We’ve spent a good amount of time recently focusing on local high school baseball here on “The Shop” as well as on the Astound TV Network, so I wanted to be sure we touch on some of the other great sports action that has been going on in our coverage areas over the last couple of weeks in the other ATVN viewing areas.

First of all, hats off to our Lehigh Valley tennis champions as the District XI Doubles Finals was recently held at Parkland High School. 

In the 2A Finals, the number three seed, Armaan Makwana and Anthony Barczynski (Bethlehem Catholic HS) defeated Will Menichelli and Ford Koch (Moravian Academy) with final scores of 6-0, 6-3.

In the 3A Finals, the top-ranked team of Dan Zolatarev and Fyodor D’Souza (Parkland) defeated #2 Shayaan Farhad and Roman Farhad (Liberty), 6-2, 6-3.

Congratulations to these local tennis champions!

Other local teams claiming District XI titles in our coverage area over the last week include the Northampton volleyball and the Central Catholic and Freedom boys and Emmaus and Southern Lehigh girls lacrosse teams.  The Vikings and Spartans were both the defending champions.

For both Freedom and Emmaus, it was their first district title in their programs’ history (for Freedom, it was the first time a school in Northampton County won a district championship).  We’ve been in contact with the head coaches of both the Patriots’ and Green Hornets’ programs and plan to have them on the June 9th edition of “SportsTalk” next Thursday on ATVN.

Baseball and softball champions will also be crowned over the next few days.

In the DMV, the Washington, DC public schools athletic department announced the following honors for their track-and-field teams:

Girls Outdoor Track Runner of the Year:  Jacqueline Braxton – Roosevelt HS

Boys Outdoor Track Runner of the Year:  Jahari Miller – Wilson HS

Girls Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year: Nadia Lytle – SWW HS

Boys Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year: Morris Walker – SWW HS

Also, congratulations to McKinley High School for winning the 2022 team boys track championship and to Wilson for winning the girls title.

Last but not least, the eastern Pennsylvania outdoor summer basketball season tipped off a few weeks ago.  Here are some pictures that I took on the courts (see if you recognize any of these local athletes in action).

Keep checking back to the “SportsTalk Shop,” throughout the spring and summer months as we continue to follow the sports action in our Pennsylvania and Washington, DC viewing areas.

We’ll also have more end-of-the-school year honors, all-star listings and awards here at “The Shop” as they become available over the next several weeks.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on Astound TV Network with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

It may be a cliche, but it also can be very true…

You can’t top an original.

So is the case for the original version of the supernatural horror film classic, House on Haunted Hill.

The 1959 motion picture starring Vincent Price, Richard Long and Carol Ohmart sends shivers down viewers’ spines in the first few seconds of the film (even before the conclusion of the opening credits and not a single visual picture appears on the screen.)

The characters immediately break the “fourth wall” by looking and speaking directly to the audience and details are given about their background and announce that evening’s activities.

The movie’s premise is that Frank and Annabelle Loren (Price and Ohmart) are a twisted married couple who invite five people to a rented establishment for a “haunted house” party, offering their guests $10,000 if they can stay the entire night.

All five guests who attended the party were complete strangers to each other (or were they?) and agreed to the deal.  All the attendees are from different backgrounds and were each chosen for different reasons.  At midnight, the doors were locked.  With the windows barred and no working radios or telephones available, the twists continue to evolve as Frank accuses Annabelle of trying to kill him to inherit his money and…

Well, you’ll have to watch it to experience all the turns, thrills and chills for yourselves!

The movie was based on a story of the same name by Shirley Jackson that came out a year before the film was released and was a huge success–grossing over $2.5 million at the box office and was made on an estimated budget of $200,000.

Price, of course, was already well-known as an icon in the horror industry at the time of “House’s” release after years of successful work in both radio and motion pictures.  His starring role in this film continued a steady stream of 1950s box office hits, coming after The House of Wax, The Fly and The Return of the Fly.

Price’s co-star, Richard Long, would go on to become a household face in the 1960s as the star of the popular television western, The Big Valley.

The film’s director, William Castle, was a big fan of the original novel and didn’t stray far from the book’s premise.  According to an article published on Halloween 2014 in “Architect” magazine, Castle selected one of the eerie, yet historic Gothic houses built by Frank Lloyd Wright to film the exterior shots of the movie.  Interior scenes were filmed on sound stages built to replicate Victorian styles of the late 1800s.

Castle also did a remarkable job of utilizing the key elements of black-and-white film by featuring long shadows across many scenes, and built suspense by strategically delaying character’s faces as they slowly appear in scenes due to lack of light.

Castle himself was a big fan of legendary scaremaster Alfred Hitchcock and tried to recreate many traditional dramatic elements used by the Master of Suspense.  Ironically, Hitchcock reportedly loved Castle’s horror classic and his decision to use black-and-white filmmaking.  Hitch used the exact same color process in his very next film, Psycho.

The lasting success of “House” is indicated by a 90% fresh rating on the popular film review site “Rotten Tomatoes”, and has spawned several subsequent movies following the original’s premise.

You can see the 1959 version of House on Haunted Hill, starring Vincent Price, airing Friday, June 2, at 9:30 pm, on the Astound TV Network.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

If you have been driving around the Lehigh Valley over the last couple weeks, you probably noticed a sudden surge in the billboards promoting the 42nd US Senior Open Championship being held at Saucon Valley Country Club this June.

The defending champion is someone who was born in our Delaware Valley viewing area – Jim Furyk.

Among his most impressive career accomplishments: he is one of just eight golfers EVER to win both a U. S. Open title and a U. S. Senior Open championship.

He also still boasts the tour record with a score of 58 set back in 2016 at the Travelers Championship.

I had the chance to meet Jim last week as he stopped by the Saucon Valley Country Club to get an early bird’s look at the course ahead of next month’s U. S. Senior Championship in Bethlehem.

You can see our interview with Jim on this week’s “ATVN SportsTalk.”

In addition to our interview with Furyk, tune in this Thursday at 7pm as ATVN’s Scott Barr joins me to recap last week’s Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and Colonial League baseball playoffs action.  

If you tune in, you’ll know that we had some very entertaining ball games!

Hats off to our crew for bringing you all the action, but especially the championship day of baseball.  Their day started last Thursday morning and we first came on the air at 3:30pm, but because of rain earlier in the day and delays in repairing the fields, the first pitch of our first game didn’t start until 4:24 pm and I signed off the air at 11:33pm (the second game went 10 innings!).

Between curfew issues, stadium lights potentially turning off, great plays and interesting in-game decisions, we will have PLENTY to discuss on Thursday’s show.

We’ll also be looking ahead to next week’s District XI postseason coverage which will be live on the Astound Broadband TV Network.  Make sure you bookmark our website for the latest programming information on our schedule for next week.

Don’t forget to chime in with a question or comment during our live show or suggestions of which teams we should try to focus on this summer by emailing us.

Now, here’s our next installment of the best plays from our ATVN sports broadcast season to date: 

1. Astound Sports: Notre Dame vs. WIlson (3/22)
   
   
2. Astound Sports: Bangor vs. Bethlehem Catholic (3/22)
   
   
3. Astound Sports: Northampton vs. Fox Chapel (3/22)
   
   

4. Astound Sports: Parkland vs. Pennwood (3/22)
   
   

5. Astound Sports: Allentown Central Catholic vs. Lehighton (3/22)
   

Come back next week for more information on ATVN’s coverage of local sports in our area and also to see more of our top highlights from the past sports season to see if your favorite teams and players make our weekly list!  We’ll also have more information on the local summer basketball programs that kicked off last week.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

This is a slightly busier week than normal for those of us in the ATVN Sports Department for a few reasons.

So what new things are going on this week?

First, we are welcoming former Major League Baseball player Matt McBride to our on-air announcing team as he will be calling games with us starting this week on the Astound TV Network.

Secondly, for the first time ever on our station, we are broadcasting the Colonial League baseball playoffs.  We are very excited to be able to focus on those teams for the first time during the spring season.

Thirdly, with the quarterfinals completed this weekend, we are in the process of putting all our information together for Tuesday’s semifinal broadcasts–and we don’t have a shortage of great storylines to focus on.

The scene for Tuesday is now set.

In the EPC semifinals, Emmaus and Parkland will square off against each other for the third time.  In the first game, Emmaus won by a single run but Parkland had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning before the Hornets shut the door.

In Tuesday’s other game, it will feature the area’s top team at the end of the regular season–Liberty, against one of the hottest squads in the area–Nazareth.

All four teams split their games during the regular season, so each game will be “rubber matches.”

Be sure to tune in for our coverage starting on Tuesday afternoon!

Also, don’t forget to tune into our “SportsTalk” for interviews with local coaches and athletes every Thursday at 7pm on “ATVN SportsTalk.”  You can also chime in with a question or comment during our live show or suggestions of which teams we should try to focus on this spring by emailing us.

Also, for more on all of the teams participating in this week’s baseball playoff action, we had a comprehensive preview of both the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and Colonial League playoffs on last week’s “SportsTalk” show, which Astound Broadband video customers can watch for free at any time On-Demand.

Last but not least, we also have interviews with local baseball and softball teams you will want to check out that were a part of last week’s program as well.

Come back to “The SportsTalk Shop” next week for more information on ATVN’s coverage of local sports in our area, reactions and news from this week’s sports action and more of our top highlights from the past sports seasons.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

One of the great aspects of the classic film, Charade, is its all-star cast.  Cary Grant, Audrey Heburn, James Coburn…the list goes on.

But people may be surprised to know that one of its biggest stars–and arguably the  movie’s most sinister villain, George Kennedy, was actually appearing in one of his earliest movie roles!

Kennedy was born on February 18, 1925, in New York City, into a show business family. He made his stage debut at the tender age of two — in a touring company’s production of Bringing Up Father.  Aside from a few television appearances, it would be nearly 35 years until George made it onto the Silver Screen.

Enlisting in the United States Army at the age of 17 during World War II, Geroge served 16 years, reaching the rank of captain. Kennedy served in the infantry under George S. Patton, he fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and he earned two Bronze Stars. Kennedy re-enlisted after the war and was discharged in the late 1950s due to a back injury.

After a recurring role on television’s Phil Silvers Show, Kennedy made his film debut in 1961’s The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come, followed quickly by more prominent roles in the western, Lonely Are The Brave (starring Kirk Douglas), the romance/mystery/comedy, Charade, and a thriller, Strait-Jacket (with Joan Crawford).

A few years later, George appeared in the classic Cool Hand Luke and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role while also receiving a nomination for the corresponding Golden Globe.

Before the 1960s were out, Kennedy had appeared in 27 films before the end of 1969, including classics like Shenandoah, The Flight of the Phoenix, The Dirty Dozen, Bandolero, The Boston Strangler and the film version of McHale’s Navy.

But George’s success would continue early in 1970.

Kennedy would star in three films that year, none bigger than one of 1970’s summer blockbusters (and there were several), Airport.  The star-studded air-disaster drama would be Universal Pictures’ biggest commercial success to date and earn ten Oscar nominations. Kennedy won a Golden Globe as a supporting actor portraying the character, Joe Patroni.

Airport would spawn a new generation of “disaster films,” including three other sequels.  Kennedy was the only actor to appear in each new installment of the film series.

George would continue to star in a wide variety of genres for the next several decades.  In 1988, he would introduce himself to a new generation of moviegoers by handling the role of Captain Ed Hocken — sidekick to Leslie Neilsen’s legendary turn as Lieutenant Frank Drebin, in The Naked Gun film series.

The first installment is regarded as one of the greatest comedy films of all-time and is even listed on The New York Times’ top 100 movies ever (Kennedy’s movies have several entries on this list).  George would continue to work in various film and television projects until the 2014 film, The Gambler.

At the time of his death in 2016, Kennedy was the oldest living actor to win an Oscar.  Coincidentally, he died the day of the 88th Academy Awards ceremony. 

You can see George Kennedy in classic films, including Charade, airing this Saturday at 8pm on ATVN.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ATVN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

This is a very busy week for everyone in the Lehigh Valley as there’s a rush to get in all the remaining regular season spring sports games this week, with league and then district playoffs for most sports commencing in just a few days!

A few sports already completed their local playoff season.         

Congratulations are in order to both the Central Catholic and Liberty tennis teams for REPEATING as District XI champs in both the 2A and 3A classifications.  We talked about both of these squads quite a bit a year ago on our “SportsTalk” program and they continued to impress again this year.

Meanwhile, the Astound Broadband TV Network is gearing up for our full broadcast coverage of games next week, starting with the EPC baseball semifinals on Monday, May 16, starting at 4pm.  Make sure you bookmark our broadcast schedule and keep checking back for more information on our playoff coverage as it becomes available.

I honestly can’t remember the last time all spring playoff games went off “as scheduled” due to the weather, field conditions, etc., so there WILL be changes!

The local baseball playoffs got a little more intriguing this past week as the local Colonial League favorite, Southern Lehigh, had a rare loss and a tough time beating a struggling Northern Lehigh squad, who played well down at Limeport Stadium last week.  Meanwhile, Northwestern, Saucon Valley and Palisades are three teams that haven’t lost in a while and seem to be peeking at the right time–just before the post-season.

We’ll have interviews from Saucon Valley, Southern Lehigh, Northwestern and others coming up on this Thursday’s show on ATVN, plus a comprehensive look at all the local baseball teams as we embark on the post-season.

Keep checking back to the “SportsTalk Shop,” as we continue to follow the high school sports teams in our area and have interviews with local coaches and athletes every Thursday at 7pm on “ATVN SportsTalk.”  Don’t forget to chime in with a question or comment during our live show or suggestions of which teams we should try to focus on this spring by emailing us.

Now, here’s our next installment of the best plays from our ATVN sports broadcast season to date:

1. Astound Sports: Executive Education Academy vs. Notre Dame (2/22)
   
2. Astound Sports: Bethlehem Catholic vs. Allentown Central Catholic (3/22)
   
3. Astound Sports: Northampton vs. Nazareth (3/22)
   
4. Astound Sports: Northampton vs. Freedom Girls (2/22)
   
5. Astound Sports: Northampton vs. Nazareth Consolation Round (3/22)
   

Come back next week for more information on ATVN’s coverage of local sports in our area and also to see more of our top highlights from the past sports season to see if your favorite teams and players make our weekly list!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

 Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on the Astound Broadband TV Network with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

You can make a serious argument that Bob Hope was the most famous entertainer in the world in the 20th century.

Very few people, if anyone, will ever accumulate more awards, honorary degrees and other accolades from as many countries while starring in more shows, movies and special programs and hosting as many galas, events and award shows than Hope.

One could also argue that very few public figures have had a more polarizing effect from fans and followers worldwide.

Today we shall examine the optimistic view and share some of the many positives in the legendary career of one Leslie Townes Hope.

While many regard him as one of the greatest Americans ever, it’s ironic that he was not born in the USA.

Originally a product of Eltham, London (now the Royal Borough of Greenwich), Hope’s family (which included seven boys in all) immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio when Bob was eight years old.  By the age of 12, he earned pocket money singing, dancing and performing comedy on the street.

Hope spent a brief amount of time as a boxer, a butcher’s assistant, a lineman and a tree surgeon, among other odd jobs.  While some rumors indicate his boxing career gave him his now famous odd-sized nose, he actually had his face smashed while clearing trees, which forced him to have reconstructive surgery on his face.

Hope initially decided to become a dancer–Fatty Arbuckle gave Bob one of his first big breaks.  While having success in vaudeville, he failed his first screen test for a French film company in 1930.

Undaunted, Bob continued to develop his now patented rapid-fire comedic delivery on the radio, on the stage and then, eventually, in pictures.  His big break came in 1938’s The Big Broadcast, in which Hope’s comedy not only stood out amongst the star-studded cast, but he first sang the song that would become his trademark, “Thanks for the Memories” (which also won an Academy Award as Best Original Song).

His star power now established in films, Hope would continue to build his legacy in all forms of media, but became particularly entrenched in the fabric of America with his tireless work performing for the military in World War II.

Between 1941 and 1991, Hope made 57 tours for the United Service Organizations, entertaining active duty American military personnel around the world. In 1997, Congress passed a bill that made Hope an honorary veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Hope became internationally famous for his highly successful projects in virtually every media avenue possible for an entertainer…and then some.

We could probably spend several blog entries just talking about the many other great things that Leslie Townes Hope did for America and for the world.

But there is another side to Hope – a side that is much darker – one we will explore in two weeks here at “The Showplace.”

In the meantime, you can see Hope starring in films like My Favorite Brunette, this Monday at 2:30pm, along with his scene-stealing guest starring appearance in various classic television situation comedies on Astound Broadband TV Network.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

We changed the calendar this past weekend but the local sports storylines keep coming in as we edge closer to the spring scholastic postseason.

A few include:

• Northampton baseball team scored a major win this past week by beating the defending league and district champs from Emmaus–a team that entered the previous week undefeated.  The ATVN cameras were on the scene of one of the biggest upsets of the spring.  If you missed the highlights and post-game interviews on last week’s “SportsTalk,” Astound Broadband customers can watch them again for free at any time On-Demand!
• Speaking of the Northampton/Emmaus game, special thanks to ATVN’s own videographer, Alyssa Sheckler, who stood out in the rain in the nearly three-hour contest with me capturing all those big moments (there was no press box, overhangs or coverings so we really appreciate her efforts!)
• The DCIAA in Washington, DC officially kicked off its 2022 flag football season in the DMV, with Bannecker playing Coolridge in the first game of the year.  After so many hurdles for this particular sport to get on the field, it was great to hear that they have played a week’s worth of games without any difficulty.
• Freedom’s lacrosse team is still undefeated heading into the last week of the regular season.  After Easton girls pulled off a major upset a year ago, it would be quite an accomplishment for the Patriots to run the table in a very competitive EPC season.
• Our scheduled games to cover over the next few week include: Liberty vs. Freedom, Easton vs. Nazareth, Whitehall vs. Allen, Central Catholic vs. Bethlehem Catholic and Parkland vs. Emmaus.
• I had some great comments from viewers about our spring coverage so far at the annual EPC baseball Play Days this weekend (of course, the last game was postponed due to rain).  The ATVN cameras will also be joining me for a rare Colonial League doubleheader this Wednesday.  The weather “should” be better (we also had a game rained out this past Sunday, so a sunny/not cold day would be welcomed and much appreciated!)

 Keep checking back to the “SportsTalk Shop,” as we continue to follow the high school sports teams in our area and have interviews with local coaches and athletes every Thursday at 7pm on “ATVN SportsTalk.”  Our scheduled guests include local assistant coaches from our area to talk about their roles with their respective teams.

Don’t forget to chime in with a question or comment during our live show or suggestions of which teams we should try to focus on this spring by emailing us.

Now, here’s our next installment of the best plays from our ATVN sports broadcast season to date: 

1. Astound Sports: Northwestern Lehigh vs. Palmerton (3/22)
   
2. Astound Sports: Northampton vs. Nazareth Wrestling (1/22)

3. Astound Sports: Northampton vs. Nazareth (1/22)
   
4. Astound Sports: Northampton vs. Central Catholic (1/22)
   
5. Astound Sports: Allentown Central Catholic vs. Parkland (1/22)
   
   

 Check back next week for more information on ATVN’s coverage of local sports in our area and also to see more of our top highlights from the past sports season to see if your favorite teams and players make the list!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

In 1950’s television, program ideas were still very fresh and–except for radio shows that transitioned to TV–there were many “new” origins for programming in the early days of the medium.

One of these original ideas in the 1950s was Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion.

The show was based on using real-life stories of the French Foreign Legion and was filmed on location on often dangerous deserts of Morocco.  The producers would actually work with the members of the French Ministers of National Defense and commanding generals in the French Army.  They would also interview Legionnaires in Zagora, Rabat, Marrakesh, Taroudant and Agadir to come up with realistic story material–a technique later used by producers on shows like M*A*S*H.

The extreme long takes of scenes highlighted by the vastness of the wide open deserts for many of its episodes allowed audiences a chance to experience a realistic view of “traveling along” with the Legionnaires, although several real-life incidents forced the production company to eventually change filming locations to more safe locales in Italy during the show’s run.

To further hype the show, the producers brought in ultra-popular film star Buster Crabbe, who was a hero to many young people in the 1930s and 1940s as the titular character in some of the previous decades’ popular movie serials, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers and Tarzan.

Crabbe has just finished a successful run hosting his own program, The Buster Crabbe Show, which against the backdrop of a ranch foreman’s bunkhouse featured Crabbe engaging his viewers with games, stories, craft-making, hobbies, informational segments, and interviews with guest performers and personalities.

Crabbe was also an international hero with medal victories in the 1928 and 1932 Olympic games.

Joining Crabbe in the cast was longtime western star John Forrest “Fuzzy” Knight, who was largely responsible for the “lighter” moments on the show.

Knight’s first major picture role was with Hollywood icon Mae West.  He went on to be  a very popular western film star himself from 1928 through the mid-1940s, appearing in over a hundred films.

According to the book, “The Hall of Fame of Western Film Stars,” Knight was named one of the Top 10 Money-Making Western Stars in 1940 and appeared in as many as 10 films in a single year.  His film role offers were beginning to dwindle in the mid-1950s, but his appearance on this show reintroduced him to a brand new audience.  Knight would go on to appear in movies and television shows through 1967, when he retired from show business. 

Rounding out the “Foreign Legion” cast was a newcomer – Buster’s own son – Cullen “Cuffy” Crabbe, who made his acting debut on the program.   

The show produced 65 new episodes and was very popular in syndication for years.  Due to its popularity, three of its episodes were edited together into a full-length motion picture entitled Desert Outpost, which was distributed and released in Europe.

Be sure to watch or set your DVRs for Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, airing for the first time ever on ATVN this spring.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

OK, I admit. I’m looking ahead just a little bit and took some liberties with the use of the term “summer” basketball in this week’s blog title.  Perhaps, I’m still feeling a little chilly inside after sitting through a couple local scholastic baseball games this past week in which the temperature dipped down into the 40-degree range (and later, that evening, the 30s!), before things warmed up this past weekend.

However, believe it or not – the spring/summer high school basketball official league schedule will be starting in just a couple weeks.  It has become a key time of year for gauging how next season’s varsity teams will shake out and will factor in for our thought processes when it comes time to put our winter sports season together for the following school year.

History has shown us that, while the final scores of these games may not be as important as other times of the year, it is important to keep an eye out for developing players, unique storylines and the ever-changing landscape of local talent–whether it be players coming in or moving out of the region.

A few items to keep an eye on as we approach the first set of games:

• Teams like Northampton, Nazareth, Central Catholic, Bethlehem Catholic, Parkland and Allen–to name a few–have lost some very big names to graduation after this past winter season.  Which players will step-up to fill their shoes and how will the chemistry be trying to replace so many talented athletes?  All of these teams had success during the ‘21-22 seasons and each program will be in the spotlight with high expectations for the season going forward.
• Northampton’s Coy Stampone recently stepped down after 10 years as the head coach of the Northampton boys basketball program (if you missed his appearance on our ATVN SportsTalk show, ATVN customers can hear his comments for yourself through our On-Demand services, available for free).  Who will take over a program that has had so much success in recent years and how smooth will the transition be?
• There’s rumors of other coaches who may be on the move in Eastern Pennsylvania and also in our Washington, DC region..which coaches will stay and which may move on?
• The Easton girls teams had one of the most successful seasons last winter–yet had no title to show for it…how will the Rovers respond and who will step up to take over running the offense and distributing the basketball as the squad graduated its starting point guard?

Also, here are a few pictures for last year’s summer hoops action that never made it to publication.  See if your favorite sports stars are listed in the gallery below.

Keep checking back to the “SportsTalk Shop,” throughout the spring and summer months as we continue to follow the action on the Lehigh Valley basketball courts, bringing you news, rumors and developments on local storylines, along with pictures of the “new” basketball season coming up.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.