second quarter that snapped an 0-for-9 beginning. He had more falls, even more…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Cheerleading is not something Craig “Speedy” Claxton figured he’d be doing a lot of this season after he was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 20th overall pick in last June’s NBA draft. But there he was Sunday night, his heart pumping just as hard as those of the 10…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →One more step. That’s what the Philadelphia 76ers made when they edged the Toronto Raptors by a point to advance to the Eastern Conference best-of-seven finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. One more step. That’s what the Sixers will try to make, first by winning Game 1 tonight at…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson knew that he had to do something special with the ball, only what he did was not light the nets on fire. Instead, he helped his teammates do that by breaking out of double teams and passing the ball to open guys, like Jumaine Jones and Aaron McKie. And they hit…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Nobody can possibly know all that’s going on inside Allen Iverson’s head as the clock ticks down to the first Game 7 playoff game of his five-year career. Winning is obviously his main concern, but he has to have so many other things swirling around. His veins are probably…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s hammer time for the Philadelphia 76ers. “When you have a chance to put a team out, you want to put them out,” said Sixers guard Eric Snow following practice Thursday at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Snow and his teammates were preparing to board a plane for…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson lit the fire early and kept fueling the drive, pumping up the fans with dazzling moves, rainbow jumpers, fadeaways and blazing moves into the land of giants. Forward Tyrone Hill, who had been somewhat missing in action, also stepped up. So did a lot of other Sixers…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Sixers had to know it was going to be their night to run rampant over the Toronto Raptors when Tyrone Hill scored back-to-back transition baskets early in the second quarter. Allen Iverson was already scoring at will and talking mad trash to Raptors guard Chris Childs.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Sixers’ problem child is no longer that big of a worry. Coach Larry Brown and general manager Billy King saw to it by deciding to sideline aching and always complaining backup center Matt Geiger indefinitely. Geiger had been limited to just four minutes in the Eastern…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson was far from himself as he stood at the podium at the Adams Mark Hotel Tuesday afternoon, discussing the trials he had to overcome en route to winning the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award by a landslide. “He was nervous up there,” said Gene Lett, a good friend of…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Sixers might not see the same Antonio Davis tonight. The Toronto Raptors power forward, who has given the Sixers fits in the first four games, has a strained muscle in his left arm and may not play as effectively in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference best-of-seven series…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →No one could possibly be ready for the curtain to fall on the NBA Playoffs. The show has been too spectacular, from Allen Iverson and Vince Carter to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, to all the rest of the young guns who are today’s stars. You know the other names. They’re all…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It was again Game 2 of a Sixers postseason series that was the charm. Again it was because Allen Iverson was unstoppable. From 45 points in Game 2 of the previous round against the Indiana Pacers to 54 in Wednesday night’s 97-92 victory over the Toronto Raptors, Iverson has…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The conversation started off with Toronto Raptors forward Charles Oakley talking about ways to guard the Los Angeles Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal. It continued with Oakley talking about old news to everybody else, but still serious business to him. And that’s the money Sixers…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson did not wait for the defense to come to him. He went at it and around it, torching the Toronto Raptors for a career playoff-high 54 points. He was everywhere, shooting and scoring, especially in the fourth quarter when he scored 19 consecutive points during one…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →His statistics do not measure up to the man who has gone from the troubled streets of North Philadelphia to the glamour lights of the NBA. Through it all, Sixers guard Aaron McKie has remained humble and thankful for the people in his life who’ve helped elevate him to the player…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →There’s no reason to give up. Not yet, anyway. The Sixers are still alive, though heartbroken, after losing 96-93 to the Toronto Raptors Sunday night at the First Union Center. Now they have to find a way to get even as they head into Game 2 of the best-of-seven series,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Thousands of fans started waving white Sixers towels in a frenetic motion from the nose-bleed section down to courtside with a little under 7 minutes remaining, and the Sixers scrambling around the court with ballhawking defensive pressure that was designed to make the Toronto…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Welcome to the second round of the NBA playoffs, Toronto Raptors. Want to know how to handle the boiling pressure? Just ask Allen Iverson or Larry Brown, the star player and head coach of the Sixers, who’ve failed to make it out of the Eastern Conference semifinals the last two…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →One round completed, at least one more to play. Just who their next opponent would be was a mystery to the Sixers and everybody else early Friday, so following practice at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, coach Larry Brown and most of his players chose to enjoy…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson showed up in military fatigues for the elimination playoff game against the Indiana Pacers last year. That was Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in Philadelphia, and the Sixers lost 106-90. Tonight, Iverson and the Sixers stand a solid chance in Game 4 of…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The echoes of bouncing balls and sneakers scraping against the hardwood floor stopped as players and coaches stood in silence, each focusing on the portion of the gymnasium floor where Sixers guard Aaron McKie had just fallen. Trainers rushed to his side, but as soon as they got…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →One week is all it took for the Philadelphia 76ers to gain command of the Eastern Conference first-round series against the Indiana Pacers, doing so with what has made them great all season — executing in transition. Few teams can run with the Sixers. The Pacers are not one of…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Free at last … free at last Sixers forward Jumaine Jones is free to just play, no longer looking to the bench to see if coach Larry Brown is trying to find space for him to occupy. The days of hardly playing appear to be over. He certainly waited a long time to become a factor,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson is headed back to Indianapolis for the first time since his much-publicized racial incident Jan. 28, and he says that he’s more concerned about helping the Sixers gain a one-game series edge than how the Indiana Pacers’ fans perceive him. Sitting with a toothpick…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Tyrone Hill was so exhausted and frustrated following the Sixers’ one-point loss to the Indiana Pacers last Saturday that he went home, had a couple of cold beverages and went to bed. His mood was a lot different Tuesday night, following the Sixers’ 116-98 victory over the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Jumaine Jones had seen it so many times before, his teammate Allen Iverson,breathing life back into the Sixers with his words and with his play. “Allen came into the huddle and he was like “Yo, we gonna get this victory,’ and when he says that, we have to jump on his back,”…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson sat by the stereo in the Sixers locker room, bobbing his head to the music, singing a rap tune. All the noise around him, all the pressure heading into a must-win Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers, didn’t seem to matter. Iverson was loose, energetic — he was…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He used to wag his finger in a scolding motion after blocking shots, until NBA officials made him stop taunting opponents. But center Dikembe Mutombo hasn’t stopped blocking and altering shots, or recording intimidations, a statistic the Sixers resurrected after the 7-2 veteran…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Too much time has passed between games. The Sixers have been shaking their heads about an 18-point lead that once was, and replaying Reggie Millers’ game-winning 3-pointer that enabled the Indiana Pacers to take a 1-0 series lead in the opening-round Eastern Conference series.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s the game that slipped away, leaving the Sixers depleted and in a must-win situation against the Indiana Pacers heading into Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first-round series at home Tuesday night. The Sixers can’t afford to lose, not with Game 3 to be played in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →“We’ll find out Tuesday,” is how Sixers coach Larry Brown chose to address questions about how his team would rebound from a Game 1 loss and how confident the Indiana Pacers might become. We’ll find out Tuesday. Can we handle the outcome if it’s the same as Saturday’s 79-78 win…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The regular-season feats of Sixers guard Allen Iverson concluded Wednesday night with him on the sidelines. His NBA-leading numbers — 31.1 points and 2.5 steals per game — became official following the Sixers’ 92-86 loss to the Chicago Bulls at the First Union Center. Iverson is…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The NBA’s scoring and rebounding champions sat on the bench in street clothes, Allen Iverson dressed in baggy jeans, a T-shirt and a scarf and Dikembe Mutombo in a two-piece suit, as the Sixers closed the regular season with a game against the lowly Chicago Bulls. With the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aching Sixers guard Allen Iverson has been placed on the injured list for the final two regular-season games, allowing him time to rest and heal before the start of this weekend’s NBA playoffs. The move also virtually ensures that Iverson will win his second NBA scoring title in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Tight, thuggish, heart-thumping. Get used to it. That’s what playoff basketball will be like. A preview of it was shown to a national television audience and a sellout crowd of 20,699 at the First Union Center, Sunday. The Sixers-New York Knicks IV was the final meeting between…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Sixers’ iron man needs three more games to complete his goal. Pain will not hold him back, even if it’s in his neck or shoulder, as it was last Monday when George Lynch got thumped by the Boston Celtics’ Antoine Walker. Just 6:54 remained in the fourth quarter when Lynch…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Kevin Ollie stood at halfcourt, waving his arms for his teammates to hold onto the ball, not attempt another shot in the closing seconds of the Sixers’ 96-88 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night at the First Union Center. Actually, Ollie should have been rushing…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Jumaine Jones had a lot of people shaking their heads in disappointment over his futile defensive attempt against Orlando’s Tracy McGrady in the closing seconds of the Sixers’ one-point loss Wednesday night. From the top of the key, McGrady had taken Jones with ease, driving and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Two falls, one in the first half and one in the second, silenced the crowd and lifted Sixers coach Larry Brown nervously out of his seat. Two players the Sixers cannot do without fell to the hardwood, victims of dunk attempts that went for naught in Sunday’s matinee against the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Philadelphia 76ers cleared one hurdle in their last game, reaching the 50-win mark for the first time in 11 years by beating the Golden State Warriors 102-89 Friday at the First Union Center. Today, they must try to keep that momentum going by beating the Indiana Pacers in a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Philadelphia 76ers probably wish that all they had to worry about these days were injuries to Allen Iverson and Aaron McKie. They’ve already proved that they can handle and bounce back from injuries, but now they have to prove they can return to the same dominating team they…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The First Union Center that had been filled with thunderous applause went silent with 4:52 left in the first quarter when Allen Iverson, the Sixers’ creative and uplifting Sixers guard was hammered to the floor by Orlando Magic’s forward Mike Miller Wednesday night. Already…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Sixers fans at the First Union Center who boo every time backup center Matt Geiger steps onto the court, misses a shot, or fails to snag a rebound, probably don’t know that their negative outpour is going through one of Geiger’s ears and out the other. He’s giving the best…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson was the generator of the Sixers offense, the energizer that added much-needed spark. His explosive presence was obviously missed over the previous four games on the road, each defeats. And it was most definitely felt in his return game, a rescue mission if you…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Philadelphia 76ers are about to go through a period that may be just as hectic as March Madness, only what the Sixers are going through now touches on more than just winning and losing. Health issues involving coach Larry Brown and All-Star guard Allen Iverson have put the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A double-whammy followed the Sixers’ 100-79 loss to the Sacramento Kings Friday night at the First Union Center. “I have acid indigestion after a 21-point loss,” Sixers coach Larry Brown said in his postgame interview, a statement that seemed like a joke. Only it wasn’t. Tests…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ice packs, wrapped in ace bandages, have rested on the shoulders of Sixers guard Aaron McKie before most games for the last few weeks. The soreness, however, has not prevented him from taking to the court, to help his team in any way possible, even if pulling the trigger…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Toni Kukoc found himself engaged in a battle with somebody in the Sixers organization other than coach Larry Brown. The confrontation was tougher, only because it was against ex-teammates. But that’s part of competition. Kukoc can accept that. He admits to being a little bitter…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The ultimate professional sits on a stool at his locker inside the First Union Center before every home game with a towel on his lap, reading either a newspaper or a book. He appears content to do this until the final 45 minutes before game time, when the locker room closes to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A scare on Broad Street happened, but nobody could tell if the Sixers had been rattled. They were showered, dressed, and ready to exit the locker room around 15 minutes after rallying from a 12-point deficit to deprive the New Jersey Nets of a stunning upset Wednesday night.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →With the game over, fans standing and cheering, Parkland junior Adam Lane took the ball and tossed it up into the air, nearly reaching the rafters inside Allen High’s Sewards Gymnasium Saturday night. An even greater outburst of joy and laughter followed for Lane, his teammates,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Another offensive answer may have been discovered by the Sixers in a 79-69 victory over the Miami Heat Wednesday night before a sellout crowd of 20,562 at the First Union Center. The answer was Rodney Buford, a second-year pro who was signed on Dec. 23 as an insurance policy a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The final 24 hours before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline were dreadful for Philadelphia 76ers coach Larry Brown. Almost as dreadful as they were for the players who were wondering if they were about to be dealt away from the team with the league’s best record and from teammates…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Central Catholic seniors Daniel Hinds and Andrew Guman handled the ending with poise — not celebrating too much — just walking off the court slowly following the Vikings’ 59-41 victory over Blue Mountain in a District 11 Class 3A quarterfinal Friday at Dieruff High. Whitehall…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson had the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and the Phoenix Suns’ Jason Kidd helpless trying to defend him. That made Bryant and Kidd members of a growing club of guards around the NBA who have failed to hold Iverson in check. Iverson has 28…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →At 21, Lamar Odom has a brighter vision of the future for the Los Angeles Clippers than almost anybody outside of the organization could possibly have. Others look at the Clippers and see seven straight losing seasons, and an agonizing current season that has included losing…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →There were big shots, one after another. There were devastating fastbreaks, capped by behind-the-back or deftly delivered passes for dunks. There were defensive stands, incredible in the hard, fierce way they were carried out. Whatever it took, the Sixers had the means and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The black arm bands worn by the Emmaus High boys basketball team were a tribute to their former classmates and swim team members Tom Gray and Matt Kush, who were killed in an automobile accident early last Saturday morning. The game, an East Penn Conference tournament semifinal…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →On the eve of the 50th NBA All-Star Weekend last Thursday, the towering San Antonio Spurs carried an eight-game winning streak into Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., to play the so-so New Jersey Nets. So-so, however, is not the way the Nets played, thanks to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson can’t be stopped. Not when he’s racing the court with a serious mission, slicing between defenders to score off the types of shots average basketball players can only dream about making. Iverson is the superstar of the Philadelphia 76ers, who at times plays like…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Larry Brown’s genius and leadership is not restricted to his coaching career or his family life. Brown also works wonders on the golf course, something Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich had the pleasure of finding out last summer while the two were coaching the USA Dream…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Professional basketball player and crowd rouser Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers has a serious question. “How can there be racism at basketball games?” Iverson asked Thursday night following a standout 31-point performance at Madison Square Garden and a day before being…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Tyrone Hill found himself in foreign territory, forced to shoot a 3-pointer with the 24-second shot clock winding down for the Philadelphia 76ers. That was not comfortable territory for Hill, the 6-9 power forward who is 0-for-12 on 3-point attempts in his 11-year career. Hill…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Maurice Cheeks probably has more admiration for Allen Iverson than any of the other Sixers coaches. That’s because every time Cheeks looks at Iverson, he sees a player who continues to develop and mature while steadily increasing his scoring average. Cheeks sees a player who…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Waiting for a mid-term grade is a lot easier when the marks that have led up to it are excellent. Over the first half of the NBA’s 82-game regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers collected several high honors. Allen Iverson and Aaron McKie were selected Players of the Week in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Even with his right elbow heavily bandaged, a bandaid under his chin and a sore left knee, Allen Iverson allowed nothing or no one keep him from scoring 51 points. It was his first game back following a one-game absence while resting a deep left knee bruise, and the 6-0 Iverson…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson and Vince Carter should have just gone one-on-one during a 4-minute stretch of the third quarter. They were doing all the scoring, anyway, sinking jumpers and scoring off drives. But the 6-0 Iverson probably couldn’t guard the 6-6 Carter, and Carter probably wants…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson is a tough man in a basketball uniform, unwilling to rest his aching body for extended periods of time. He proved that when he returned to the Philadelphia 76ers lineup five days after dislocating his shoulder to score 29 points against the Golden State Warriors…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Sixers coach Larry Brown and superstar Allen Iverson, who squabbled so much last season that doubts repeatedly circulated about them being able to co-exist on the same team, are now headed to Washington together. And on the ride with them will be 6-10 Theo Ratliff, whose long…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Bethlehem Catholic defensive scheme is to force its opponent to wilt from its 1-3-1 trapping zone, and then lure that opponent to sleep with its patient offense. If you are Allen and you like to run and rely on your athleticism to carry you to victory, then you are in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ray Barbosa was the creator and Jon Brown the finisher. Get used to it because they have more years to go, more games in which to dominate, more dramatic finishes to enjoy. They are the foundation of the Allen boys basketball team — Barbosa the sophomore guard and Brown the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen sophomore Raymond Barbosa came to the free throw line, his cheeks blown up as he stared at the basket inside Central Catholic’s Rockne Hall. He was about to attempt two free throws with 35 seconds left in overtime that, if converted, could lift Allen to its fourth straight…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →While All-Star guard Allen Iverson won’t be doing what he does best during the holiday season, Rodney Buford will be opening the one gift he had been hoping for since being waived by the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 2. That gift is the opportunity to play in the NBA again, and not…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Vacation time would be a welcome sight for the Philadelphia 76ers right now, but the NBA schedule affords them only today and Monday off before they must take their aching bodies and depleted lineup out West for games this week against Utah, Golden State and Sacramento. They’ll…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Nobody can say that the Philadelphia 76ers are afraid to take huge chances, even players like Toni Kukoc, who has been in the coach’s doghouse all season. Doghouse or not, Kukoc had a chance to extend a game the Sixers had well within their grasp until the Utah Jazz and their…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Coach Larry Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers were back together Wednesday night, on the same page, focused on building on their 18-6 record, and hoping that they could somehow keep their family business in-house. But they play and coach in the NBA, a league in which egos seem to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Respond to the challenges put out by your coach blazing at you from all angles or take a nose dive to lose a third-straight home game. Take your pick. That was the dilemma facing the Philadelphia 76ers against the Utah Jazz Wednesday night before 19,428 at the First Union…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Playing with a sizeable lead is something Liberty has not adjusted to just yet. It did not cost Liberty Tuesday night, but the Hurricanes’ 52-44 victory was aided by an Easton team that went through too many cold stretches in a meeting of Mountain Valley Conference teams at…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →All the proof has been provided. More will surely follow over the next four months of the NBA season before the playoffs begin. By then, the Philadelphia 76ers should be sitting pretty high, in all likelihood as Atlantic Division champions and as the top seed in the Eastern…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Julius Johnson had scored off tap-ins and slicing moves down the lane in helping Whitehall overcome a six-point second-half deficit and build a two-point lead with 29 seconds remaining. Then Johnson, a senior who plays with a Big City attitude — lots of talking, fierce and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It hasn’t become so bad at Washington Wizards home games that fans are wearing paper bags, but boos are routinely heard around the MCI Center. A sellout crowd of 20,674 packed into the Wizards’ Nov. 3 home opener against the New York Knicks, an 80-76 Washington loss. Over its…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson’s and Larry Brown’s relationship is far from an issue now, but in reality it never was anything more than egos clashing. Think about it. They’re both strong-willed, and both want to control the Philadelphia 76ers. Think about it. Brown, the head coach, calls all…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The last time the Philadelphia 76ers lost a regular-season game, the 104th Boston Marathon had just been swept by two Kenyans, Florida residents weren’t slowing up the democratic process, and guard Eric Snow had scored 20 points in a game just twice in his career. That was April…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →They were veteran players for hire and they have not been costly. Rick Mahorn. Billy Owens. Harvey Grant. And now Vernon Maxwell. Maxwell, who was signed by the Philadelphia 76ers four days before the NBA season started, joins Mahorn, Owens, Grant — all players who were signed…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A little playing time is all Nazr Mohammed wants. He’s getting it, but he could get a lot more if he were on a team other than the Sixers. Don’t blame Philadelphia coach Larry Brown. He has tried to find a better home for the 6-10 Mohammed, a third-year pro from the University…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Do you have a question concerning the Sixers? You probably want to know if they can make the playoffs three years in a row. If so, check out the 10 questions and answers below. Maybe you’ll have other questions. Maybe your answers are different. Anyway, read on and perhaps the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson showed up in his baggy clothes, hair nicely braided and with an attitude that gained immediate notice. Then, without being asked, he said to everybody gathered around, ‘I’m the captain.’ That took place on the Philadelphia 76ers’ media day, and it was a firm…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The next time they play on this court and rouse the fans in the First Union Center, wins and losses will count much more. Whether 1-0 or 0-1 following their season-opening game Halloween night in New York, when the Philadelphia 76ers play host to the Toronto Raptors Nov. 1 at…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Before Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in the 1990s and long before Allen Iverson entered the league, a 6-1 guard nicknamed ‘Zeke’ roused crowds with his deft passing and fearless court demeanor. Saturday in Springfield, Mass, where Dr. James Naismith gave…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Forget about Allen Iverson’s controversial ’40 Bars’ hard-core rap single. What about Philadelphia Sixers’ No. 1 draft pick Craig ‘Speedy’ Claxton, the 20th overall pick in the June NBA draft from Hofstra? With his strong performance in the Sixers’ 92-87 victory over the San…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allentown rapper Vincent Eggleston wishes he could go one-on-one with Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson. Eggleston, whose non-explicit ‘My Life, My Love, My Music’ CD will soon be released, knows that Iverson wouldn’t be able to hang with him, or relate to the audience…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The homecoming king and his teammates opened with a stale drive inside rusty old J. Birney Crum Stadium that resulted in a three-and-out. Then Central Catholic quarterback Frank Novogratz began to sparkle off rollout passes, and the Vikings’ running game began to click against a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson is probably misunderstood by non-rap music lovers, but most likely understood by his gangsta rap fans. Whichever way he’s understood or not understood, the bottom line is that he’s a popular basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers, who’s co-captain of his…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →George Lynch has opened the Philadelphia 76ers’ training camp with an invitation to Toni Kukoc — bring it on. To Lynch, this is like his rookie season in 1993 with the Los Angeles Lakers, but with one exception. Seven years ago, Lynch had no shot at being a starter. Not so now.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen Iverson is mad and hurt that the Philadelphia 76ers management tried to trade him. He’s also hip and hop, and to understand more about that, check out his upcoming rap album, ‘Non-Fiction,’ an X-rated album that’s loaded with profanity and lyrics about gangster life. Asked…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Healthy or not, Allen Iverson is expected to join valuable two-way guard Aaron McKie, shot blocker Theo Ratliff, Canadian Olympian Todd MacCulloch and the rest of the Philadelphia 76ers Oct. 3 when the team opens training camp at Penn State University. Iverson, the 6-foot guard…
· 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 →A season thought to be lost for Easton High running back YaYah McGurn may not be lost after all. It all depends on whether McGurn can stay drug- and alcohol-free, something the star running back, who gained 1,002 yards last season, has admitted he’s had trouble doing in the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron McKie is as professional as they come on the basketball court, and he maintains respect and clean behavior off the court as well. On Friday night at the First Union Center, McKie’s season came to an end when the Philadelphia 76ers were beaten 106-90 by the Indiana Pacers…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron McKie is as professional as they come on the basketball court, and he maintains respect and clean behavior off the court as well. On Friday night at the First Union Center, McKie’s season came to an end when the Philadelphia 76ers were beaten 106-90 by the Indiana Pacers…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Allen High’s Chris Franklin was not favored to win a gold medal in the 110-meter high hurdles last weekend in the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University. And given District 11’s shortcomings in the sprint events over the last decade, it seemed improbable…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The idea in scholastic athletics is to provide an arena, playing field or surface where a student-athlete can look to achieve maximum results. Personal or for the team. But an athlete can not experience thrills or disappointments without tough competition — at least something on…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Every year, Emmaus or Parkland — many times both teams — seem to have a swimmer that’s All-Water, that is someone able to swim many events extremely well. This high school swim season it’s Parkland junior Chris Johnson, a key member on the Trojans’ 200 and 400-yard relay’s that…
· Andre D. Williams
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