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.
Disgruntled over his perception that the Bethlehem Area School District is not supportive enough of his powerhouse program, Liberty football coach Tim Moncman has applied for the head coaching vacancy at Palisades. But he has not resigned at Liberty, one year after he coached…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →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 →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 →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 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 →It was 48 minutes of grueling, smashmouth, hard-hitting football for Emmaus. And it was at Cottingham Stadium, where the ghosts of storied years past are not supposed to turn against Easton. Not when the Red Rovers are first-and-goal inside the 5-yard line. Actually, Easton…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s Allentown vs. Bethlehem weekend and contender or pretender night in Orefield. There are also Lehigh Valley Conference matchups in Easton and Northampton that figure to be highly competitive. Easton (3-0 overall, 2-0 LVC), Central Catholic (3-0, 2-0), Nazareth (3-0, 2-0) and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Easton has a chip on its shoulder. Blame it on Parkland, Emmaus and Liberty. All three Lehigh Valley Conference opponents beat the then-inexperienced, mistake-prone Red Rovers by a combined 89-0 margin last season. The chip is still there, despite Easton holding Parkland to 98…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →In the previous two seasons, Easton was not a serious contender for the Lehigh Valley Conference title. Last season, without four-year starter and four-year Morning Call all-area defensive back Jarred Holley — now a redshirt freshman at Pittsburgh — Easton didn’t even post a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →It was 1 yard and no more. But it was “no mas.” A stop by Northampton’s Aaron Chamberlain on a fourth-and-3 with the help of other gang-tacklers, was the game-saving play of the 39th annual McDonald’s Lehigh Valley Football Classic Thursday night. Only 10 points had been scored…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Kyle Pochek and Matt Stengel became stepbrothers when they were 6 years old. Helped by a mutual interest in football, bonding became easy. They competed on the same teams through high school at Southern Lehigh, and tonight they’ll compete as all-stars on the Lehigh, Carbon and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →For one game, their last as high school football players, Liberty’s Brandon Brader and Freedom’s Eddie Mateo will compete as teammates. And the two star running backs hope to put on a show. No better showcase than an all-star game. Mateo, who’s headed to Stony Brook University…
· 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 →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 →Something disturbingly different happened to Easton last week against Parkland. It wasn’t the lopsided score of Parkland 26, Easton 0. Every team gets crushed once in a while, but Easton coach Steve Shiffert wasn’t as concerned about the final score as he was about the way his…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Something new in Week 3 of the Lehigh Valley Conference: Neither Liberty, Parkland nor Easton is involved in the top game. Easton (2-0, 1-0) opens its home schedule against Parkland (0-2, 0-1) at 7 tonight at Cottingham Stadium, and it promises to be a festive atmosphere as the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s a Week 2 matchup that would have even more hype had it been scheduled for later in the season with the Lehigh Valley Conference title and possibly the No. 1 seed in the district playoffs on the line. But after not playing the last two seasons, Liberty and Parkland are…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s been a decade of memorable games and streaks, of championship glory and the agony of defeat in state title games for District 11 football teams. History was made in 2002 when Parkland, behind Austin Scott’s state-record 53 touchdowns and 3,846 yards rushing, became the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He’s not all hulked up, but Palmerton sprinter Austin Cseh had all the speed and endurance necessary to prevail over Wilson’s Anthony Davidson in a thrilling race to the finish line in the finals of the 400-meter dash at the Colonial League Track and Field Championships on…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s finally time to get down to serious business in track and field. Next week’s Lehigh Valley Conference, Colonial League and Mountain Valley Conference championship meets will weed out the pretenders and establish the boys’ athletes who are most likely to contend for district…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Nazareth High senior Kevin Kroboth has had an easier time sprinting to 100- and 200-meter dash victories than he did breaking away for touchdowns during the football season. A first-year track and field athlete, Kroboth has used the dual-meet season to prove himself as a league,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Devin Street appears to be a natural in track and field. A first-year participant for Liberty, Street established himself as the top long jumper in the Lehigh Valley Conference before the weather even turned warm. He entered the week with an area-high mark of 22 feet, 51/2…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Palmerton senior Justin Peterson bowled over opposing Colonial League players with his hard running style. He punished them even more as a standout linebacker, which is where he really changed the course of games in leading Palmerton to a 9-3 record and a District 11 Class 2A…
· 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 →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 →Normally, you wouldn’t think that a team could set a positive tone for its season by losing, but Central Catholic did it Saturday afternoon. The Vikings did it by fighting back from a 20-3 second-half deficit to pull within seven points of powerhouse Liberty late in the fourth…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic’s Joe Kovacs is committed beyond the norm to playing in McDonald’s Lehigh Valley Football All-Star Classic at 7 tonight at Parkland Stadium in Orefield. If he wasn’t, Kovacs would be in Puerto Rico, perhaps tanning, eating spicy food and enjoying the scenery.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →What happened last December at Hersheypark Stadium is still fresh in the mind of Wilson’s Adam Thomas and Sean Monahan. Chris LaBatch, their teammate, also still has great memories of the Warriors’ 29-28 win over Jeannette that earned the school its first PIAA Class 2A title.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The chase is on again for Bethlehem Catholic standout thrower Joe Kovacs. Kovacs, a senior, will attempt to break the area shot put record of 62-113/4 in the District 11 Track and Field Championships. The two-day event begins at 3 p.m. today at J. Birney Crum Stadium in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He’s diminutive and he goes to a small school, but Salisbury’s Anuerys Santos proved that he’s one of the area’s best sprinters by sweeping the sprints in the Colonial League track and field championships on Thursday. “I have something in me: I don’t quit. I know for sure that…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Finally, after a mostly frustrating game of overthrown passes, Whitehall quarterback Mike Gnall settled down. Less than a minute remained. Game tied, first-and-10 with 43 yards to go for a touchdown Thursday night at Nazareth’s Andy S. Leh Stadium. Pressure? Not for Gnall, who…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Finally, after a mostly frustrating game of overthrown passes, Whitehall quarterback Mike Gnall settled down. Less than a minute remained. Game tied, first-and-10 with 43 yards to go for a touchdown Thursday night at Nazareth’s Andy S. Leh Stadium. Pressure? Not for Gnall, who…
· 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 →A coach who has established a legacy in the state, and who might be able to run for mayor in Slatington and win, is about to make one final run at a PIAA Class 2A title. But Northern Lehigh coach Jim Tkach would first like to win a PIAA District 11 Class 2A subregional semifinal…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Big Keith Weaver has never been asked to return kickoffs during a game. But the Palisades two-way lineman got his chance to try it during a light practice Tuesday at Nazareth’s Andrew S. Leh Stadium. “Hey, Keith stay back there and receive the kickoff,” Northampton Gold team…
· 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 →Bethlehem Catholic senior two-way tackle Matt Kushner appeared to be an unlikely Division I product before last season. He’d made just 12 tackles in two previous seasons. He had played mostly as an offensive lineman and pancake blocks are not listed on any stats sheets. But…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Opposing defensive linemen might have been more successful blocking Keith Weaver, Palisades’ massive 6-4, 320-pound senior lineman, if they had done what Pirates coach Brian Gilbert used to do in practice. “What we would do was put two guys over him and just treat them as one,”…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →East Stroudsburg-South may or may not be as good as some LVC teams such as Easton (2-0), Parkland (2-2), Liberty (3-0) or Freedom (3-0). However, the Cavaliers may never know. It would be nice to find out on the field, but that can only happen in the PIAA Class 4A sub-regional…
· 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 →It was the type of game meant for playmakers to show off, either on offense or defense Thursday night in Nazareth. Then, maybe enjoy a Big Mac and french fries for a postgame meal with a milkshake or apple pie for dessert. It was, after all, the McDonald’s Lehigh Valley All-Star…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Northwestern sophomore Jordan Smith was undisturbed by the Palisades defense and windy, brisk weather Thursday afternoon in New Tripoli. Playing on his home field, Smith seemed in control from the outset of the second half of a District 11 Class 2A boys soccer quarterfinal. His…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Palisades senior Christa Plummer didn’t allow a headache, sore throat or windy conditions to slow her down in the Colonial League girls cross country championship Thursday at DeSales University. That’s because nothing was wrong with Plummer’s legs as she completed the 3.1 mile…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Notre Dame of Green Pond junior Chris Unera busted through the line of scrimmage and mad thoughts rushed through his mind as he stared down the Palisades kicker and holder on an extra-point attempt during a recent Colonial League game. “I didn’t know if I should tackle the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Dribble, dribble, make a defender miss. Dribble, dribble, make another defender miss. And a third? No problem. Salisbury junior forward Jason Yeisley made another Pen Argyl defenseman appear helpless trying to prevent Yeisley from ringing up another goal in the Colonial League…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Salisbury junior forward Jason Yeisley is being talked about by Colonial League coaches more than any other player in the league. And it’s for good reason. Yeisley has scored 53 goals the last two seasons, and may be just as prolific dialing up net as he leads the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →As he prepared to try to vault to a personal-best height, Catasauqua junior Allan Fatzinger paid no attention to the deceptively positive omens that appeared. There was a rainbow to his left and the sun had just broken through the clouds on his right. But Fatzinger focused only…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Bethlehem Catholic, Catasauqua and Salisbury football teams each won weekend games that provided encouraging signs about the success they might enjoy the rest of the season. For Bethlehem Catholic, the Class 4A state title that has eluded the last two Becahi teams seems all…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →