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.
In the 1970s, Artie Owens often gained inspiration to run hills and practice sprints from watching the Philadelphia Pioneers track team and U.S. Olympic speedster Bob Hayes on Wide World of Sports. The means of motivation worked as Owens went from a three-sport star athlete at…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →During many of his long touchdown runs during the football season, Parkland senior Andre Williams got a good rest before going back out onto the field and trying to go the distance again. Not so in track and field when you run the 110-meter high hurdles and 100 dash, but…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →She was not vintage Chanelle Price. She was strategical. Competing in her first race since suffering a chest infection 10 days ago, Price ran a solid opening leg for Tennessee in the Championships of America 4×1,500-meter relay at the Penn Relays on Friday at Franklin Field. The…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →“I’m 5-3, between 105, 109 pounds,” she said following a blowout win in the 400-meter dash in a tri-meet at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium Monday afternoon. A junior, Smith is in her first year running track and she has quickly gone from a sprinter nobody knew anything…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty’s Stephen Lewis is lean and fast. Parkland’s Andre Williams is lean, fast and powerful. Both are outstanding senior hurdlers coming off top five finishes in the Class 3A 110-meter hurdles in the PIAA Track and Field Championships last year. Lewis was fourth in the 110 in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Kutztown senior guard Stephen Dennis had a career-high 42 points on Jan. 13 against East Stroudsburg and many more highlights have come for the all-time leading scorer in school history. On Monday, the 6-foot-6 Dennis was named the 2009-2010 Daktronics Division II Men’s…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Kutztown’s Stephen Dennis went two-for-two in major awards on Wednesday, earning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East and Daktronics NCAA Division II Atlantic Region player of the year awards. Now, the 6-foot-6 senior guard with the deceptively quick first-step…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Kutztown scrambled, hoping for a miracle run that never came. Indiana University of Pennsylvania was just too strong and poised under pressure in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference final Saturday night at East Stroudsburg University’s Koehler Fieldhouse. It was the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →East Stroudsburg guard Andy Heimbach’s 3-pointers looked good, felt good and six times swished through the net. Cheyney appeared helpless trying to stop Heimbach in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference quarterfinal game at Koehler Fieldhouse. “Once Andy made a couple, I had…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Moravian women’s players and coaches were presented with long stem red roses on Monday for winning the school’s first Landmark Conference title. On Friday, Moravian (25-2) will begin chase after the school’s first NCAA Division III title. The DeSales men and women, both…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →E ast S troudsburg University coach Jeff Wilson didn’t have expectations four years ago that Andy Heimbach would provide highlight-reel dunks. Heimbach, a graduate of Central Catholic, is not that type of player. But he is a shooter, the best in East Stroudsburg’s history from…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Many of the 1,000-point scorers in East Stroudsburg’s history were honored on Saturday before the tip-off of the Warriors game against Cheyney at Koehler Fieldhouse. During a second-half scoring drought that lasted nearly nine minutes, East Stroudsburg coach Jeff Wilson probably…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →E very year about this time bracketology talk begins in reference to Division I teams who appear in, out of, and on the NCAA Tournament bubble. It’s tough to do such a thing in Division II. But it should not be difficult to determine that Kutztown (20-3) and East Stroudsburg…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Just four regular-season games remain and DeSales men’s coach Scott Coval is three wins shy of his 300th victory. He seems guaranteed to reach the milestone this winter. If he doesn’t, then the close to his 17th season in Center Valley will be a bad one. But the chances are…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →East Stroudsburg’s Robby Pines, nicknamed “Big Shot” was fouled by Mansfield’s Big Unit, 6-foot-6, 284-pound Yusseff Carr. Just five seconds in overtime remained. Calm and determined, Pines converted both free throws that clinched East Stroudsburg’s 67-65 victory Wednesday night…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →East Stroudsburg’s Robby Pines, nicknamed “Big Shot” was fouled by Mansfield’s Big Unit, 6-foot-6, 284-pound Yusseff Carr. Just five seconds in overtime remained. Calm and determined, Pines converted both free throws that clinched East Stroudsburg’s 67-65 victory Wednesday night…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →East Stroudsburg’s Robby Pines, nicknamed “Big Shot” was fouled by Mansfield’s Big Unit, 6-foot-6, 284-pound Yusseff Carr. Just five seconds in overtime remained. Calm and determined, Pines converted both free throws that clinched East Stroudsburg’s 67-65 victory Wednesday night…
· 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 →It seeme d like the Lehigh Valley’s Division II and III men’s and women’s college basketball teams could not top what they combined to accomplish during 2008-09 season. It’s still to be determined since it’s only January and it’s tough to top a season in which the DeSales men…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It seemed like the Lehigh Valley’s Division II and III men’s and women’s college basketball teams could not top what they combined to accomplish during 2008-09 season. It’s still to be determined since it’s only January and it’s tough to top a season in which the DeSales men…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The only team Kutztown could not floor with its push-it-to-the-metal style of play was Villanova. Several of the big boy Division I programs have had the same problem. So, there was no shame in Kutztown losing, 110-84 on Nov. 5. Besides, it was only a scrimmage, played at the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The only team Kutztown could not floor with its push-it-to-the-metal style of play was Villanova. Several of the big boy Division I programs have had the same problem. So, there was no shame in Kutztown losing, 110-84 on Nov. 5. Besides, it was only a scrimmage, played at the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →One game after losing an emotional, intense, seesaw game against rival Kutztown, East Stroudsburg returned home Saturday afternoon with unaltered focus and firepower galore. Shippensburg was overwhelmed. Andy Heimbach, a Central Catholic graduate, was the Warriors’ biggest…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ranked No 3 in the country and boasting the top scorer in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Kutztown appeared to be in a good situation Wednesday night. Senior guard Stephen Dennis made sure of it, scoring a career-high 42 points, including 13 during a four-minute tear…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Freedom senior Darrius Webb was one of the most exciting and effective running backs in the Lehigh Valley over the last two seasons. On Wednesday, Webb joined a cast of star players from around the state with his selection to the Pennsylvania sports writers’ Class 4A all-state…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ranked No 3 in the country and boasting the top scorer in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Kutztown appeared to be in a good situation Wednesday night. Senior guard Stephen Dennis made sure of it, scoring a career-high 42 points, including 13 during a four-minute tear…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Tonight, the Kutztown and East Stroudsburg men’s basketball teams are expected to engage in a shootout. Perhaps one for the ages, featuring the top two scoring teams in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Kutztown averages 85.7 points and East Stroudsburg 84.5. “We’ll…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Tonight, the Kutztown and E ast Stroudsburg men’s basketball teams are expected to engage in a shootout. Perhaps one for the ages, featuring the top two scoring teams in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Kutztown averages 85.7 points and East Stroudsburg 84.5. “We’ll…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →You’ve probably heard the phrase “Like father …” Well, how about “Like father and cousin?” That’s the situation Liberty senior three-sport star Jarrod West is now in after being selected to play in the 53rd annual Big 33 Football Classic June 19 at HersheyPark Stadium. West’s…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The football bowl season is in full swing and several area products will be participating in the college version of the postseason. Robbie Frey, a former all-state running back from Lehighton, is a redshirt freshman running back at Connecticut, who played in a bowl game last…
· 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 →Easton extended its decade of playoff domination over Parkland Saturday night. And the way the Red Rovers did it was with a punishing attack on both sides of the ball. The Easton defense, tops in the Lehigh Valley Conference with an 8.5 per game scoring average, stopped Parkland…
· 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 →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 →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 →Since last season ended, the East Stroudsburg women’s basketball team has been in disarray. Jackie Yandrisevits, the all-time leading women’s basketball scorer at the college, graduated in May, and then on Aug. 20 school officials announced that head coach Julienne Simpson had…
· 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 →Liberty quarterback Anthony Gonzalez displayed elusiveness and speed on his first carry, which he ran 70 yards for a touchdown against rival Freedom Saturday afternoon at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. More impressive dashes followed for Gonzalez in a must-win game for…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →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 →Two of the area’s top men’s basketball players, Lehigh senior guard Marquis Hall and Kutztown senior guard Stephen Dennis, earned preseason honors on Thursday. Hall, a former Patriot League rookie of the year, was named the preseason player of the year and will try to join…
· 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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →A second Eagles player has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee, another blow to the team during a training camp in which there have been season-ending injuries, a death and an arrest. Rookie tight end Cornelius Ingram, a fifth-round draft pick from the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Veteran offensive lineman Stacy Andrews’ career with the Philadelphia Eagles began on Monday, minus his brother Shawn, a veteran Eagles lineman. But Stacy, who was an offseason free-agent pickup from the Cincinnati Bengals, did not mind that his older brother (by one year) was…
· 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 →Nothing’s popping in track and field just yet. Many coaches prefer to keep it that way this early by not having any of their league- and district-title hopefuls pull muscles that could linger the entire season. The more serious meets are the Penn Relays April 23-25 and Allentown…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →For spring break entertainment the Muhlenberg women’s team gets to take a 430-mile bus trip to Brunswick, Maine, for at least one NCAA Division III tournament game Friday. “Outside of maybe going to Alaska, I’m not sure if there is a place farther away that they would not want…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →If one finger roll doesn’t work, try another and another. That’s what Kutztown’s high-scoring backcourt duo, senior Dave Ben and junior Stephen Dennis, did in the final 20 seconds of the Golden Bears’ 97-86 win over Mansfield in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference…
· 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 →The Muhlenberg College women achieved Centennial Conference perfection. It wasn’t easy. Deadlocked 65-65 with Ursinus in the final seconds last Saturday, freshman guard Alexandra Chili drilled a 3-pointer that lifted the Mules to a 68-65 road win and became the first team to go…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Women’s college basketball is at its all-time best in the Lehigh Valley this winter and Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan hopes his city will bank on Lehigh’s success. The Patriot League women’s basketball tournament, hosted by Lehigh, is March 7-8 at Stabler Arena, and will be…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s imaginable to go undefeated in conference play. It just doesn’t happen too often on any level in college basketball. Which is why the Muhlenberg women, 16-0 in Centennial Conference play, are determined to win at Dickinson tonight and at Ursinus on Saturday to close out the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →DeSales and Muhlenberg took breaks away from conference play to compete against each other in a non-league game Monday night in Center Valley. But it was no breather for either team. It was a physical, heart-stopping game that wasn’t decided until the final 10 seconds. DeSales’…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →February essentially is the nitty-gritty time of the college basketball season. Every game carries significantly more magnitude than the previous one. Every win enhances NCAA Tournament aspirations and top seeding possibilities for teams who are nationally ranked, including the…
· 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 →The drive from Hellertown to East Stroudsburg University never seems that long to Warriors coach Jeff Wilson. It’s something he has enjoyed. “I’ve found whether it’s going to work or coming home from work it’s a good time to get some reflection done,” said Wilson, who’s in his…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →DeSales University senior forward Matt Zwetolitz doesn’t focus on just one game or one season. That would be too shortsighted and Zwetolitz has been taught better. “My high school coach, Jerry Radocha, taught me to go beyond basketball,” Zwetolitz said on Tuesday at the Lehigh…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →John Bedics wants one more graduation gift. Bedics, a starting offensive lineman for the North Carolina State Wolfpack and former Bethlehem Catholic standout, plays his final college game Monday night. North Carolina (6-6) meets Rutgers (7-5) in the PapaJohns.com Bowl in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A week after Liberty High coach Tim Moncman and his star player Anthony Gonzalez shared tears, hugs and the glory of winning the school’s first state football title, the dynamic duo made a sweep of the Associated Press’ All-State Class 4A top honors. Moncman, who has managed the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Daniel Curatola suffered a broken collarbone while playing pick-up football during his sophomore year at Bethlehem High and his parents refused to let him play on the school’s varsity team — in 1935. He had hoped to play because he wanted to be part of a program that he said…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Christian Rodriguez was the backup quarterback to Dan Persa on Liberty’s 2006 PIAA Class 4A runner-up team as a sophomore, and it appeared that he was destined to be the starter the next two seasons. Athletic, 6-foot and almost 200 pounds, Rodriguez appeared to have all the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Juliene Simpson has returned as the East Stroudsburg women’s coach after taking a year off for personal reasons and the veteran coach has two local players also back who could help make for a good season. Jackie Yandrisevits, a 5-foot-9 senior forward from Nazareth and DeAnna…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The player-hater fans need not waste their time harassing East Stroudsburg center Chris Bach with old man jokes this season. It didn’t work last season as Bach proved that 30 isn’t too old to be an effective college basketball player. The 6-foot-9 Bach averaged 11.7 points and…
· 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 →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 →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 →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 →BOSTON COLLEGE 4-1, 1-1 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat N.C. State 38-31 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Sr. PK, 5-10, 198. Game: 5-for-5 on PATs; 1-for-1 on FGs, 17-yarder. Season: 18-for-18 on PATs; 6-for-8 on FGs. BROWN 2-1 (Ivy League) Lost to Rhode Island 37-13 Brendan…
· 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 →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 →Easton has played two teams it was supposed to crush. The Red Rovers did just that, beating Stroudsburg by 27 points and Dieruff by 35. Now Easton (2-0, 1-0) hosts two-time defending Lehigh Valley Conference champion Parkland on Friday night at Cottingham Stadium. It’s Easton’s…
· 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 →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 →Like Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, the Lehigh Valley’s Limeport Stadium has created lasting memories for baseball fans. Cozy Limeport Stadium, which resembles a miniature big league stadium from an era gone by, will celebrate its 75th anniversary in grand style…
· 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 →Steve Hixson had another memorable run at the Penn Relays. Never mind that he was not able to rally Kutztown University to a victory in the college men’s Wetzler/Pennsylvania 1,600-meter relay Friday at Franklin Field. Hixson was still overjoyed that he ran one of his fastest…
· 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 →Losing the final regular season game is not good for any team hoping to enter the playoffs with momentum. But the Moravian men, who were routed 82-60 by Landmark Conference foe Scranton on Saturday, will get a chance to bounce back on their home court. The second-seeded…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Couldn’t make it off your high school team’s bench to get playing time but still want to play college basketball? Don’t worry, Northampton Community College women’s coach Art Wolfe may have a spot for you on his team. And it’s not riding the pine. Wolfe, who finished his 19th…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Channon Easley may have been overlooked by Division I college basketball recruiters. But four years into his career at D-II East Stroudsburg, Easley is not complaining. His coach, Jeff Wilson, is thrilled to have worked with the agile, 6-8 forward, who has proved himself to be…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Kutztown guard Dave Ben had an open look again from beyond the arc, and his focus was a whole lot better than in the final seconds of the first half. After air-balling that earlier try, Ben dialed up and connected on a 3 with 1:05 remaining, putting Kutztown ahead for good in a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Fred Richter has never coached on the Division I level, but he’s learned a lot from the legendary Bobby Knight, who resigned Monday at Texas Tech, ending his illustrious 42-year coaching career. Richter, the DeSales women’s coach, prescribed years ago to Knight’s defensive…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty senior football star Ahkeem Smith has found a college football home in the City of Brotherly Love. Sorry James Madison. Smith, a two-time Morning Call all-area first-team pick, confirmed Wednesday night that he has verbally committed to Temple University. James Madison,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Darrell Roth quit the Muhlenberg College football team following his freshman year, determined to earn a spot on the Mules’ varsity basketball team. It didn’t immediately happen. Instead, the former Nazareth High two-sport athlete played on the Mules’ junior varsity team as a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →East Stroudsburg University’s Koehler Fieldhouse was packed Wednesday night. It stirred memories for Andy Heimbach, who played in front of frenzied atmospheres at Central Catholic’s Rockne Hall before bringing his sweet jump shot to the Poconos two years ago. The fans loved the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The odds are stacked against the Cedar Crest College women’s team winning more than a game each season. The Falcons are a Division III program that has posted a 5-115 record in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference this decade, which includes 0-16 records in league play in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Perfection on the basketball court is hard to achieve, which is why DeSales junior Kim Rarick chose to give her team a “B” as a midseason grade. The Bulldogs, under veteran coach Fred Richter, are 11-3 and considered a contender for the Freedom Conference championship. “Nobody…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →If you are a local player, have game and can’t seem to obtain a Division I scholarship, don’t worry. East Stroudsburg coach Jeff Wilson can probably find a spot for you on his Division II team. And not just to work hard in practice and then ride the bench on game night. No,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →East Stroudsburg junior guard Jackie Yandrisevits displayed everything expected of an all-around player Wednesday night. Her jumpers and free throws were good, her rebounding and defense relentless, and her passing sensational. But Moravian coach Mary Beth Spirk still had a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →There’s nothing better than a point guard who thrives on setting up his teammates for baskets instead of trying to fill up the scorebook with his own points. DeSales senior guard Eddie Ohlson is just 5-8 but he’s the Bulldogs’ most valuable player because of his passing skills…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →West Virginia offensive lineman Jake Figner was credited with 20 knockdown blocks last season, which was impressive enough for the Northwestern High graduate to remain a starter. The number of pancake blocks Figner had this season has not been released, but he’s confident that…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland junior wide receiver Jaleel Clark was unstoppable, gracefully and effortlessly racing downfield to make tough catches and score touchdowns. Easton senior Jarred Holley once again played the role of lockdown defensive back, Liberty senior Brendan Beal was a hard-hitting…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Playoffs, playoffs, playoffs. That’s all Moravian men’s coach Jim Walker is thinking about — and he has four experienced and talented seniors to rely on most to accomplish that goal. The Greyhounds went 11-14 and missed the playoffs in their final year in the Commonwealth…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →BOSTON COLLEGE 10-2, 6-2 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Miami 28-14 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. PK, 5-10, 183. Game: 4-for-4 on PATs, 0-for-1 on FGs. Season; 42-for-45 on PATs; 9-for-14 on FGs, long 45 yards. BRIGHAM YOUNG 9-2, 7-0 (Mountain West) Beat Utah 17-10 Joe…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s the year after the 100th Thanksgiving Day meeting between Easton and Phillipsburg and everything surrounding the game is different. “Yeah, quite a bit,” Easton coach Steve Shiffert said. “I think it’s to be expected … that the build up is not the same, but I think you have…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 3-8 (Independent) Lost to Tulsa 49-39 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: Played. Season: Four solo tackles, two assisted. BOSTON COLLEGE 9-2, 5-2 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Clemson 30-17 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. PK, 5-10, 183. Game: 2-for-2 on PATs,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 3-7 (Independent) Lost to Rutgers 41-6 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: Played. Season: Four solo tackles, two assisted. BOSTON COLLEGE 8-2, 4-2 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Lost to Maryland 42-35 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. 5-10, 183. Game: 5-for-5 on PATs,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →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 →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. BRIGHAM YOUNG 5-2 (Mountain West) Beat Eastern…
· 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 →ARMY 3-3 (independent) Beat Tulane 20-17 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: One solo tackle. Season: Two solo tackles, one assist. BOSTON COLLEGE 6-0(Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Bowling Green 55-24 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. 5-10, 183. Game: 7-for-7 on PATs;…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 2-3 (independent) Beat Temple 37-21 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: Played. Season: One solo tackle, one assist. BOSTON COLLEGE 5-0 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat UMass 24-14 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. 5-10, 183. Game: 3-for-3 on PATs; 1-for-1 on FGs, 37…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →ARMY 1-3 (Independent) Lost to Boston College 37-17 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: Played. Season: One solo tackle, one assist. BOSTON COLLEGE 4-0 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Army 37-17 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) Jr. 5-10, 183. Game: 2-for-3 on PATs; 1-for-2…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →ALBANY 1-1 (Northeast Conference) Beat Fordham 23-20 Terrell Dobbins (Bethlehem Catholic) Fr. RB, 5-10, 205. Game: Played. Season: One carry, 2 yards. ARMY 1-1 (independent) Beat Rhode Island 14-7 Marcus Millen (Easton) Sr. DE 6-0, 228. Game: Played: Season: No stats. Jake Walsh…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →What happened in Emmaus last Friday night is not being be dwelled on. That’s because of the request Green Hornets coach Joe Bottiglieri made to his players. Bottiglieri, who’s in his sixth season at Emmaus, tells his players to only concentrate on the current challenge and not…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →There’s no such thing as meaningless games for District 11 Class 4A teams anymore, considering the complicated points system used to determine qualifiers for the PIAA subregional playoffs. But some Lehigh Valley Conference teams aren’t worried about matters they can not control…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Bethlehem Catholic senior Joe Kovcs relaxed himself, then blew past the Class 2A discus field to win his second gold medal of the PIAA Track and Field Championships Saturday at Shippensburg University. His winning throw traveled 179 feet, 11 inches, which was five inches shorter…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic senior Joe Kovacs is seeded No. 1 in the Class 2A shot put and discus by wide margins, which gives him a strong chance of winning two gold medals in the PIAA Track and Field Championships. Several other Lehigh Valley male athletes also appear to have strong…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The pressure is now off Bethlehem Catholic senior Joe Kovacs. He took it off with the throw of his life, breaking the 36-year-old area record in the shot put on his final attempt Thursday in the District 11 Track and Field Championships at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bothered little by the rain and dark clouds, Catasauqua junior Kyle Miller cleared 14 feet, 7 inches to establish a Class 2A record in the pole vault in the District 11 Track and Field Championships Thursday at J. Birney Crum Stadium. The height was a personal best for Miller,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The chase is on again for Bethlehem Catholic standout thrower Joe Kovacs. Kovacs, a senior, will attempt to break the area shot put record of 62-113/4 in the District 11 Track and Field Championships. The two-day event begins at 3 p.m. today at J. Birney Crum Stadium in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →George Bright has spent the last 27 years proving wrong the high school guidance counselor who once told him he might not be much more than a shoe store manager. Bright, Lafayette College’s associate athletic director the last five years, has been succeeding for years, and he’s…
· 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 →It’s tough to succeed in track and field without having confidence to go along with talent. Fortuntely for him, Whitehall High senior standout thrower Andy Fahringer definitely has both. He also has posted early-season results in the discus and javelin that validate him as a…
· 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 →Going head-to-head with Villanova coach Jay Wright or any other Division I coach for a recruit would not appear to be all that enjoyable for Kutztown University coach Bernie Driscoll. After all, Kutztown is a Division II school, while Villanova competes in the Big East…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Kutztown figured out a way to stop East Stroudsburg’s offense just in time to flip the script of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference matchup that had been back-and-forth Wednesday night. Switching from a man-to-man to a zone defense, Kutztown limited East Stroudsburg to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Before March Madness there is “February Tightness” as the chase to make it to the NCAA Tournament intensifies across the country. That’s in all Divisions — I, II, and III. Some teams live for the pressure, but there’s a long list of teams that cannot handle the heat. But the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The only shot in basketball that’s guaranteed to never be contested is a free throw. Yet, it’s often the most difficult shot to make, especially when the game is on the line and all eyes are on the shooter. How many times have you seen a player tighten up and miss the front end…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Debate continues as to whether college women’s basketball teams should be allowed to use male practice players. It probably wouldn’t be that much of a big deal now, if it were not for the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics calling for ban on male practice players in December.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Muhlenberg senior Chris Pothering and Moravian junior Megan Kocon aren’t too concerned about their statistics. Just playing their role and contributing as much as possible is good enough for them. “I look at basketball right now and I just love having the outlet, having the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Moravian College men’s coach Jim Walker has long been a part of the 300 club. “You mean 300 wins or 300 losses,” Walker said with a laugh. “I think I might be in both,” he added. Walker is 366-326 in 28 seasons, all but one of which has been at Moravian. He went 15-10 in his…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →East Stroudsburg rallied with dunks, 3-pointers and 3-point plays, and precision from the free throw line. But the Warriors couldn’t prevent California University of Pennsylvania’s “Gardner” from planting himself inside the paint and scoring at will Saturday afternoon at Koehler…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Muhlenberg women’s coach Rohn closed out 2006 with the area’s only undefeated team, but also with the same concern as all the other Division II and III coaches. And that concern was whether or not his team could be wrinkle free in its first game of 2007. He got his answer on…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Ryan Miller appears on the cover of the Moravian men’s basketball program book and he’s proven, through 10 games, exactly why he was selected. He’s the Greyhounds’ scoring leader at 13.9 points per game. He has also become a better ball handler and distributer. But Miller, a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →‘COLLEGES ARMY 3-8 (Independent) Lost to Notre Dame 41-9 Marcus Millen (Easton) Jr. DE, 6-1, 230. Game: Played. No stats. Season: Same. Julius Meyers (Pennridge) Sr. LB, 6-2, 232. Game: Played. No stats. Season: Same. BOSTON COLLEGE 9-2, 5-2 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES BOSTON COLLEGE 8-2, 4-2 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Duke 28-7 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) So. K, 5-11, 175. Game: 4-for-4 on PATs. Season: 15-for-15 on PATs; 5-for-6 on FGs; longest 36 yards. BROWN 3-6, 2-4 (Ivy League) Lost to Dartmouth 19-13 Justin Gallagher…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Four years after winning the PIAA Class 4A championship, Parkland returns to the district playoffs with a balanced team that appears capable of making another run to Hershey. The Trojans don’t have a running back breaking school and state records as Austin Scott did in 2002 with…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland, Easton, Liberty and Bethlehem Catholic, start your engines. It’s time to begin the more serious chase on the road to Hershey. Each Lehigh Valley Conference team is heavily favored to win its first-round playoff game this weekend. Parkland (10-0), Easton (9-1) and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Liberty senior Oscar Rivera rushed to the locker room at halftime on Saturday afternoon, fumes seemingly blowing out of his ears. Rivera was frustrated that Liberty, the team with the high-powered offense and inflated confidence following an emotional victory over Easton last…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES ARMY 3-6 (Independent) Lost to Tulane 42-28 Marcus Millen (Easton) Jr. DE, 6-1, 230. Game: Played. No stats. Season: Same. BOSTON COLLEGE 7-1, 3-1 (ACC) Beat Buffalo 41-0 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) So. K, 5-11, 175. Game: 4-for-4 on PATs; 2-for-2 on FGs of 25 and 30…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →COLLEGES ARMY 3-4 (Independent) Lost to Connecticut 21-7 Julius Meyers (Pennridge) Sr. LB, 6-2, 232. Played. No stats. BOSTON COLLEGE 5-1, 2-1 (Atlantic Coast Conference) Beat Virginia Tech 22-3 Steve Aponavicius (Easton) So. K, 5-11, 175. Game: 2-for-2 on PATs; 2-for-2 on FGs…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →Leyon Azubuike, a former two-way standout at East Stroudsburg South, recently passed a test that Tour de France champion Floyd Landis and 100-meter dash co-world record holder Justin Gatlin both failed. And he had to get up at 5 a.m. on the first day of Temple’s practice to…
· 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 →Andres Morales bulled forward and rammed into one Ohio player after another. He was Pennsylvania’s starting fullback, and to a large degree, he handled his job well Saturday night. He even mouthed off a few times, but Morales has never been the quiet type. He was the vocal,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Stroudsburg High’s version of the “Big House” has dominated on the field since he was 12 years old, when he was 5-5, 190 pounds. Chris Neild, an Associated Press Class 4A second-team all-state linebacker, is now 6-3, 305 pounds. Tonight, he’ll start at offensive guard for…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Andres Morales is finally a day away from playing in HersheyPark Stadium for the first time. No need to ask if he’s ready. The Big 33 Football Classic is a game that Morales, Liberty’s all-state and Morning Call all-area linebacker, has always dreamed about. That’s why his heart…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Andrew Lee has been confronted with one big test after another since practice for the Big 33 Football Classic began on Saturday. He’s had to learn new defensive schemes and adjust to covering wideouts who are faster than he is. He’s also had to prove that he belongs on the same…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It was raining and windy, but Bethlehem Catholic junior Joe Kovacs was not bothered. He was pumped and anxious to blow out the competition early in the Class 2A discus throw at the District 11 Track and Field Championships Wednesday at Blue Mountain High School. “I practice in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The deans of area track and field coaches are back. Freedom’s Ray Herman returns for his 41st season and Southern Lehigh’s Brian Souerwine is back for his 34th. While not a lot has changed since last spring, a whole lot has changed in general over the years. “It’s amazing,” said…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Danny Hargrove never doubted that he’d become a college basketball star one day. He just had to find the right program to showcase his talents, a program where — in his belief — favoritism played no role. In two years at UNC-Greensboro, Hargrove got little playing time and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Kutztown senior Bruce Hall was a breakaway running back before he switched over to basketball in the eighth grade and started beating everybody down court to score fastbreak layups. “I’ve always been fast,” Hall said. “That’s always been one of my advantages.” Moravian junior…
· 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 →Kutztown’s Andre Coles couldn’t get a hand on the ball in the frantic final seconds Saturday afternoon. He had already bulled his way to a game-high 15 rebounds in 35 minutes against rival East Stroudsburg at Keystone Arena. But the beefy 6-5 senior was held in suspense, with…
· 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 →In a weekend dominated by high-scoring performances, not to be overshadowed is the accomplishment of a man who didn’t take one shot. And it probably suited Fred Richter, the DeSales University women’s coach, just fine watching freshman LeighAnn Burke tie a school record with 37…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lehigh men will get another shot at Bucknell Feb. 22 in Lewisburg, and that could be for a first-place tie in the Patriot League. Bucknell finished the first-half of league play 7-0 — with Lehigh at 6-1 and wishing that shots had fallen a different way when the Bison visited…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lehigh’s student fans have a chance to prove that they are more loyal than fairweather Wednesday night. They have a chance to get rowdy and become a more effective “sixth man.” They have chance to prove that Stabler Arena is a place you need to bring earplugs to rather than a…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bruce Hall’s talent as a scorer wasn’t being maximized at Cheyney University, so he transferred to Kutztown and is now having a high-scoring senior season. His passion for the game remained high even after he averaged just 10.6 points and 3.0 rebounds in two seasons at Cheyney,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Muhlenberg senior Stephanie Coluccini, who has already interned at Columbia and Universal Records, would like to do promotional work in radio and television after graduating. If she works as hard in the work force as she does on the court, Mules coach Ron Rohn believes she’ll be…
· 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 →Joe Semanoff has enjoyed the luxuries of a casino hotel in Las Vegas this week. The former standout running back from Lehighton is a sophomore backup at Brigham Young, which plays California in the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl tonight. By game time, Semanoff will have to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →George Washington is averaging 84 points per game, nine more than any other Atlantic 10 team, but the Colonials have yet to play a league team. When they do, the high-flying Colonials may not score with such ease. Richmond (50.5) and Temple (52.1) have the top two scoring…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES NEW HAMPSHIRE 12-1, 7-1 (Atlantic 10) Lost to Northern Iowa 24-21 NCAA Division I-AA quarterfinals Jeff Pammer (Northampton) So. FS, 6-0, 210. Season: Team-high 53 solo tackles, 61 assists, one blocked kick, one interception, two pass break ups. WEST VIRGINIA 10-1, 7-0…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES DELAWARE 6-5, 3-5 (Atlantic 10) Season completed Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Season: Five solo tackles, two for losses, four assists, two pass break ups, two sacks. DUQUESNE 7-3, 4-0 (MAAC) Season completed Travis Decker (Parkland) So. DL, 6-2, 225.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →This college basketball season will not be devoid of upsets. They’re already happening, and the biggest so far was Bucknell’s 74-69 win over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome last Tuesday. Lafayette pulled off another stunner on Sunday afternoon, beating favored Princeton on the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES DELAWARE 6-5, 3-5 (Atlantic 10) Beat Villanova 38-13 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Game: One assisted tackle. Season: Five solo tackles, two for losses, four assists, two pass break ups, two sacks. DUQUESNE 7-3, 4-0 (MAAC) Beat Saint Francis 44-17 Travis…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES DELAWARE 5-5, 2-5 (Atlantic 10) Beat William & Mary 22-21 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Season: Five solo tackles, two for losses, three assists, two pass break ups, two sacks. DUQUESNE 6-3, 4-0 (MAAC) Bye Travis Decker (Parkland) So. DL, 6-2, 225. Season:…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES DELAWARE 4-5, 1-5 (Atlantic 10) Lost to Massachusetts 35-7 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Game: One assisted tackle. Season: Five solo tackles, two for losses, three assists, two pass break ups, two sacks. DUQUESNE 6-3, 4-0 (MAAC) Beat La Salle 56-14 Travis…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Richie Villani did not have a meltdown before attempting his first-ever punt for Freedom, on Oct. 7 at Northampton, although his father, Jim, a former NFL reserve punter, was studying his every move from the sidelines. Oh, Villani was nervous, but not because dad was wide-eyed.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES BRIGHAM YOUNG 4-4, 3-2 (Mountain West) Beat Air Force 62-41 Joe Semanoff (Lehighton) So. RB, 5-10, 215. Season: One carry, 6 yards; two catches, 25 yards, one TD. DELAWARE 4-4, 1-4 (Atlantic 10) Lost to Maine 25-15 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Game: One…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES BRIGHAM YOUNG 3-4, 2-2 (Mountain West) Lost to Notre Dame 49-23 Joe Semanoff (Lehighton) So. RB, 5-10, 215. Season: One carry, 6 yards; two catches, 25 yards, one touchdown. DELAWARE 4-3, 1-3 (Atlantic 10) Beat James Madison 34-28 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES BRIGHAM YOUNG 3-3, 2-2 (Mountain West) Beat Colorado State 24-14 Joe Semanoff (Lehighton) So. RB, 5-10, 215. Season: One carry, 6 yards; two catches, 25 yards, one touchdown. DELAWARE 3-3, 0-3 (Atlantic 10) Lost to Richmond 20-10 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES DELAWARE 2-3, 0-2 (Atlantic 10) Lost to Hofstra 10-6 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Season: Four solo tackles, two for losses, one assisted, two pass break ups. DUQUESNE 2-3, 0-0 (MAAC) Lost to Georgetown 10-7 Travis Decker (Parkland) So. DL, 6-2, 225.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES DELAWARE 3-1, 0-1 (Atl. 10) Lost to Towson 35-31 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) Soph. DL, 6-4, 243. Season: Three solo tackles, two for losses, one assisted, two pass break-ups. DUQUESNE 2-2, 0-0 (MAAC) Bye Travis Decker (Parkland) Soph. DL, 6-2, 225. Season: Five solo…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The Lehigh Valley Conference has become more interesting thanks to Allen’s resurgence with consecutive victories over Freedom and Bethlehem Catholic. However, the Canaries (2-2) are in an uphill battle to advance to the PIAA Class 4A sub-regional playoffs because it’s difficult…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGES BRIGHAM YOUNG 1-1, 0-0 (Mountain West) Bye Joe Semanoff (Lehighton) So. RB, 5-10, 215. DELAWARE 2-0, 0-0 (Atlantic 10) Beat West Chester 42-21 Jeremy Kametz (Freedom) So. DL, 6-4, 243. Game: Did not play. Season: Three solo tackles, two for losses, two pass breakups.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Central Catholic seeks validation. Beating defending Lehigh Valley Conference champion Easton at 7 p.m. Saturday at J. Birney Crum Stadium would help validate the Vikings as a conference contender. “I don’t have to get them pumped up,” said Central Catholic coach Donnie Roberts.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →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 →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 →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 →Most minor league basketball players pray for an invitation to an NBA training camp. Allentown’s Sammy Barona just hoped for an opportunity to play for the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs of the United States Basketball League. He’s finally on the roster and more excited than ever…
· 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 →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 →Arthur Perryman has probably looked down through the clouds countless times over the last 10 years to bless the people who once cheered and idolized him during his standout basketball career at East Stroudsburg High. Many of those people have refused to let memories of the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Teams that make postseason runs in March usually start to play harder and smarter and win more convincingly at this time of the season. Lafayette has done that in its last two Patriot League games. Teams that have short runs in March usually do what Lehigh has done over its last…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Saint Joseph’s is making another run at the NCAA Tournament. And the Hawks don’t even control Philadelphia. But that’s the beauty of college basketball because rankings and computers do not determine a team’s fate. Saint Joe’s (12-9) can advance to the “Big Dance” for the third…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →With pens in hand and wearing broad smiles, four Liberty High football players signed letters of intent with Division I-AA and Division II schools Thursday afternoon in a conference room adjacent to Liberty’s main office. Brendan Van Ackeren, who made big plays on both sides of…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →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 →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 →Pennridge High senior tailback Ryan Greiser, The Morning Call’s player of the year, received an expected honor but at an unexpected position Saturday. And Parkland’s 6-4, 310-pound, two-way standout lineman Morgan Thomas, finally got his due. Greiser and Thomas were selected to…
· 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 →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 →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 and Easton tuned up for the “Battle of the Unbeatens” by smashing their opponents last Friday night. Liberty beat Nazareth 22-0 and Easton rolled over Northampton 45-14. Liberty (8-0, 6-0) did not play its best game, but still proved merciless, holding Nazareth to just…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Emmaus could finish the season 9-1 and not make the PIAA Class 4A sub-regional playoffs. It’s not a joke. It’s just the harsh reality of the new playoff system, which has combined Districts 11, 2 and 4. Just four teams will qualify for the playoffs. Currently, Easton (6-0),…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGE BUCKNELL 3-3, 1-1 (Patriot) Lost 14-13 to Lafayette Mike Cangelosi (Nazareth) Sr. 6-0, 197. Game: Three carries, 19 yards; one catch, 24 yards. Season: 10 carries, 69 yards, TD; four catches, 37 yards. DELAWARE 5-1, 4-0 (Atl. 10) Beat Hofstra 20-19 Sean Bleiler…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →COLLEGE BUCKNELL 3-2, 1-0 (Patriot) Lost 32-25 to Penn (2OT) Mike Cangelosi (Nazareth) Sr. 6-0, 197. Game: seven carries, 50 yards, one touchdown. Season: seven carries, 50 yards, one TD; three catches, 13 yards. DELAWARE 4-1, 3-1 (Atlantic 10) Bye Sean Bleiler (Parkland) Sr.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Nothing about Travis Mohr’s life has ever been ordinary. It’s certainly far from ordinary now, but for much different reasons than when he was younger and people used to stare at him. Today, the 23-year-old Mohr is in Athens for his third Paralympic Games, and he’s a gold-medal…
· 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 →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 →In the review of the second week of high school football games, much was observed. The main observation is that all seems well at Parkland, Phillipsburg, Pennridge and Northern Lehigh. Those teams are considered the area’s top heavyweights along with Easton, which was idle. Each…
· 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 →Some of the Pennsylvania and Ohio All-Stars who feuded in the Big 33 Football Classic Saturday night at Hersheypark Stadium will compete against each other again. Some at Penn State and Ohio State, some at other Big 10 schools. But Allen’s Eugene Clay and East…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Some of the Pennsylvania and Ohio All-Stars who feuded in the Big 33 Football Classic Saturday night at Hersheypark Stadium will compete against each other again. Some at Penn State and Ohio State, some at other Big 10 schools. But Allen’s Eugene Clay and East…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →East Stroudsburg-South’s Leyon Azubuike has been at ease as much as any player could possibly be since arriving here for Big 33 practice. There are many reasons. As a chiseled 6-4, 230-pound defensive end, he looks every bit like the Pennsylvania All-Star he is. His 4.58-second…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →At the top of the not-so-fun list for Allen High’s Eugene Clay, preparing this week for Big 33 Game, is practice. His fun list is a lot longer, including a visit to the Adventure Sports amusement park with his host family, feasting and sharing laughs with teammates — experiences…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Central Catholic coach Donnie Roberts may be one of the luckiest coaches in the history of the McDonald’s Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic. He has a quarterback for every situation. If you like pass-happy offenses, which Roberts does, he has quarterbacks who can…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic tailback Fred Rice never cared about being chased down by faster defensive backs or linebackers, because they still had to take him down once they caught up to him. He also never worried much about who was in front of him, because he’s nicknamed “Boomer” for a…
· 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 →A 1,600-meter relay race that appeared dim after one lap turned into a success story for the Southern Lehigh boys Saturday at the Penn Relays at Franklin Field. That’s because junior Mike Snowden rallied the Spartans from near last place into third with a solid second leg.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Artie Owens made sure he did his offseason conditioning work when he was with the San Diego Chargers in the late 1970s and 80s, but he also made sure he scheduled his vacation time around the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. Owens had been a football and track and field star at…
· 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 →It must have been destiny that rivals East Stroudsburg and Kutztown would play two buzzer-to-buzzer games decided by a combined six points. Sole possession of fourth place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division was on the line when they met Wednesday night…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lafayette College coach Fran O’Hanlon couldn’t have been more correct Saturday when he said, “We haven’t won anything yet.” O’Hanlon was responding to Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard’s statement that he had picked Lafayette to win the Patriot League title. Lafayette (18-5) beat…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lafayette College’s bid for a 14-0 regular-season record in the Patriot League ended with the Leopards’ 85-77 loss to Colgate on Friday in Hamilton, N.Y. But the the Leopards’ hope to win the league’s regular-season and tournament titles remains alive. Even if Lafayette coach…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A meeting at the line of scrimmage between Freedom’s 6-6, 297-pound Ryan Ehrie and Northwestern’s 6-5, 290-pound Jake Figner might have been a grueling matchup, testing more than just the strength of both. It could not happen because Northwestern played in the Colonial League…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Temple guard David Hawkins breathed life back into the Owls’ offense and restored celebration plans for coach John Chaney’s 700th victory with 11:15 remaining Wednesday night. Hawkins drilled a 3-pointer that set off a 13-point personal scoring barrage over the next five…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →There are arenas that are great because of their style, seating capacity, or crowd noise. Lafayette College’s Kirby Sports Center is not exactly a state-of-the-art facility. It lacks the pizzazz of other venues because of its lack of theater-type seating and has a seating…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lehigh University now has a fun-and-gun offense, led by guards Austen Rowland and Jose Olivero, that is entertaining and producing winning results. Maybe it’s a taste of what’s to come in future years under Billy Taylor, the second-year coach who now sports a 25-18 record after…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Now that Easton has played it’s all-important Thanksgiving Day game against Phillipsburg, losing 26-23, the Red Rovers (11-2) appear headed for an extremely difficult mission Saturday night. Up next is high-powered and defensively stingy North Penn (13-0) in the PIAA Class 4A…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland High’s defense was a bone-crushing unit last week in a 35-0 win over East Stroudsburg South. Star lineman Travis Decker figures the Trojans will be even more punishing against Easton at 7 tonight at Cottingham Stadium. “Everyone is pumped up for this game,” Decker said.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Northampton had already been out of playoff contention by the time October rolled around and the leaves had changed colors over the past few years. Not so this fall. But how much longer will Northampton’s football season last? The Konkrete Kids (7-3) qualified for the District…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Notre Dame of East Stroudsburg junior goalie Justin Ross rolled up his sleeves, dropped down and pounded the turf Tuesday at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown. Bishop O’Reilly junior midfielder Alex Gionta knelt down, reflected with a silent prayer, and calmed his nerves…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The season-ending game for Bethlehem bragging rights had been circled on the schedules of Freedom and Liberty since August. But only Liberty seemed ready for the challenge when the two rivals met in a Lehigh Valley Conference Northampton Division matchup before a spirited crowd…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The first goal by sophomore forward Ben Vauter turned the tide in favor of third-seeded Notre Dame of East Stroudsburg in the District 11 Class 1A boys soccer championship Thursday at J. Birney Crum Stadium. The next two goals, both by junior midfielder Jeff Natale in the fist…
· 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 →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 →Freedom and Whitehall left little doubt about how strong they are defensively Friday night. They opened the game hitting hard, allowing minimal gains, and their hit parade continued throughout the Lehigh Valley Conference matchup in Whitehall. Just three points were scored in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →One more chance. “This is my fourth year,” said Central Catholic High senior quarterback Josh Hinkle. “I’ve got to get one.” Just one victory over Bethlehem Catholic, the arch rival that has bombarded Central Catholic by a 126-31 margin in their last three meetings. Hinkle has…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Liberty High survived last week, beating Pleasant Valley 35-28 in double overtime. Now comes a bigger team, a bigger task. Parkland’s visit to Bethlehem Area School District Stadium to play Liberty at 7 p.m. Saturday will be the Hurricanes’ biggest home game in years. Parkland…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The stadium lights will be turned on and the blocking, tackling, passing, punishing and juking between the lines will commence throughout the Lehigh Valley this weekend as the high school football season kicks off. Lehigh Valley Conference powers Parkland, Bethlehem Catholic and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Like all the players in the McDonald’s Football Classic, Bethlehem Catholic quarterback Adam Bednarik will wear his school’s helmet for the final time at 7 tonight at Nazareth High. It just won’t be the same Golden Hawks helmet he wore during the season, the one that was loaded…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →How small was Bethlehem Catholic sprinter Brandon Carter when he was a freshman? “I don’t know if his head came up to a hurdle,” said Golden Hawks track and field coach Gary Mohylsky. “I was pretty tiny,” admitted Carter, who was 5-2 as a freshman. He’s a shade under 5-8 now,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Freedom two-sport senior Tyler Jones may look imposing at 6-3, 280 pounds, but his twin sister Amy says he’s really a teddy bear. “He doesn’t cry at movies or anything,” Amy said. “He’s just one of those brothers who you get along with. Maybe, it’s because we are the same age…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic sprinters stampeded the grass field, perhaps awakening the dead the faster they ran, and passed the baton from hand-to-hand at Wednesday’s practice. Odd as it seemed, practice was at Memorial Park Cemetery, located across the street from the high school. “This…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Austin Scott turned into Kid Scott on Tuesday afternoon at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel grand ballroom. He just couldn’t believe that he was in the same room with athletes and coaches he has seen so often on television. Nor could Scott believe that later Tuesday the Maxwell…
· 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 →If faced with the challenge, could the Parkland defense have swallowed up Trojan record-breaking tailback Austin Scott in the same nasty way it did Woodland Hills in the PIAA Class 4A Championship game Saturday night in Hershey? Think about it. No defense stopped Scott. Some had…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →She was the lady in the fur coat standing on the muddy steps in Hersheypark Stadium Saturday night, requesting to talk to the star Parkland running back, her nephew Austin Scott. He was the man wearing a much less flamboyant coat, proudly talking about the astuteness of his son,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →There are many ways to score touchdowns. Long runs, short runs. Long pass receptions, short pass receptions. Punt returns. Kickoff returns. Defensively. Parkland’s Austin Scott has explored most of these options during his memorable and historic season. And he’s not done, yet.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →They often yelled during stretching drills, “Orefield Beach, baby,” despite bitter cold temperatures that had frozen the ground Wednesday at Parkland Stadium. “I think it was colder out here [Tuesday], but it’s nice to be out here now when nobody else from the Lehigh Valley is…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →They were beauty on offense, and a beast on defense, in the PIAA Class 4A semifinals Friday night. Parkland’s offense was led by perhaps the best dancer in cleats that the Lehigh Valley has ever seen, in senior tailback Austin Scott. The Trojans were also that dominant on…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The planning is over. Now it’s time for Parkland to just go out and beat the USA Today’s 13th-ranked team, a team that is averaging 47 points and which once rolled up 76 points on an opponent this season. That team is Central Dauphin, which will bring a 12-0 record into…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Some of the East Stroudsburg players looked like a pack of jubilant kids the way they were belly-flopping and sliding on the muddy field at Eiler-Martin Stadium Saturday afternoon. For many of them, a childhood dream had just been fulfilled. The Warriors clinched a share of the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →As guaranteed by star tailback Austin Scott 12 weeks ago, Parkland got the rematch with Bethlehem Catholic Friday night with the District 11 Class 4A title on the line. And led by Scott’s 222 yards rushing and touchdown runs that covered 57 and 28 yards, Parkland made the best…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →First, Parkland tailback Nick Pinchek did his part with hard, punishing blocks, helping teammate Austin Scott rush for over 200 yards and into the state record books Friday night in the District 11 Class 4A championship game at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. Then the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →No team has stopped the offense of Bethlehem Catholic or Parkland. They didn’t even stop each other. But the defenses of both teams will give it another shot when Parkland (10-1) meets Bethlehem Catholic (11-0) at 7 tonight for the District 11 Class 4A championship at Bethlehem…
· 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 →They are not called “hogs” or “beef brothers” or the “the plow crew.” Nothing intimidating. Instead, Parkland’s offensive linemen go by the nickname, “Merculators”, which sounds more suited for a dance studio than for the trenches on a football field. But they are called that…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He has been nicknamed Boomer Jr. since birth. “I was a real big baby,” said Bethlehem Catholic junior Fred Rice. “I was almost 13 pounds when I was born, so they just called me Boomer.” The nickname fits him perfectly on the field where Rice is a star fullback and linebacker,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Austin Scott seemed to learn more from playing hide-and-seek and tag as a youngster than most kids. That’s because he concentrated on being elusive and running fast. “I used to get away any way that I could,” said Scott. The Parkland High senior tailback has returned from a knee…
· 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 →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 →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 →Parkland tailback Austin Scott did not want to be hounded by bandwagon jumpers the rest of the season, especially since his heart has been set on playing for Penn State since his sophomore season. The senior Trojans star will make his choice official today by making an oral…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The mind games started as early as 4 a.m. when Dieruff wide receiver Joel Rupp’s father had him running 40-yard sprints. “I tell him you have got to be ready to run whenever the coaches ask you,” said Rupp Sr. The mind games also extended from 20 feet away when Rupp’s father…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Division I recruiters have been looking at Bethlehem Catholic quarterback Adam Bednarik since last season, probably drooling over his beautiful spirals and the distance he can throw. Shouldn’t they also be looking at Allen quarterback Michael Bernhard and Dieruff QB Richard…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →Rich Baker worked his whole life to become a Division I basketball player, and when the opportunity came, he earned a starting position in the backcourt of the Rider Broncs of the Metro Athletic Conference. But now Baker is again searching for the right college situation. Rider…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Eddie Scipio, the fastest of the Bethlehem Catholic High sprinters, enthusiastically raised his voice after winning his fourth gold medal in the District 11 Class 2A championships a week ago and proclaimed, “We’re on the map in track and field.” Not just as a dot, either. Four…
· 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 →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 →Winning the Colonial League track and field championship in the 1,600-meter run was basically a given for Southern Lehigh’s Tim Erickson before he even stepped onto the all-weather surface at Bangor Memorial Park Friday. Even with an injured right knee. But Erickson’s runaway…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A freak pre-race injury left one of the area’s top girl sprinters bruised in the face and woozy despite about a 10-minute period to recover. Danielle Lattimore of Easton was nowhere near her blazing self in the girls 400-meter finals in Wednesday’s Mountain Valley Conference…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Parkland senior Erin Cadden could not wait to exchange her track cleats for dancing shoes Tuesday following the Mountain Valley Conference track and field championships at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. The anxiety seemed reasonable, considering that Cadden had…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Not enough people around District 11 probably know about the speed of Parkland sophomore Steve Stern and Lehighton senior Katie Grant. Start paying attention. Stern and Grant legitimized their claims as two of the area’s top sprinters with victories in the 100-, 200- and…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bethlehem Catholic’s Eddie Scipio, Fred Rice, Brandon Carter and Maurice Simmons have memories from the 108th Penn Relays they will be able to savor the rest of their lives. And for good reason. They ran faster than any team in The Morning Call’s circulation area has ever run in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Outside of the Franklin Field stadium where a record-crowd of 50,827 cheered, clapped and waved Jamaican and American flags on Saturday, Lehigh University’s Patrick Dugan and Lafayette College’s Ethan Blose captured a piece of Penn Relays glory in the javelin event. Dugan’s…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A Penn Relays race that Southern Lehigh senior Tim Erickson sat in the stands of Franklin Field and prayed for for more than three hours Friday, was going fine after two laps. But keeping pace in the studded field of high school boys’ mile runners in Day 2 of the 108th running…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Off to the side, Mark Lesko stood. Other players were loafing around, some were showboat dunking, throwing the ball off the back wall inside the Lehigh Carbon Community College gymnasium, catching it and then jamming. Others were swishing jumpers from way out. But some of those…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →You have to know that the United States Basketball League is all about giving unsuspecting players a chance to play professionally when a former towel boy is drafted by the defending league champion. Good thing it was in the seventh round, 61st pick overall that the Pennsylvania…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Some players have shown up at the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs tryout camps the last two weeks with a support team which has included girlfriends, wives and family members. Juwan Justice, a 6-4 guard from East Stroudsburg University, has traveled to Lehigh Carbon Community College…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The telephone at the Pennsylvania VallyDawgs headquarters in Easton rang more often than usual Tuesday, but not all the calls were from people wondering if head coach Darryl Dawkins was really serious about wanting to coach at Lehigh University. Inquiring minds, mostly those of…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s time for Lehigh University to consider making a change in philosophy and make history by hiring its first African-American head men’s basketball coach and just the second ever in the Patriot League. Maybe Lehigh search committee chairman Glenn Hofmann should first look at…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →In the end, all the hustle any coach could expect of his players was there. Victory just was not. Neither was the patience of Lehigh University Athletic Director Joe Sterrett, who decided on Tuesday not to extend the annual coaching contract of men’s head basketball coach Sal…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Something about Lehigh is starting to impress me. No, it’s not the campus. Too hilly. Certainly, it’s not one of the university’s nicknames. It’s the men’s basketball program, yes, that 5-22 team that closed out the regular season by losing 11 of its final 12 games. Until…
· 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 →The guessing game of who’s in, who’s out, and who needs to do what to get into the good graces of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee has heated up as college basketball enters its final two weeks of the regular season. Locally, Lafayette (13-12) and Lehigh (4-21) can only…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The noise level is more boisterous and the atmosphere more lively at the University of Pennsylvania’s Palestra than at any other college gymnasium in Philadelphia, especially in matchups between Big 5 teams. “This is a great place to play when it is filled,” Penn junior Ugonna…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Billy McCaffrey should get out his notepad and scribble down a few things from Kort Wickenheiser, mostly about details of how to move up in the college basketball coaching ranks as an assistant coach before becoming the man in charge. Sometimes the game really is about paying…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s mid-January now, the third week of league play all over the land. More rivals are hooking up, intensity escalating. What happened in November and December, setting the record straight, still matters. Just not as much. Win the league regular season title and gain extra…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Rich Baker, the ex-Stroudsburg High star making his first homecoming appearance as a starting guard for Rider, swished a 3-pointer from deep in the corner for his first basket Wednesday night. For Baker, what happened after that was just as he had hoped. First, Rider used its…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Maybe some of the “ballers’ from the ‘hood where Rich Baker grew up have succumbed to negative influences, and had their dreams of playing Division I basketball shattered. But not Baker. He continued to improve his slashing and shooting skills at Stroudsburg High en route to…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →What happens when the head basketball coach goes on a rampage, criticizing one player in particular in front of everybody in the gymnasium? Both are boiling, the coach from repeating himself and not getting expected results, and the player from being berated by a man other than…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Bewilderment rocked the Penn State campus two weeks ago when Yale beat the Nittany Lions on the basketball court. It has happened before. It’s just that nobody on the current Nittany Lions roster or head coach Jerry Dunn was even born when the Bulldogs beat Penn State 33-31 in…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Lafayette has been close. Really close to Miami of the Big East in the second half on Saturday. The Leopards also led Penn State by 13 points in the first half last Wednesday. The two road games ended in defeats, 75-66 to Penn State and 79-69 to Miami. Lafayette beat Albany,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →That either Kutztown or East Stroudsburg could have gained a share of the PSAC East title by beating Bloomsburg will be a topic for offseason reflection. The focus now for both teams is on securing seven-victory seasons in PSAC finale games on Saturday. With a victory over…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Yorel Prosser has had so many injuries in his four-year football career at Kutztown that his teammates figured out a nickname that best describes his gridiron experiences. “They call me Motrin Man,” said Prosser, who has had ankle, knee, shoulder and back injuries that have…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A perfect series is far easier to accomplish on a Saturday afternoon in college football than a perfect game. Accomplishing a perfect season is not easy at all. Hope of it was erased for Kutztown four games into the season with a 36-7 road loss to Clarion. Until then, Kutztown…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The major topic of discussion when Kutztown redshirt freshman Rob Flowers gets together with his cousins during the holidays is football. They have so much to share since most of them play or have played college football in the past. Most of them, though, didn’t have to play…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →You can look at the 102 losses in five seasons and wonder why Sal Mentesana continues to have passion for his job as coach of the Lehigh men’s basketball team. “I’ve never questioned what I do,” the 53-year-old Mentesana said. “I love this. My passion for the game has not…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Discussions of football and war have been persistent at the house of East Stroudsburg University coach Denny Douds. Especially this week. America is striking back for the terrorists attacks of Sept. 11 and Douds and his coaching staff are preparing the Warriors for a key…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →From seventh grade to his senior year at East Stroudsburg University, Jeremy Palm has found the quarterback position to be the best place to maintain control of the offense. The difference now is that the defenders swarming after him are a lot bigger, faster and, in most cases,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →He’s a co-captain on the field, a bookworm off it. Maintaining a balance between athletics and academics is something Kutztown senior linebacker Alex Daecher has not had a problem with since entering college five years ago as a freshman. He’s been successful at both, leading…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →“Go, Nick, go.” That’s a cheer Parkland junior Nick Pinchek has waited two years to hear more regularly than just a few times a game when he would be given token handoffs. No, the game plan has changed at Parkland. Pinchek is now a key part of the game plan, the running back on…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Phones rang, beepers went off, concern escalated around the East Stroudsburg University campus on Tuesday. Most of the news was tragic for the East Stroudsburg coaches and some players. Dealing with all the trauma, maintaining morale, focus and perspective is what ESU head coach…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s the game of the week in the Mountain Valley Conference, Nazareth at Easton in a crossover matchup at Cottingham Stadium, a game featuring two teams that play defense exceptionally well and rely on their rushing attacks to lead their offenses. Nazareth has pummeled its first…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →The tranquility of early mornings in the wild is something East Stroudsburg senior punter Adam Hostetter loves just as much as placing punts inside the 20-yard line. The only difference is there is no pressure when he’s hunting and fishing. It’s just him and his outdoors…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →First came the mad rush, the feet of defensive linemen rumbling in the direction of East Stroudsburg quarterback Jeremy Palm. Then came “Tick,” the nickname by which Warriors wide receiver John Kotarsky has gone since his freshman year. Next came the catch, Kotarsky breaking…
· 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 →Not much has changed in the way Denny Douds has done things as head coach at East Stroudsburg University over the last 27 seasons. But there will be a new kick to open his 28th season when the Warriors play host to Clarion at 7 tonight at East Stroudsburg High. It will be the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Looking for flash? Don’t look East Stroudsburg University tailback Andre Castiglioni’s way. Just isn’t his style. But obviously he did a whole lot right last season, rushing for a school single-season record 1,160 yards on 220 carries — another new mark — with five touchdowns.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →A record-breaking high school football season by Parkland High’s Austin Scott was followed by a spring of mistakes, one that resulted in him being expelled from the school in April and forced to attend a private school the rest of the school year. Scott hung out with the wrong…
· 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 →Building blocks and gaining a measure of respect and perhaps develop an identity to be reckoned with by Mountain Valley Conference opponents the rest of the season is all Easton had to work for in the second half. The Red Rovers are in the midst of another down season and they…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Stroudsburg kicker David Butts had waited the entire season for a situation where he could win a game with his foot. He could not have planned the game or the moment any better than Thursday’s 51st Thanksgiving Day meeting against East Stroudsburg. It was his final scholastic…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Stroudsburg tailback Frank Azarelo’s 1-yard run in the second overtime brought fans from both stands to their feet, clapping and cheering while Mountaineer and East Stroudsburg players either kneeled or stood and prayed as the suspenseful Thanksgiving Day game neared a potential…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →East Stroudsburg’s Rob Moylen had a right shoulder separation and he was playing an uncomfortable position last Thanksgiving Day when the Cavaliers played crossbridge rival Stroudsburg. Moylen had been a linebacker since he first began to understand how to really play the sport,…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It’s a score that continues to be talked about because it was an upset last year that halted Parkland’s undefeated season and continued Easton’s postseason run. Easton 7, Parkland 6. “It was the toughest night I ever played in my life,” said Easton senior defensive lineman Larry…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It has been a fun week at East Stroudsburg High fotball practices. Sunday could be a fun day, too, perhaps reminiscing about good things that happened in the Mountain Valley Conference championship game against Parkland. To make for a happy Sunday, the Cavaliers (6-3) must beat…
· 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 →Matt Loebsack has been looking for The Look all week, and the Easton High quarterback said it’s almost the same look of desire and eagerness his teammates had the last time they played Parkland. ‘It’s not quite as much, but it’s starting to come around,’ Loebsack said Wednesday…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →You are Dieruff High and you are riding a 17-game losing streak. The last thing you need is two fumbles on the opening kickoff. The Huskies recovered the fumble both times, but rebounding from the slump they’ve been in for two seasons seemingly evaporated as soon as they fumbled…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Control the hype. That’s what Freedom coach Rob Melosky has tried to do all week, but too much is on the line to be cool. Too much can be gained, and possibly too much lost when Freedom (6-1) travels to Orefield to play Parkland (6-1) in a Mountain Valley Conference matchup for…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Homecoming Saturday night at East Stroudsburg was a return to the powerhouse days of 1995-96 when Cavaliers tailback James Mungro was stampeding through defenders en route to becoming the state’s all-time leading rusher. Junior quarterback Jim Terwilliger does not possess the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →His movement in the pocket is swifter, his throws crisper, his ability to read defensive coverages even better, but the thing that has East Stroudsburg quarterback Jim Terwilliger gloating most is in the Cavaliers’ 4-2 record. Six weeks into last season East Stroudsburg was 0-6…
· 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 →He pulled on an off-tackle running play and kept raging through the hole, boiling with anticipation as he neared a seemingly helpless defender. Smack! Just like that, Parkland High senior John Gray “pancaked a linebacker,” Trojans coach Rich Sniscak said, remembering the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Whitey Williams, the first-year Nazareth football coach, believed junior Mike Cangelosi had the talent to play quarterback just by looking at him. ‘He has that sparkle in his eye,” Williams said. A look that says ‘He is a competitor,” Williams said, ‘And he has great character.…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →It was fastbreak basketball on grass, at least that’s what Parkland quarterback Adam Lane might have been thinking. Throw the ball, and if it’s overthrown or underthrown, try again. So here it went: Up, spiraling and into the hands of double-covered wide receiver Tim Massaquoi…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Have you heard the rumbling sound around Liberty High School? It’s the football team stampeding. Have you noticed the two wins and zero losses? That’s the result of playing up to potential. Do you believe Liberty is really that good? It will be time to find out when the…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →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 →It was the final drill of Parkland High’s exhausting varsity morning football practice, and many of the players were running half-speed. That had head coach Rich Sniscak disgruntled. ‘We’re 45 minutes over schedule, so I know you won’t make it because you’re mentally weak,”…
· Andre D. Williams
Read on mcall.com →Eugene Newsome discovered his love of football by playing tackle football at a young age on gravel in Stroudsburg. “I had a lot of scrapes on my knees,” Newsome said. But he continued playing and enjoyed every crunching play. “I just love to hit,” Newsome said. “A lot of people…
· 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
Read on mcall.com →