Even if you went to Emmaus, Central, Parkland or Easton, or wherever, you have to love this night and root for this guy. Don’t think he will ever forget where he came from.
THIS IS HOW NAZARETH WINS TITLE!
@NAHSBlueEagles
incredibly goes for two and Nathan Stefanik flips it to Jaiden Cabrera. Nazareth wins it 22-21. Incredible play call, incredible game.
DARNELL BRASWELL
The former
@WmAllenBball
and
@DeSales
basketball star has been approved as the Canaries new boys basketball coach, following in footsteps of one of his mentors, Doug Snyder. He is 1st African-American boys hoops coach in Allen history.
MY VIDEO MADE ESPN
@ESPNSportsCentr
play of the day No. 3. Thanks Logan Rickert for getting my work on ESPN. So very glad I did not stop recording after the foul shots. Thanks to
@toomraider1
for sending this because I was sleeping when it aired.
RECORD BREAKER
Liberty’s Alex Sahaydsk kicks a 53-yard field goal that may be the a record breaker for local football. It is the longest field goal I have seen in four decades of covering games.
SON MEETS PRESIDENT
Regardless of party affiliation or what you or I think of his policies, it’s a proud moment when your son gets to shake the hand of the President of the United States as my son did a few moments ago at the Allentown Fire Academy at Mack South Fire Station.
SPECIAL KID
Parkland senior Alex Ocasio, Jr., has been deaf since birth. But with the help of some special people like head coach Tim Moncman and translator Sue Arndt, he has fulfilled his dream and is a key member of the 2018 Trojans.
ROOTING FOR ANDY COEN
There's no cheering in the press box, but you're not human if you don't root for certain people. I am rooting big-time for Andy Coen in his battle against Early Onset-Alzheimer's. I covered his teams for all 13 seasons. Not a better person in local sports.
NICE MOMENT
I wheeled my dad over from the Phoebe Home where he’s still wheelchair bound after a major stroke last winter. He got to spend time in a stadium that meant a lot to him as an Allentown High player in the late 50s. He also got a visit from one of his great grandkids.
PRAYERS FOR A STATE CHAMPION
Damar Hamlin, who has the nation’s prayers right now, was a member of the Pittsburgh Central Catholic team that beat Parkland 21-18 for the PIAA 4A title in Hershey in December of 2015. He was a captain, all-stater and 4A defensive player of year.
HERSHEY, HERE THEY COME!
@BoysParkland
wins it 59-51! Parkland is 26-5 and has a chance to be first Lehigh Valley team to win in highest classification since 1982 when Scott Coval led Whitehall to the state gold.
WE HAVE A NEW SHOT OF THE YEAR
@ND_Crusaders
advances to the
@PIAADistrictXI
3A on this looong 3-pointer at the buzzer. 60-57 final. Logan Rickert is the hero. Palmerton suffers heartbreaking end to season.
SAQUON BARKLEY COMING HOME
@saquon
will return to
@ZephyrAthletics
on Sept 10 to have his No. 21
@ZephyrsFootball
jersey retired at halftime of a game vs.
@LibertyHigh
. He joins Matt Millen & Dan Koppen as other Zephs to have football jerseys retired.
Very special moment here at
@emmausboysbball
as
@_EHSAthletics
as
@SabolZach
reaches 1000 career points, the 9th boy in school history to do it. Amazing for a young man who bounced back from a major injury his freshman year.
FREEDOM FAMILY
@FHSBasketball1
freshman Nick “Pickel” Ellis scores 13 points in his first
@PIAADistrictXI
playoff game. He had special inspiration after losing his mother Laura at age 43 after she battled ovarian cancer. He is thankful to his teammates who have supported him.
It’s a little past 11 as I leave Liberty’s Memorial Gym. This grand old place has seen its share of fantastic events over the years. As a kid I saw everything here from the Globetrotters to roller derby. The 1976 US Olympic team, coached by Dean Smith, played here. Great place.
EMOTIONAL ENDING
Don’t think for a sec that football doesn’t matter to the kids who play it. The game ended an hour earlier, the stadium was almost cleared.
@CHSRoughRiders
senior Chad Beller walked out on Alumni Field and sat on the 50 and the logo. He sat there for awhile.
MAN OF THE NIGHT
@EastonFootball
junior Marcus Williams had two kickoff returns of more than 90 yards for TDs, a 65-yard run from scrimmage for a score, a 21-yard TD reception and the game-preserving INT. It was a night he might be still be talking about 50 years from now.
Stevie Mitchell may join Darrun Hilliard, Aaron Gray, Jameer Nelson, Jimmer Fredette and other stars as one of the best to play summer basketball at Cedar Beach. He had 32 in the championship game.
IAN & KORDELL
In honor of my story today on
@EHS_Hornets
freshman Ian Foerst here is most of my interview with Ian and his good friend, football player and wrestler Kordell Waiters.
PROUD MOMENT, PART 2
Big thanks to
@_aprilb_
for sending along this photo of my son, Allentown Fire Dept. lieutenant Chris Groller, and some other guy who was visiting the area today. Kept thinking of how proud my late father, Rocky, a 30-year Allentown firefighter, would have
ONE TO REMEMBER
I do about 300 interviews per boys basketball season & about 1200 interviews a year. I do so many that sometimes I forget who I talked to. But I’ll definitely remember this one with
@PV_Boys_Hoops
senior Luke Pandolfo. See story on him at
STILL PROUD
Similar endings for
@theprophet_5
. In his final HS game at
@ACCHSboysbball
in 2014 he had 30 pts in PIAA 3A quarters but lost 60-50 to a team from Philly (Goretti) that just had too much. Tonight he had a team-high 23, but ran into a Philly-area team with too much.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
Retiring
@Becahi_Hawks
baseball coach Mike Grasso hopes he gets the chance to say goodbye to his coaching colleagues and other friends made from the last 45 years on local diamonds.
My annual Christmas Eve column talks about the loss in my family and remembers many of those we lost in LV sports in 2017
Special prayers & thoughts to the Bonshak family on their loss. The Bonshaks are a big part of the heart & soul of
@ZephyrAthletics
I have never been an Eagles fan but I have spent a lot of time in that city in my life and seen my share of Phillies, 76ers & Eagles games. This moment is definitely goosebump material. I will never forget it.
PROUD GRANDPARENTS
@nick_coval
& his grandparents Janice and Gene Coval after tonight’s game. A proud moment for the family &
@BoysParkland
. Gene has had some health issues but doesn’t miss a game. He is always smiling & courteous. Wish all parents/grandparents were as nice.
ONE OF THE GREAT THRILLS OF MY LIFE
I experienced it tonight as the keynote speaker at Dieruff High School’s 62nd graduation ceremony. I’ve had many memorable nights in Crum Stadium, but this one ranks as No. 1. Hope my dad who loved playing football here in the 1950s, saw it.
COACH OF THE YEAR
@PHSTrojansFB
dealt with lots of offseason heartbreak, key injuries during the season and a 2-3 start. They stayed together for a D11 6A title run thanks to the steady leadership of Tim Moncman. He's the
@mcall
EPC coach of the year.
I have seen about 40 Lehigh Valley-area high school musicals over the past eight years. I don’t want to say best this or best that but I have never enjoyed a show more than what I experienced today at Bangor. Congratulations to all. Loved it!
'SOMETHING THAT WAS NEEDED'
The hiring of Darnell Braswell, JT Randall and Nigel Long have put diversity on display in
@EastPennConf18
boys basketball. Both
@WmAllenBball
&
@LHSCanesBBall
have had teams for about 100 years & never had a Black HC before.
The best post I have seen in a long time. Only a champion thanks people for their support while going through such a tough time. No wonder the entire Valley and everyone stretching from here to Ohio State is rooting for Sammy Sasso.
god bless everyone for their support during this time. it’s been tough as hell but we are steadily improving. I can’t thank everyone enough for being in my corner.
NATE THE GREAT
@NAHSBlueEagles
senior Nathan Stefanik talks about completing what will go down as one of most famous passes in school history, even though he is now No. 1 on the school’s all-time receiving list.
LEHIGH VALLEY PROUD
Saquon Barkley's high school opponents are proud to say they competed against him, proud of what he has done to represent the area.
PROUD MOMENT
Left the gymnasium for a couple minutes for a proud personal moment as I witnessed my daughter being inducted into the National Honor Society. Very proud of her. She obviously takes after her mother. Now back to the gym.
TALKING RINGS AND JAHAN DOTSON
@saquon
was very complimentary toward another Lehigh Valley product who is shining at
@psufootball
but says the only thing better was if
@H55ZY
was a Zephyr.
REMEMBERING DAD
Rocky Groller was one of a kind. A great Allentown firefighter, a great father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. I owe him my career. This column explains why.
SENIOR SALUTE
A really cool thing happening here at Coca-Cola Park as all of the area’s softball seniors are being saluted with their parents. Choking back a few tears behind my mask as I watch this.
EPC FOOTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR
At 2-2
@FHSFBBGGC
needed to make changes, particularly about how it practiced. The adjustments worked in the form of a 9-game win streak & D11 6A title. That's why Patriots' Jason Roeder is
@mcall
EPC Coach of the Year.
FIGHT ON
Rob Melosky, a longtime area football coach, will be there with his
@PMECardinals
on Monday when football practice begins despite an offseason battling Stage 3 cancer.
CALLING ALL SPORTS
Enjoy my friends
@tonysibilla
and Andrew Stone from 9 to 11 on
@LVFoxSports
this morning. I am still recuperating from a late Saturday night at my daughter’s wedding in upstate New York.
EPC HOOPS TOURNAMENT IS GOING TO THE PPL CENTER
The EPC's boys and girls semis and the championship games are going to the
@PPLCenter
. Boys semis on Feb. 10, girls semis on Feb. 11. Championship DH set for Feb. 13.
DISTRICT 11 FOOTBALL
6A Friday:
Liberty at Freedom
Nazareth at Emmaus
Northampton at Easton
Parkland at Stroudsburg
4A Saturday, 7 p.m stars
Blue Mt. at Becahi
Bangor at Pottsville
CCHS at NW
Lehighton at Saucon Valley
"HE'S PROBABLY THE NICEST HUMAN BEING I'VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE"
That's what one rival baseball coach said of retiring
@Becahi_Hawks
coach Mike Grasso. The Golden Hawks icon will be honored Monday before finals of
@mystlukes
LV HS Baseball Tournament.
LOCAL HOOPS STAR WITH A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
@EEACSBasketball
standout Jeremiah Bembry makes it official that he is headed to Florida State to play for Leonard Hamilton. He is the second NCAA Division I commit on the Raptors roster.
DEREK TROXELL
Special moment for all who care about
@CHSRoughRiders
and local basketball. One of the great kids in the sport just reached a special milestone.
AJ MONCMAN
I have done weekly HS 🏈 videos with different people from around local sports for many years. One of the traditions I have is to do one each year with AJ. This year I traveled to the football office at
@ESUWarriors
. Yes, AJ has a 🔑 to Coach Terwilliger’s office.
MOMENT TO REMEMBER
@BoysParkland
is going back to the state finals for the second time in school history. The first time came in 2004, when Eddie Ohlson was the star point guard and now he’s the head coach.
THANK YOU TO A LEGEND …
Mike Fergus is one of the best coaches in state boys basketball history. He has won more than 600 games & 100 at 4 different schools. For him to write this about me is truly humbling. Very kind of him, especially when I don’t cover his teams often.
GREAT NEWS
Very happy to see both of the upcoming high school baseball & softball tournaments, which will spotlight seniors who missed out on their 2020 seasons, will be have their semis and finals held at Coca-Cola Park.
CLASSY KINNEY
I cover basketball, not wrestling in the winter. But I truly see why
@SeanKinney_78
is a 2-time state champ. Classy, thoughtful young man. Made sure to give Emmaus & Freedom a plug. Said great things about
@sammysasso
. Didn’t miss a beat after getting a shower.
MARCUS DILEO-VEREEN
One of the shining lights of
@asdallen
in recent years, Marcus Dileo-Vereen has died after two years of battling aplastic anemia. The former Canary football standout and scholar-athlete was one of the finest young people I've met.
GRAND OLD STADIUM
Even though it lost the south side stands years ago, Allentown’s Crum Stadium is still one of the largest athletic venues in the area and state. It hopes to welcome fans again sometime soon.
WHEN WILL IT END?
Another one-sided win by
@SJPrep_Football
in 6A football has rekindled the frustration others have felt for years and has some hoping the PIAA acts to change the current classification system.
PARKLAND 57, ROMAN 50
@BoysParkland
is going to the 6A Final Four! Wow. Tremendous second half by the Trojans. They will play Archbishop Wood Tuesday night back here at Norristown.
THANKS PARKLAND
3 years ago I thanked
@ACCHSVikings
for giving me one more opportunity to cover a state champion boys basketball team. Tonight I thank
@BoysParkland
for giving me one heck of a ride back to Hershey. The court may be gone but the good memories will go on & on.
HOPE FOR HARDBALL
A 32-team high school baseball tournament, similar to the summer hoops tourneys at Cedar Beach, is being planned for the first week of August.
Most area HS teams expected to participate.
51 YARDER!
A 51-yard field goal by Luke Myers on the final play of the game gives
@ACCHSVikings
a 27-24 win over
@EmmausFootball
. Just a great game. Emmaus rallied from a 24-3 deficit to no avail.
CANARY FAMILY
It is strange to see the
@WmAllenBball
team without coach Doug Snyder, but his players are playing today in this
@PIAADistrictXI
3rd-place game against Easton with him in their hearts. Coach Snyder lost both of his parents in the past four days.
Agree 100 percent. Way too many kids & parents are obsessed with "getting to the next level" instead of making the most of the level they're currently at. Ask the spring sports athletes who lost their senior years due to Covid how much they'd love another shot at the HS level.
PARKLAND APPROVES NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Former
@WmAllenBball
basketball star and longtime area hoops coach Bill Dreisbach has been approved as Parkland's new AD. He will take over from the retiring Jeff Geisel on July 1.
LV SPORTS HALL OF FAME
The legacy of former
@ZephyrAthletics
standout and coach Mark Bonshak lives on through his kids, each of them a quality student-athlete.
MAKING DAD PROUD
Nolan Coen, son of longtime
@LehighFootball
coach Andy Coen who died last April, is playing inspired football as a DB. Being around his
@PHSTrojansFB
family has helped him get through what will be a tough holiday season.