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.
Liberty’s girls track team is just plain loaded, Saucon Valley has a defending state sprint champion who’s even faster this year, Lehighton boasts a multi-event standout, and Whitehall features a vaulting sensation. And because of the all-around strength of defending Lehigh…
· 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 →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 →Parkland again knocks on destiny’s door, hoping another star running back can crash through and carry the Trojans to the District 11 Class 4A title. A mean, stubborn Easton defense awaits, fresh off a punishing effort against rival Phillipsburg on Thanksgiving Day. But punishing…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 5-6 (Independent) Beat North Texas 17-13 Mike McDermott (Bethlehem Catholic) So. OT, 6-6, 255. Game: Played. BOSTON COLLEGE 7-3, 4-2 (ACC) Lost to North Carolina 31-13 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10,. 193. Game: 1-for-1 on PATs; 2-for-2 on FGs, 28 and 20 yards.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 5-6(Independent) Beat North Texas 17-13 Mike McDermott (Bethlehem Catholic) So. OT, 6-6, 255. Game: Played. BOSTON COLLEGE 7-3, 4-2 (ACC) Lost to North Carolina 31-13 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10,. 193. Game: 1-for-1 on PATs; 2-for-2 on FGs, 28 and 20 yards.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Only two running backs since 2002 have run rampant on the Easton defense. One was Parkland’s Austin Scott in 2002, who carried the Trojans to the PIAA Class 4A title. Two years ago, a less flashy, but more bulldozing back from Hazleton named Nate Eachus ran for 263 yards and…
· 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 →ARMY 4-6 (Independent) Beat VMI 2-17 Mike McDermott (Bethlehem Catholic) So. OT, 6-6, 255. Game: Played. BOSTON COLLEGE 7-3, 4-2 (ACC) Beat Virginia 14-10 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10, 193. Game: 2-for-2 on PATs. Season: 34-for-34 on PATs; 7-for-7 on FGs. BROWN 6-3,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton bulldozed on offense, bone-crushed on defense and coasted to a 28-0 victory over Nazareth in a District 11-2-4 Class 4A quarterfinal matchup Friday night at Cottingham Stadium. The top-seeded Red Rovers (10-1) have won their last four games by a 132-21 margin, their only…
· 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 →ARMY 3-6(Independent) Lost to Air Force 35-7 Mike McDermott (Bethlehem Catholic) So. OT, 6-6, 255. Game: Played. BROWN 5-3, 3-2 (Ivy League) Beat Yale 35-21 Brendan Gallagher (Parkland) Sr. LB, 6-1, 225. Game: 1 assisted tackle. Season: 8 solo tackles,10 assisted, 2 INTs, 43…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton no longer has a chip on its shoulder. Instead, the Red Rovers have a bulls-eye on their chest. That’s because a year after having a 10-year district playoff run ended, Easton bullied to a 9-1 regular season record and finished as Lehigh Valley Conference co-champs with…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →All six Lehigh Valley Conference games this weekend have importance, including the Doughnut Bowl Saturday at J. Birney Crum Stadium between Allen and Dieruff. Both those teams are 0-9. All the other games have playoff implications. Central Catholic (8-1, 7-1) and Easton (8-1,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Creating a “Wild, Wild East” slogan for Lehigh Valley Conference football may not be a bad idea, especially for this season. It’s been a wild and entertaining season in the LVC and it could end with Easton (8-1 overall, 7-1 LVC), Central Catholic (8-1, 7-1) and Parkland (7-2,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →BOSTON COLLEGE 6-3(ACC) Beat Central Michigan 31-10 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10,. 193. Game: 3-for-3 on PATs, 18-yard FG. Season: 32-for-32 on PATs; 7-for-7 on FGs. BROWN 4-3, 2-2 (Ivy League) Lost to Penn 14-7 Brendan Gallagher (Parkland) Sr. LB, 6-1, 225. Game: 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 →Liberty played with punch on both sides of the ball to knock Nazareth out of a much-hyped Lehigh Valley Conference game early in the first quarter Friday night. Ahead 21-0 after the first, Liberty added 14 more points in the second quarter and breezed through the rain and chill…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Trap games do exist in high school football. Emmaus, Easton and Liberty will try to avoid them tonight in Lehigh Valley Conference matchups that have District 11-2-4 Class 4A subregional playoff implications. Next week is the traditional rivalry showdowns, featuring Emmaus…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Former high school quarterbacks from Emmaus and Parkland will meet for the first time in college on Saturday in Orono, Maine. A major streak will be on the line. Defending Football Championship Subdivision champion Richmond (5-0 overall, 3-0 Colonial Athletic Association) enters…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 3-3 (Independent) Beat Vanderbilt 16-13 (OT) Mike McDermott (Bethlehem Catholic) So. OT, 6-6, 255. Game: Played. BOSTON COLLEGE 4-2, 2-2 (ACC) Lost to Virginia Tech 48-14 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10,. 193. Game: 2-for-2 on PATs. Season: 20-for-20 on PATs;…
· 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 →Your football program is in serious trouble when its internal problems are just as heavy as its external ones, caused by bickering, losing, and parents trying to market their sons as if they’re free agents. That was the shambles Bethlehem Catholic was in while posting a 4-7…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 2-3 (Independent) Lost to Tulane 17-16 Mike McDermott (Bethlehem Catholic) So. OT, 6-6, 255. Game: Started. BOSTON COL. 4-1, 2-1 (ACC) Beat Florida State 28-21 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10,. 193. Game: 4-for-4 on PATs. Season: 18-for-18 on PATs; 5-for-5 on FGs.…
· 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 →Central Catholic football players and coaches did not dwell on what happened at the end of last season. The Vikings’ parents, on the other hand, probably stewed for a while over the school administration’s decision to reject an Eastern Conference Class 3A playoff invitation.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 2-2 (Independent) Lost to Iowa State 31-10 Mike McDermott (Bethlehem Catholic) So. OT, 6-6, 255. Game: Played. BOSTON COLLEGE 3-1, 1-1 (ACC) Beat Wake Forest 27-24 (2 OT) Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10, 193. Game: 3-for-3 on PAT, 2-for-2 on FGs of 32, 23 yards.…
· 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 →No Lehigh Valley Conference team is going to pick on Easton this season. Sounds weird saying “pick on” and “Easton” in the same sentence, but last season the Red Rovers lost five games to LVC opponents by a 112-0 margin. Luckily for the Easton players, coach Steve Shiffert…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →BOSTON COLLEGE 2-1, 0-1 (ACC) Lost to Clemson 25-7 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10, 193. Game: 1-for-1 on PATs. Season: 11-for-11 on PATs; 3-for-3 on FGs. BUCKNELL 1-2 (Patriot League) Lost to Cornell 33-9 Anthony Carter (Freedom) So. OL, 6-0, 275. Game: Started. BUFFALO…
· 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 →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 →This has been a month of all-star football for Liberty linebacker Daryl Klotz. On June 7, he played in the New Jersey-Northeast All-Star Classic at Rutgers University. Tonight, the Hurricane star who often had more blood stains than dirt spots on his uniform after games, will…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Top-seeded Emmaus unleashed shots on goal fast, building a 6-0 lead before the concession stand had even opened up Wednesday at J. Birney Crum Stadium. The Green Hornets stayed on strong attack, led by Dan Kinek and Will Scott, to bombard Easton 15-4 in a District 11 boys…
· 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 →Whitehall’s Doug Henninger won with strength and Easton’s David Hightower won with speed and crisp hurdling. Then, there was Parkland’s Matt Gillette, who used long strides and a solid finishing kick to anchor the Trojans to victory in the 3,200-meter relay before closing out…
· 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 →Emmaus High football coach Joe Bottiglieri doesn’t think organizers of the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association All-Star game are trying to piggyback off the Big 33 Football Classic. It just looks like it since the ninth annual PSFCA game in Altoona will be…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The final buzzer sounded and DeSales junior guard Darnell Braswell froze near half-court. Seconds later, the Bulldogs leading scorer and inspirational leader lifted up and bit hard on his jersey as he walked slowly off Franklin & Marshall’s Mayser Center court. A spectacular…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →There’s no reason a student-athlete with a burning passion to play college basketball has to give up on his dreams just because he does not have the money to attend a four-year institution, or needs to improve his academics before making that important jump. That’s what…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Levi Brown, an all-state defensive lineman at Liberty, pointed jubilantly to the Temple Owls’ hat on his head, then smiled as he looked out into the standing room-only crowd inside the school’s Arts Gallery on Wednesday. Liberty football coach Tim Moncman then came up and rubbed…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Moravian women’s opponents need to be careful which Greyhounds player they foul when the game is on the line. Actually, not fouling at all is the safest bet. That’s because Moravian, under 400-plus game winner Mary Beth Spirk, is Division III’s top free throw-shooting team.…
· 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 →The road to Hershey was still the same — long and winding. But the road back was different than the one in 2005 and 2006. That’s because Liberty, fueled by big plays from two-way star Anthony Gonzalez, relentless blocking from Levi Brown and other linemen, and punishing tackles…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →For Liberty High fans, it was Anthony Gonzalez, the Hurricanes’ two-way star, who took over the PIAA Class 4A championship game against Bethel Park in overtime last Saturday in Hershey. For his mother, Nancy Mojica, it was just her baby boy finding a way to lead his team to a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Liberty has dominated 50 out of 52 quarters it has played this season. The only two quarters it has not owned was in the first half against North Penn. Blocking assignments were missed and it caused the high-powered Hurricanes to stay out of sync and trail 20-0 at halftime. Levi…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →BOSTON COLLEGE 8-3, 4-3 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Wake Forest 24-21 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10, 198. Game: 1-for-1 on PATs; 3-for-3 on FGs. Season: 34-for-34 on PATs; 13-for-20 on FGs. BROWN 7-3 6-1 (Ivy League) Beat Columbia 41-10 Brendan Gallagher…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty’s offensive linemen pounded and pounded away, plowing Freedom linemen out of the way to open wide holes for junior quarterback Anthony Gonzalez to run through Saturday afternoon. And, boy, did Gonzalez run. Left, right and up the middle with dazzling speed. An elusive…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Senior running backs Brandon Brader of Liberty and Eddie Mateo of Freedom have been rivals since middle school. They’ve also been good friends and admired each other’s feats. But it wasn’t until last week when one of them decided to nickname the other. “He’s Superman,” Mateo…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ALBANY 8-3, 7-0 (Northeast Conference) Beat Wagner 30-11 Justin Peterson (Palmerton) Fr. RB 6-0, 225. Game: 1 carry, 0 yards. Season: 8 catches, 58 yards, 1 TD; 1 carry, 0 yards; 1 solo tackle, 3 assisted tackles, 1 forced fumble. BOSTON COLLEGE 7-3, 3-3 (Atlantic Coast…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty senior tailback Brandon Brader might have been perceived as selfish if he asked his teammates to carry him off the field Friday night at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. After all, Hurricanes junior quarterback Anthony Gonzalez outrushed him by 61 yards in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Somebody has to score when Liberty and Emmaus meet in the District 11-2 Class 4A subregional semifinals tonight at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. Even if it’s just by a safety, which is not all that farfetched considering the way No. 2 seed Liberty (10-1) and No. 3…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ALBANY 7-3, 6-0 (Northeast Conference) Beat Robert Morris 41-7 Justin Peterson (Palmerton) Fr. RB 2-0, 225. Game: 3 catches, 33 yards. Season: 8 catches, 58 yards, 1 TD; 1 solo tackle, 3 assisted tackles, 1 forced fumble. BOSTON COLLEGE 6-3 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Notre…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty controlled the line of scrimmage and the clock, which put Parkland in an essentially no-win situation in the rematch between Lehigh Valley Conference foes Friday night at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. Liberty has now made a habit of dominating opponents. Last…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty enters its first-ever district playoff game against Parkland tonight with two senior linebackers who are determined to have fun. Never mind that fun for Daryl Klotz and Horvin Latimer is administering punishment. “We like to tackle and hit people,” Latimer said. “Yeah,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lehigh basketball fans, circle Dec. 2 on your calendar. Saint Joseph’s University and its colorful coach Phil Martelli will be visiting Stabler Arena in one of the Mountain Hawks’ biggest non-league home game in years. Fittingly, Saint Joe’s bus trip to Bethlehem comes during a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton is a proud football program with a winning tradition that’s much longer than any other Lehigh Valley Conference team, but the Red Rovers’ administration and coaches did not let their pride get in the way of making a smart decision that will benefit their players. Which is…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ALBANY 6-3, 5-0 (Northeast Conference) Beat Monmouth 35-17 Justin Peterson (Palmerton) Fr. RB 6-0, 225. Game: 1 solo tackle, 1 assisted, 1 forced fumble. Season: 5 catches, 25 yards, 1 TD; 1 solo tackle, 3 assisted tackles, 1 forced fumble. BOSTON COLLEGE 5-3, 2-3 (Atlantic…
· 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 →ALBANY 5-3, 4-0 (Northeast Conference) Beat St. Francis (N.Y.) 27-3 Justin Peterson (Palmerton) Fr. RB 2-0, 225. Game: One catch, 5 yards. Season: Five catches, 25 yards, one TD; two assisted tackles. BOSTON COLLEGE 5-2, 2-2 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Lost to North Carolina…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Northampton had its shot at Emmaus, Freedom and Liberty, but lost. The defeats were in successive weeks, knocking the Konkrete Kids out of contention for the Lehigh Valley Conference title and jeopardizing their chances at qualifying for the District 11-2 Class 4A subregional…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A slug-it-out affair between two Lehigh Valley Conference teams, an affair that was scoreless after three quarters, turned lopsided in the fourth quarter Saturday night. That’s because Northampton, backed by a defense that continued to attack and a run-oriented Wing-T offense…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Crunch, crunch. That’s what the Parkland defense, fueled by the return of star lineman Clint Miller from a knee injury, did to Emmaus in a grueling Lehigh Valley Conference matchup Friday night. Miller, a 2007 Associated Press all-state first-team selection, missed the previous…
· 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 →C.J. Billera’s Emmaus teammates may have to literally pick him up and carry him off the field when the Green Hornets play Parkland tonight. Otherwise, Billera will not choose to come off, except for extra-point attempts, and punt and kickoff coverage teams that he does not plays…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ALBANY 4-3, 3-0 (Northeast) Beat Sacred Heart 26-21 Justin Peterson (Palmerton) Fr. RB 2-0, 225. Game: One catch, 2 yards. Season: Four catches, 20 yards, one TD; two assisted tackles. BOSTON COLLEGE 5-1, 2-1 (ACC) Beat Virginia Tech 28-23 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Freedom kicker Gregory Taylor settled his nerves with the help of his teammates, then zoned in on the goal post 22 yards away Friday night. Less than five seconds remained in the Lehigh Valley Conference classic between Bethlehem city rivals and the game was tied. Taylor, a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Mike Brusko has played almost every position at the University of Maine this season. He hasn’t played the offensive and defensive lines, field goal kicker or holder, but, if asked, the former Emmaus High star would probably accept the challenge. Brusko, a 6-foot-3, 226-pound…
· 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 →ALBANY 3-3, 2-0 (Northeast Conference) Beat Central Conn. St. 24-22 Justin Peterson (Palmerton) Fr. RB 2-0, 225. Game: Two catches, 16 yards; one assisted tackle. Season: Three catches, 18 yards, one TD; two assisted tackles. BROWN 2-2 (Ivy League) Lost to Holy Cross 41-34…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton and Freedom engaged in a shootout Friday night at Cottingham Stadium. It played to Freedom’s advantage — especially in the first and third quarters — when the Patriots unleashed their speed. But Freedom’s 36-28 Lehigh Valley Conference victory was not manufactured solely…
· 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 →Back and forth Bethlehem Catholic and Liberty went, staggering each other with big plays Saturday night. But the blow-for-blow exchange lasted only for a half before a spirited crowd at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. In the second half, Liberty, upset in the city series…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He ran hard. He ran over people. And best of all for Freedom, senior tailback Eddie Mateo scored four touchdowns in the Patriots’ 35-7 Homecoming victory over Northampton on Friday night at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. It was the first breakout game at Freedom for…
· 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 →BOSTON COLLEGE 3-1 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Rhode Island 42-0 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10,. 198. Game: 5-for-5 on PATs. Season: 13-for-13 on PATs; 5-for-7 on FGs. BROWN 2-0, 1-0 (Ivy League) Beat Harvard 24-22 Brendan Gallagher (Parkland) Jr. LB, 6-1, 225.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The mark of a good coach is not only winning and making the playoffs on a consistent basis, but how well he teaches and develops other men to become just as successful as he is when they’re in charge of their own programs. Emmaus coach Joe Bottiglieri is a frontrunner in that…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Emmaus built a 17-0 lead over Northampton less than a minute into the fourth quarter. And with a defense that had not yielded a touchdown in 19 quarters, it seemed like the Green Hornets had victory secured Friday night at Al Erdosy Stadium. But Emmaus coach Joe Bottiglieri,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →No longer overlooked, Northampton is excited to welcome Emmaus to Al Erdosy Field tonight for a showdown between undefeated teams battling for first place in the Lehigh Valley Conference. Both teams are 4-0 overall, 3-0 in league play. “This is certainly a big game for us,”…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →No longer overlooked, Northampton is excited to welcome Emmaus to Al Erdosy Field tonight for a showdown between undefeated teams battling for first place in the Lehigh Valley Conference. Both teams are 4-0 overall, 3-0 in league play. “This is certainly a big game for us,”…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →In terms of taking steps forward, Freedom football coach Jason Roeder has no complaints. His teams did just that in each of his first three years, going from 2-8 to 5-5 to 9-3 and winning the Eastern Conference Class 4A title last season. Last season marked a school record for…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →BOSTON COLLEGE 2-1 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Central Florida 34-7 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10, 198. Game: 4-for-4 on PATs; 2-for-3 on FGs of 22 and 25 yards. Season: 8-for-8 on PATs; 5-for-7 on FGs. BROWN 1-0 (Ivy League) Beat Stony Brook 17-7 Brendan…
· 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 →One streak was extended and another one ended for Emmaus Friday night. Both were huge. Both streaks further validated Emmaus as a Lehigh Valley Conference and District 11 title contender. That’s because Emmaus blew Easton off the line of scrimmage and bent little on defense —…
· 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 →Bethlehem Catholic High’s two-way senior lineman Brandon Lally was fired up at practice Tuesday as he prepared for Saturday night showdown against Central Catholic. “It’s the biggest game of the year, the two Catholic schools, rivals,” Lally said. But it’s a rivalry that has…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →CONNECTICUT 3-0 (Big East) Beat Virginia 45-10 Robbie Frey (Lehighton) R-Fr. RB, 6-0, 191. Game: Eight carries, 31 yards. Season: 18 carries, 66 yards, one TD; one kickoff return, 10 yards; one solo tackle, two assisted, one fumble recovery. Mike Ryan (Marian) R-Fr. OT, 6-5,…
· 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 →BOSTON COLLEGE 1-1, 0-1 (ACC) Lost to Georgia Tech 19-16 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10,. 198. Game: 1-for-1 on PATs; 3-for-3 on FGs of 36, 34 and 26 yards. Season: 4-for-4 on PATs; 3-for-3 on FGs. CONNECTICUT 2-0, 0-0 (Big East) Beat Temple 12-9 Robbie Frey (Lehighton)…
· 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 →Fair or not, Nazareth football coach Rob Melosky knows that he can’t prevent people from judging his every move because that’s expected when you are a high-profile coach. Melosky’s public perception soared, perhaps more so in the negative than positive last month, when he was on…
· 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 →Before thunder and lightning came and forced the PSFCA East-West All-Star game to be halted, Joey Orlando unleashed his own sparks Saturday night. Motivated by the trash talking and a desire to prove his skills, Orlando, a former Liberty star wideout, toasted West defensive…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Joey Orlando always just found a way. He was a two-way starter on a Liberty football team last season that had an All-American linebacker in Brendan Beal, who’s now at the University of Florida on a scholarship. There also was Ahkeem Smith, now at Temple on a scholarship. But…
· 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 →Jesse Sell would prefer to smash a volleyball over crashing the books any day of the week. But the Emmaus senior never lost sight of the fact that he needed to be successful in both. On Wednesday, Sell was rewarded for his hard work in both at the Lehigh Valley Conference…
· 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 →For two laps, Liberty junior Tom Hoffman maintained a lead that was established from the outset of the 3,200-meter relay Tuesday at J. Birney Crum Stadium. Then, after crossing the finish line, Hoffman wobbled off the track and flopped to the turf. He was fatigued, 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 →Liberty’s Joey Orlando and Whitehall’s Matt Hamscher are both getting one last opportunity to make standout plays on both sides of the ball. And Emmaus’ Joe Davis, who enjoyed trying to rip the helmet off offensive players, gets one last chance to try and make an impact on…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A Sweet 16 that will take more of a rugged toll on the body will be contested this weekend in Albuquerque, N.M. The sport is rugby, and Kutztown University coach Gregg “Doc” Jones believes he has a team capable of advancing out of its four-team bracket in the National Division I…
· 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 →Distance runner Trevor VanAckeren of Liberty and sprinter Aneurys Santos of Salisbury figure to dominate the headlines in boys track and field this spring. Never mind that both began the season injured — the long-legged Princeton-bound VanAckeren with a tweaked left knee and the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland is one win away from a perfect 16-0 season and its first PIAA Class 4A championship since 2002. Win or lose against powerful Pittsburgh Central Catholic Saturday night at Hersheypark Stadium, Parkland has already surpassed the accomplishments of any other team in the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland head coach Jim Morgans and his top assistant coaches, Tom Filipovits and John Quinn, have been coaching together longer than any of the Trojan players have been alive. They’ve had so much success together that parting ways would be difficult. “I never think about it…
· 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 →Any team that’s still playing football past the first week of November has something to treasure, which is why Freedom and Whitehall plan to go all out tonight when they meet for the Eastern Conference Class 4A title. Kickoff is at 7 at Whitehall. Both teams are 8-4. They did…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland coach Jim Morgans has been speechless all week, despite requests seeking comment about the dominance of the 2007 Trojans, who are 11-0 and have posted seven straight shutouts. The Trojans’ 17-0 win over Emmaus in the District 11-2 Class 4A subregional quarterfinals…
· 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 →Parkland’s bruising offense was overshadowed by its stubborn defense, which posted its seventh straight shutout in a 17-0 win over Emmaus in the District 11-2 Class 4A subregional quarterfinals Friday night in Orefield. The streak was jeopardized in the final minute after Emmaus…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →As Billy Taylor’s top assistant coach the last five seasons, Brett Reed helped restore credibility to the Lehigh men’s basketball program. Now, Reed is the head coach succeeding Taylor, who left in August to take over the troubled Ball State program. With Reed’s new role also…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It was a failed defensive stop that frustrated young defensive lineman Joe Davis more than the average flag football player. His mother, Lisa, still remembers the play that America’s Funniest Videos would have loved. “Joey was running downfield trying to get the kid’s flag, but…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland has put together back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and the PIAA Class 4A title in 2002, which will forever warm Trojan hearts. Easton has nine straight district playoff appearances, the second most wins in state history, and, of course, that 100th game…
· 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 →Liberty quarterback Anthony Gonzalez accounted for more than 200 yards of offense, wideout Joey Orlando made circus catches and tailback Ahkeem Smith gained the tough yards. All three owe gratitude to big Levi Brown and the other Hurricane offensive linemen for the way they…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A player from Freedom High apparently said something that offended players from Liberty. “This is the first time that we’re the underdogs in a game, which is pretty surprising, but let the best team win,” said Liberty senior linebacker Brendan Beal, who verbally committed to the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Lehigh Valley Conference all-star team won’t be announced until the regular season ends, but I don’t have to wait that long to make my selections. The final regular season games won’t prove who’s the best because anybody can have a really good game. But the best do it week…
· 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 →Parkland finally played a team it could not run over and run away from Friday night. Horrendous weather conditions played a factor, but so too did the hard-sticking defensive effort of Emmaus in a Lehigh Valley Conference game that was decided by three plays. Parkland made all…
· 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 →The Emmaus boys soccer, field hockey and swim teams may have reasons to be jealous of football stars C.J. Billera, Joe Davis and their teammates. That’s because Emmaus football is starting to steal the spotlight those winning programs have long enjoyed, and it may stay that way,…
· 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 →Emmaus junior tailback C.J. Billera hurt Whitehall with hard up-the-gut runs Friday night. More punishment was administered by the Green Hornets defense, which intercepted two passes, forced a fumble and cut off all penetration to the outside in holding Whitehall to 39 yards…
· 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 →Five years after riding Austin Scott to the PIAA Class 4A title, Parkland is off and running behind a stable of running backs, and the results are once again impressive. Scott had more breakaway speed and elusive moves en route to posting state single-single records of 3,853…
· 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 →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 →Statistics hardly show the impact Easton senior Jarred Holley has had in the first five games. But he is the best player in the Lehigh Valley Conference, probably the whole area and already a strong candidate to be named to the Associated Press Class 4A first team as a defensive…
· 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 →Bethlehem Catholic is not about to wave the white flag just because it has three losses and cannot afford to lose another game. Not if it wants to keep alive hopes of making the District 11 Class 3A playoffs. There are many reasons why the Golden Hawks (1-3, 1-2) are in this…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The high school football season reaches its midway point this weekend and the Lehigh Valley Conference has its share of teams with questions yet to be answered. The No. 1 question, of course, is who’s going to win the conference title? Liberty (4-0, 3-0) and Parkland (4-0, 3-0)…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty made a whole lot of big plays Friday night. But only a few were on offense, which suited Hurricanes two-way senior standout Joey Orlando just fine. That’s because Orlando made as many big plays on defense as he did on offense in helping Liberty prevail 21-7 over Emmaus…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Emmaus can forget about being overlooked by high-powered Liberty in their Lehigh Valley Conference matchup tonight at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. That’s because one loss could be detrimental to the Hurricanes’ chances of earning the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Northampton senior tailback Kevin Kowalishen usually turns gaping holes opened by his linemen into big gains or touchdowns. Last season, Kowalishen averaged 9.4 yards per carry, which led the Lehigh Valley Conference. He’s gained 386 yards on 43 carries for an average of 9 yards…
· 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 →It’s Validation Week in the Lehigh Valley Conference. Thrill-a-second Whitehall (2-0) and high-scoring Freedom (2-0) both play their toughest opponents. The circumstances couldn’t be any better for both. Whitehall, coming off a 31-28 double-overtime win over Northampton, plays…
· 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 →Easton senior two-way star Jarred Holley was dazed after being gang-tackled out of bounds early in the second quarter and did not play the remainder of the Red Rovers’ season-opening game against H.D. Woodson Friday night at Cottingham Statium. No flag was dropped on the play,…
· 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 →Michael Vick may be in prison by the end of the year, may never play in the NFL nor receive a million-dollar endorsement deal again, and it’s all because of what he termed, “immature acts.” “I need to grow up,” Vick said during a press conference in Richmond, Va. on Monday, not…
· 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 →Aaron Gray waited while Ohio State’s Greg Oden, Florida’s Joakim Noah, China’s Yi Jianlian and four other 7 footers were drafted into the NBA in the first and second rounds Thursday night. Gray, a 7-2 center from Emmaus High and the University of Pittsburgh, had been projected…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray is on board with draft analysts, who are predicting Ohio State’s Greg Oden and Texas’ Kevin Durant to go No. 1 and 2 in tonight’s NBA draft. “They can play basketball and they will be great,” Gray said. “They will be the No. 1 and 2 picks in the draft, let’s face it.”…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray is now two days away from a new basketball home. The 7-2 center from Emmaus High School and the University of Pittsburgh has traveled all over the country since the first week of June to work out for NBA teams. He makes his last stop today in Utah, and then he’ll fly…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray didn’t attempt a 3-point field goal in his college career at the University of Pittsburgh, except in practice. But he seemed comfortable shooting from beyond the arc in a four-player workout before Philadelphia 76ers’ assistant coaches Thursday in the team’s practice…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The 2007-08 recruiting class for the Lehigh’s men’s basketball team consists of a shorty, a skyscraper, and apparently a player who can take it to the rim as well as shoot from the outside. In all, coach Billy Taylor has signed six players, including 2007 Morning Call player of…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray is not out to prove anybody wrong, especially mock draft experts, who each week post on Web sites their predictions of where players will likely be drafted in next month’s NBA draft. Gray is not out to prove them wrong because he doesn’t care what they think. “If you…
· 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 →Aaron Gray will finally have the opportunity to show UCLA coach Ben Howland how well he can play. The stage is big. Gray and third-seeded Pittsburgh (29-7) meet second-seeded UCLA (28-5) in an NCAA Tournament West Regional semifinal tonight at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Blurry-eyed and fatigued, Pittsburgh center Aaron Gray sat on the bench, arm-locked with his teammates as Sam Young went to the foul line for two shots with 6.6 seconds left in overtime of its NCAA Tournament West Regional second-round game. It was a game that third-seeded…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray’s uncle, Steve, a former Duke player, had his dream for a second-round NCAA Tournament matchup between his alma mater and Pittsburgh spoiled. But Steve Gray, who played at Duke 1975-79, did not cancel his flight and room reservations after Virginia Commonwealth…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →. Pittsburgh center Aaron Gray played strong on defense and relied on his teammates to carry the offensive load Thursday night at HSBC Arena. Smaller Wright State could not contend, falling behind by as many as 22 points in the second half and losing, 79-58 in an NCAA Tournament…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray has his confidence back. Now, he’s hoping to prove that his shooting touch is also back when third-seeded Pittsburgh meets No. 14 Wright State in an NCAA West Regional first-round game tonight at HSBC Arena. He missed layups, hooks, and jump shots en route to a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray’s matchup against rival center Roy Hibbert in the Big East tournament championship game Saturday night at Madison Square Garden was lopsided. It wasn’t in Gray’s favor. The 7-0 Gray, Pittsburgh’s senior center and Emmaus High graduate, didn’t score his first field…
· 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 →It’s hard to move a mountain, which is what Marquette must have thought Pittsburgh center Aaron Gray represented in the paint Thursday night at Madison Square Garden The 7-0 Gray, a senior and Emmaus High graduate, was at times guarded by Marquette’s 7-0 Mike Kinsella, but Gray…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray had another night of honors, winning an award that was based as much on his academic excellence as his athletic accomplishments on Tuesday night in New York. Gray, the University of Pittsburgh’s 7-0 senior center and Emmaus High graduate, received the Aeropostale…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray has gone from back-up center in his first two seasons at Pittsburgh to being named to the Big East Conference first team in back-to-back seasons. Gray, a 7-0 senior and Emmaus High graduate, was a unanimous selection and the only first-team repeat on the Big East team…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Division III South tournament is the equivalent of the Division I NIT and WNIT tournaments. But that doesn’t mean that the games will be any less intense for the DeSales men’s and the Moravian women’s teams, who accepted ECAC playoff…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray took an extra-cold shower Saturday afternoon. It wasn’t just because of his disappointment over No. 10 Pittsburgh self-destructing in the closing minutes of a 61-53 loss to No. 12 Georgetown in a Big East matchup for first place, before a sellout crowd of 20,038 at…
· 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 →You’ve probably heard of Michael Jordan coming out of retirement, Evander Holyfield repeatedly leaving his rocking chair to return to the ring, and Brett Favre declining to retire. But they are professional athletes. Alyssa Antolick, a former 1,000-point scorer at Bethlehem…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray took up space in the middle, scoring with ease nearly every time he put up a shot. But two aggressive guards, Levon Fields and Antonio Graves, played the biggest role for No. 7 Pittsburgh down the stretch of its grueling, 65-59 victory over Villanova before a crowd of…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It didn’t take long for Aaron Gray to be spotted and asked for his autograph on a cold, snowy Monday. In fact, less than a minute after Gray walked down his slippery steps and up an icy hill, he was warmly greeted by his neighbor. She had a special request from her son. “DeAndre…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray was unstoppable at the start of the game and in the opening minutes of overtime for No. 6 Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon. In both stretches, the Panthers’ 7-0 senior center from Emmaus High scored over smaller Marquette players with baby hooks, spin moves and just by…
· 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 →Two streaks will be on the line when Easton and Parkland meet in the District 11-2-4 Class 4A subregional semifinals tonight in Orefield. Parkland (11-0) will try to extend its winning streak to 16 games, dating back to Oct. 21, 2005. The other streak belongs to Easton (10-1),…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Phil Bortz is back to running with power and back to cherishing every single down as if it could be his last. Bortz is a senior football player, who starts at fullback and outside linebacker for Parkland High, which enters the final regular-season weekend 9-0 and ranked No. 1 in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Emmaus football coach Joe Bottiglieri grew up two blocks from Easton’s Cottingham Stadium and had early ambitions to play for the Red Rovers. He eventually did suit up for Easton and then went on to play at the collegiate level. After graduating from Easton in 1966, he played a…
· 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 →Aaron Gray plans to buy his mother, Sandy, a 41-foot boat, and his father, Michael, a plain white Ford truck. Gray plans to buy those gifts next year, because he’s likely to be quite wealthy after the NBA draft in June. Gray has a bright future as a professional basketball…
· 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 →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 →A national television audience will watch Steve Aponavicius do what he used to do for fun before soccer practices at Easton High two years ago. And that’s kick a football. However, Aponavicius, a walk-on at Boston College, won’t just be kicking the ball over a fence on Thursday…
· 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 →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 →Easton coach Steve Shiffert will not be surprised if he’s visited soon by a ghost in his sleep. If it happens, he knows exactly who it will be, and why it will happen. For the first time in school history, Easton had a girl suit up and play, and senior Brittany Ryan played a…
· 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 →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 →Aaron Gray has a passion for everything in the city of Pittsburgh, except the Super Bowl-champion Steelers. “I was never an Eagles fan,” Gray said with laughter. “I was never a Steelers fan. I’m a Raiders fan.” But Gray loves the fans who cheer on the Steelers because a lot of…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray will try to lead Pittsburgh to the Big East Conference title before trying to play center in the NBA. The 7-0 Emmaus High graduate decided on Sunday to return for his senior season at Pitt. The NBA’s early entry draft deadline was 5 p.m. Sunday. Since Gray did not…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Aaron Gray is closer than ever to turning his childhood dream to play in the NBA into reality. The 7-foot center from Emmaus is coming off a standout junior season at Pittsburgh and is being projected by some NBA draft experts as a mid-to-late first-round pick in June. Gray…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Fasten your seat belts. Arizona, led by its big and talented guards, including Philly native Mustafa Shakur, is ready to run with Villanova. They are two uptempo teams, both nicknamed Wildcats, and they will go man-to-man against each other in a game that figures to produce one…
· 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 →Pittsburgh center Aaron Gray’s walk was slow, his emotions were drained as he left the Madison Square Garden court Saturday night. His dreams of winning his first Big East Tournament championship were spoiled, done in by Syracuse senior guard Gerry McNamara and the teammates who…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Pittsburgh center Aaron Gray’s walk was slow, his emotions were drained as he left the Madison Square Garden court Saturday night. His dreams of winning his first Big East tournament championship were spoiled, done in by the spectacular play of Syracuse senior guard Gerry…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Maybe, the Big East Tournament just wasn’t meant for Connecticut and Villanova, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams, respectively, to win. Maybe it’s just meant to be the G-Mac Show. Syracuse senior guard Gerry McNamara’s inspired play helped beat UConn in the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Maybe, the Big East Tournament just wasn’t meant for Connecticut and Villanova, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams, respectively, to win. Maybe it’s just meant to be the G-Mac Show. Syracuse senior guard Gerry McNamara’s inspired play helped beat UConn in the…
· 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 junior Adrienne Blount did what her coach asked her to do in the second half against Holy Cross on Saturday night at Stabler Arena, but it wasn’t enough to save the Mountain Hawks. She scored 16 of her career-high 20 points and collected all six of her rebounds after…
· 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 →Aaron Gray tried to bring down the basket early in the game Wednesday night. He got the ball just outside the lane, made a swift move, then rose way over Rutgers center Byron Joynes to dunk. But Joynes fouled Gray, preventing the emphatic finish. But Gray stayed aggressive,…
· 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 →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 →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 →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 →Emmaus stopped making mistakes and excuses, and stopped losing after its embarrassing Week 4 loss to Nazareth. Maybe it was hard to walk the school hallways after losing 28-7 to Nazareth, a team that had not won a game entering that Lehigh Valley Conference matchup on Sept. 23.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty, 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 →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 →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 →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 →As a defensive end in the seventh grade, Alex Atiyeh found joy in chasing and tackling quarterbacks. Then in the eighth grade he became a quarterback, and his mind-set changed. “I love being a quarterback,” said Atiyeh, a junior who’s in his second season starting at Bethlehem…
· 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 →Hold off on considering Liberty as the team to beat in Bethlehem. That’s because Bethlehem Catholic is again powerful and eager to continue proving that it may be the Christmas City’s best team. The Golden Hawks, sparked by punishing tackles by Joe Dancho and Cory McFadden,…
· 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 big dog — at least the biggest one on the University of Pittsburgh’s basketball squad — wanted the ball a whole lot more last season. It just didn’t happen. But 7-foot Aaron Gray, the former Emmaus High standout center, won’t have to beg for the ball much next season. Gray…
· 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 →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 →He was just about even with his rival, the one distance runner Northampton High senior Tyler McCandless said he thought he had lost to 80 times before. This time, only 50 meters remained in the 3,200-meter run and McCandless was no longer worried about past failures against…
· 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 →John Carelli probably won’t show up at J. Birney Crum Stadium with a broom this afternoon. Maybe his Parkland teammate Tyrone Faverey will bring one for him. Carelli is on the verge of sweeping the jumping events in the Lehigh Valley Conference Championships for the second…
· 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 →Emmaus High senior Sam Luff calmed his nerves and then went out and ran the best 3,000-meter race of his career Friday evening at Franklin Field. His debut at the Penn Relays was a memorable one. He used a solid breakaway kick over the final 200 meters to finish in second place…
· 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 →Southern Lehigh seniors Justin Babich and Mike Snowden will try to lead the Spartans to another memorable Penn Relays finish at Franklin Field. Meanwhile, two first-time participants, distance runners Sam Luff of Emmaus and Tyler McCandless of Northampton, will try to achieve…
· 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 →Chris Pates was running with the wrong crowd and headed toward a dead end until he joined the Liberty High track and field team in the spring of his freshman year. Finally, he had goals to chase, first in the classroom, because without making the grade he wouldn’t have been…
· 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 →For 40 minutes Thursday afternoon, Villanova’s defense resembled a goal-line stand. The “D’ was smothering and unyielding and it frustrated Pittsburgh so much in the Big East quarterfinals that All-Big East first-team forward Chevon Troutman twice picked up fouls for throwing…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Chevon Troutman, a bruising 6-7, 240-pound University of Pittsburgh senior, has been convinced for a long time that his teammate, 7-0 Emmaus High graduate Aaron Gray, is more than just a big fella. Flying elbows and dunks by Gray in practice keep Troutman and other Panthers,…
· 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 →The dancing shoes are no longer just on order. They are about to be shipped. Villanova appears headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999 after beating 17th-ranked Pittsburgh 80-72 Sunday. The Wildcats (17-7, 7-5 Big East) are a half-game behind Notre Dame…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Hockey season is not over for Luke Heckenberger, an 18-year-old senior at Central Catholic. He had a game Wednesday night, has practice tonight and will be traveling to Boston on Friday for a weekend tournament with the Lehigh Valley Ice Hockey traveling team, known as the…
· 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 →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 →Central Catholic senior David Horton probably has Vikings coach Donnie Roberts high on his Christmas list. Roberts’ decision to move Horton from running back to wide receiver as a junior has panned out wonderfully. Horton’s 51-catch, 617-yard season with five touchdowns was…
· 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 →The opponents hit hard. Easton just hit harder. The opponents were often bigger. Easton never buckled. For 13 straight games, Easton just won, mostly with smashmouth offense and punishing defense, and by taking advantage of some turnover opportunities in the playoffs during…
· 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 →Recharged and refocused to start the third quarter, Emmaus went to “The Carpenter” to build a double-digit lead over Liberty Thursday night at Memorial Gymnasium. Andrew Carpenter, a 6-3 brickhouse senior center, muscled his way for three inside baskets and the Green Hornets…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It was impossible to look into the dejected faces of the coaches and players from Easton High Saturday and feel their actual emotional pain. It was difficult to understand their devastation after losing 21-14 to Neshaminy in the PIAA Class 4A Eastern final at Bensalem High. It…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The 98th Thanksgiving Day meeting between Easton and Phillipsburg is not just a game for bragging rights. It’s for historic achievement since both teams will enter Lafayette College’s Fisher Field Thursday morning undefeated for the first time since 1958: Easton at 11-0,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton High is willing and able to play rival Phillipsburg on Thursday and a PIAA Class 4A Eastern semifinal two days later. And the Red Rovers don’t care who thinks they’re physically incapable. Last year has nothing to do with now. Just bring on the competition. Easton’s…
· 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 →Finally, after the last of grueling tackle on a Saturday afternoon full of punishing plays, Easton coach Steve Shiffert loosened the grip on his white towel. The fight was over. Easton senior lineman Jarrid Myers made sure of it by powering past Emmaus linemen to sack…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →With Easton sporting a 9-0 record and Liberty, Emmaus and District 2’s Wyoming Valley West each 9-1, the PIAA Class 4A sub-regional playoffs would appear to be up for grabs. “Anything can happen,” said Easton coach Steve Shiffert. But Easton losing at Cottingham Stadium may not…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty junior Andrew Lee did not need an alarm clock to wake him up Saturday morning. Neither did many of his teammates. That’s because the Hurricanes were anxious to play Saturday’s game with Freedom, in which a win would mean the Christmas City championship and berth in the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton would prefer to have its first-round playoff opponent — either Liberty, Emmaus or District 2’s Delaware Valley — to think that it still has room for improvement. As if 9-0 doesn’t speak volumes. As if winning by an average score of 31-9 the last three weeks doesn’t say…
· 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 →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 →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 →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 →Bethlehem Catholic left more yellow laundry on the Emmaus field than it would have liked Friday night. But the Golden Hawks also dropped two key Emmaus players to the soggy field in back-to-back plays that put an exclamation point on a 14-9 victory in the opening night of Lehigh…
· 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 →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 →Brothers Dave and Doug Spadt, former Emmaus High basketball standouts, shared the same concerns as clouds darkened, light rain fell and leaves floated from trees and onto the Catasauqua Playground court Thursday. The Spadt brothers were playing for G&S; Fastening against Ackey’s…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →So many times during his high school career, Parkland senior Steve Stern sensed that he was being stared down by opposing sprinters. He was probably right. At just 5-8 and without any bulging muscles, Stern just didn’t care what other sprinters thought because he was confident…
· 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 →This time, the color of the medal didn’t suit Parkland sophomore John Carelli’s taste. That’s because Carelli had gotten spoiled after winning six gold medals over the previous two weeks in the Lehigh Valley Conference and District 11 Class 3A Championships. Otherwise, Carelli…
· 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 →No more 800-meter runs for Bethlehem Catholic senior Jules Eggleston. Once was enough, so he hoped. “After I run one lap, my body shuts down,” Eggleston joked. “I’m not ready for two laps.” But it may be hard for Bethlehem Catholic coach Gary Mohylsky to grant Eggleston his…
· 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 →Something about that attempt, his third and final at 6 feet, 6 inches, fueled Parkland sophomore Jon Carelli to accomplish a personal-best Tuesday at J. Birney Crum Stadium. Carelli cleared 6-6 to win the high jump event in the Lehigh Valley Conference track & field…
· 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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →Brent Williams requested that he be listed on the Easton High roster as 5-11. He’s really just 5-71/2 lightweight, who made up for what he lacked in size in so many more important ways for Easton in a 50-45 overtime victory over Emmaus Tuesday night at 25th Street Gymnasium. “It…
· 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 →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 →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 →The Lehigh University women’s basketball team appears to have a mountain of a task trying to replace the Patriot League’s all-time career rebounding leader, Anne Tierney, at center. Tierney, who was voted to the league’s first team three straight seasons, was also the Mountain…
· 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 →Despite their uniforms and cleats being covered in mud, both Emmaus and Whitehall turned to their defenses to make their Lehigh Valley Conference matchup even nastier Friday night in Whitehall. That played more to Whitehall’s advantage, which was a crunching change from the…
· 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 →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 →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 →The Emmaus defenders were the blanket that shielded the goal on a windy Thursday afternoon. “Defense is definitely our strongest point,” said Green Hornet defender Spencer Szaraz. But the Green Hornets also played aggressively on offense and got two goals by Ryan Daniels in a…
· 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 →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 →One game in 2001, another in 2002. Both were District 11 Class 3A boys soccer championship thrillers that just didn’t go Pleasant Valley’s way. The Bears were upstaged by Emmaus, 1-0 in 2001 and 3-2 by Parkland in 2002. “Both of them were real tough games,” said Pleasant Valley…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He was in the middle of a game with Emmaus High when his helmet clamped down awkwardly, resulting in a nasty gash on his face. “It was painful,” said Parkland High senior Nick Pinchek. But Pinchek finished the game and continued to play through the discomfort of the gash until…
· 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 →The veins in Parkland senior Ryan Kleintop’s neck seemed as if they would burst through his skin each time he sprinted down the straightaway leading to the jumping pit. “I just try to get as pumped up for each jump as I can,” Kleintop said. He jumped farther and higher than…
· 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 →Chilly and windy weather conditions hardly bothered Emmaus batters and pitchers Wednesday afternoon in Lower Macungie. Emmaus was efficient in both departments in beating Liberty 13-6 in a Lehigh Valley Conference game that bolstered the Green Hornets’ confidence. They had lost…
· 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 →Parkland High’s Garrison Rausch wanted to drive Bethlehem Catholic pitcher Adam Bednarik off the mound. When the chance came, Rausch did just that, lining a three-run double to center field in the bottom of the fifth inning that put the Trojans ahead by three runs en route to a…
· 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 →Parkland senior Austin Scott had many breakaway runs en route to a 53-touchdown football season last fall. Often, he seemed on the verge of being off to the races the second he took handoffs. But a change of season has brought a different result for Scott. His football feats…
· 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 →Emmaus center Aaron Gray will be playing Division I basketball next season, but it is no longer guaranteed that he will be wearing a University of Pittsburgh uniform. The 6-11 Gray was disappointed to learn last week that Ben Howland had resigned as Pittsburgh’s coach to take…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He does not have a team of slashers, jumpers or particularly solid defenders, but DeSales coach Scott Coval had everything else he needed to win a MAC Freedom Conference semifinal game with ease Wednesday night at Billera Hall in Center Valley. What Coval had was a team that…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland High’s all-everything running back Austin Scott has fallen into countless daydreams while watching ESPN’s SportsCenter. Often he hears the voices of Stuart Scott and Chris Berman ringing through his mind. Stuart Scott, the master of airwaves slang, is saying, “Did you…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Tom Osonte was just as involved in Parkland football games this season as anyone dressed in uniform or on the coaching staff. Never mind that he was the statistician, because he was just as busy as coach Rob Melosky on game nights, mostly charting each Austin Scott run. Scott…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Down, set, hike. The former high school and college quarterback is being rushed from all points, but he is not running anywhere. Parkland coach Rob Melosky is just standing there, taking all the shots and handling the pressure just as he used to do when he was taking snaps from…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Their District 11 Class 4A semifinal games were going awfully poorly for Bethlehem Catholic and Parkland Friday night, raising doubts in both at halftime that the dream rematch between the two powerhouses for the district title might not happen. Underdogs Easton and Freedom…
· 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 →And Rob Hauke scored. And again. And again. And the Central Catholic tailback scored four more times, the last on a 60-yard punt return in the fourth quarter, for the final exclamation mark in the Vikings’ 49-0 nonleague victory over host Crestwood of District 2 Saturday…
· 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 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 →A soft pillow should have been among the requirements for players signing up for the Pius X football team this season. It would have been put to good use. The Royals, a Class 1A school in Roseto, will log 2,500 miles on six away games. On Friday they traveled to Shamokin, losing…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic got more gifts than it could have expected from Glen Mills on Homecoming Saturday. And most of them were huge in the Golden Hawks’ 46-22 rout at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. They started when defensive back Kyle Horton recovered a Glen Mills fumble…
· 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 →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 →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 →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 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 →Bethlehem Catholic’s Maurice Simmons boasted about what he did Friday night at the school prom. “I danced all night,” the Golden Hawks junior sprinter said. So did his teammate, junior Frank Trovato. “I had a good time,” Trovato said. In some ways, they rewarded themselves early…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic pole vaulter Neil Schwab thought he was going to get an energy boost from a power bar he ate during competition in the Class 2A portion of the event in the PIAA Track and Field Championships Friday at Shippensburg University. Instead, the junior got sick to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Athletes in The Morning Call’s circulation area from District 11 and District 3 who have legitimate shots of winning medals in the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University today and Saturday probably spent most of Thursday reflecting on what they need to do…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →They made winning their races look as easy as blowing out candles on a cake. Congratulations, however, for these District 11 track and field champions, were awarded in other ways. First, with the cheers of parents, coaches, teammates, and of course, admiring fans. Then with…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The gold medal seemed as if it might melt in Liberty senior Eric Eggleston’s hand, the way he kept looking at it, caressing it. For the last two years, he had left the District 11 Class 3A Track and Field Championships with a silver medal in the triple jump. All that changed…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Now it’s time to run faster, throw further, and jump higher as the District 11 Class 3A and 2A track and field championships draw closer. “You don’t need much to motivate the kids now,” said Easton coach Frank Messa. Indeed, they now must “just do it.’ Even those who have been…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Allentown A’s youth football organization probably doesn’t know it, but the return of one of the Lehigh Valley’s most popular recreational events could eventually lead to the A’s home field at Bucky Boyle Park receiving a much-needed manicure. If it happens, members of the…
· 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 →That 25-0 record the Parkland Trojans posted in the regular season has been playing on the mind of Emmaus center Aaron Gray. Now more than ever, following Gray’s dominating performance in Emmaus’ 56-47 victory over Freedom in the District 11 Class 4A boys basketball preliminary…
· 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 →“Beca, Beca, Beca.” The words have become so draining that it’s gotten to the point where all the Parkland players want to do is … well, let them speak for themselves. “I think we may try and strike fear into them right away, show them that we’re coming out to play and that we…
· 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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →More truths will be told as the high school basketball season ages and teams mature and settle on an identity. Right now, Emmaus doesn’t appear to be one of those teams searching for anything. The Green Hornets know what they are about, and they have victories over Parkland,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Less than two seconds remained in overtime when Notre Dame freshman Jeff Dailey had the ball kicked out to him in the corner, just inside the 3-point line. A fastbreak thriller, the type of game fans enjoy and players have more fun with, was just an 18-foot jump shot away from…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Tim Massaquoi made Michigan his college choice before the high school football season kicked off, ending speculation over which Big Ten program he’d choose and allowing him to concentrate on scoring touchdowns for Parkland this season. But in nonleague games against Emmaus and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The shot blazed ahead, bringing some fans from their cold seats and holding players on the field not involved with the play at a standstill. But Emmaus goalie Kyle Grim did not stay frozen. He turned quickly, leaped into the air and got a hand on the ball that had been rapidly…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →An end to futility had to come for one of the East Penn Conference cellar dwellers Friday night in Emmaus. It would not come without a price. ‘I got punched in the face one time,’ said Emmaus defensive lineman Kevin Short. But Short did a lot more hitting than receiving in…
· 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 →His team was nursing an eight-point lead over rival Whitehall with just 2:51 remaining last Oct. 9. Parkland kicker Greg Knauss was summoned by coach Rich Sniscak to attempt a 47-yard field goal. Make it and victory in the Mountain Valley Conference football game that had…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Johnny Santiago has run the ball one way since he began playing competitive football for the Bethlehem Saints at age 6. ‘When I get the ball I look for the hole,” said Santiago, a senior tailback at Freedom. ‘I just want to run through (the defender ), right through his back.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Tim Massaquoi looked around the auditorium at Parkland High School on Wednesday and shook his head in amazement. ‘I didn’t think it would be this big,’ he said. ‘I didn’t think this many people would show up.’ That’s because the announcement of Massaquoi’s college choice was big…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →She stands in goal, gobbling up and turning away shots. She does it with such ease. Her goal is to disrupt the attacking team’s flow, and Central Catholic senior goalkeeper Naomi Campano does just that. Campano recorded 20 shutouts in her previous two seasons and continues to…
· 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 →Bangor Memorial Park, they love you. They love your spongy track surface and well-manicured grass field. They love your environment — a clean stadium, clean bathrooms, nice concession stands. And, most of all, Mountain Valley Conference track and field athletes and coaches have…
· 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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